General Robert E. Lee. A Gentleman's Gentleman.

[BigCityChief]

My favorite writer of Civil War history is Bruce Catton.


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[redneckemt]

There is an excellent website called: Black Confederates. Its excellent info. One thing I always knew, was many served in the Confederate Military. The thing that shocked me the most--were the huge numbers who did so. According to that site--100,000 served in the Confederate Military--many because they didnt like the idea of some from across the Country-trying to tell them how to live--as well as didnt like the idea of uninvited "guests" coming on their land.

Also--this is excellent viewing: This Gentleman has 100% of my respect:
http://youtu.be/o8hPo6mYnks
http://youtu.be/AYzAqHD1gHc
Ill not post this one because of lots of bad language but--look on youtube for: Kevin Craft-who is a comedian and his take on Southern Pride.
The meaning of the St. Andrews flag (or) the Battle Flag:
http://youtu.be/YF-QIJyLhKQ
From the album: Southern Soldier as done by the 2nd South Carolina String Band:
http://youtu.be/D3IJ05QntXQ

One of the finest Companies that fought for the South was the personal escort of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Most of those troopers... were freed slaves.

Oh if only that fool Bragg at endorsed Patrick Cleiburns plan to allow slaves to fight in order to earn freedom (an idea that started with George Washington)


And just to point out the US Army Rangers claim they come from Rogers Rangers, of the British Army. Rogers Rangers fought for the Crown during our war of Independence

 

[PA Reb]

I must say gentlemen that I have read each and every post in this thread and I am proud to be amongst a group of people with the knowledge y'all show. The rich history of this country has given us a wealth of people to look up to. Many of the people mentioned in this thread did nothing that they would consider heroic but all of them followed their hearts and did the very best they could to defend what they believed important. I have an aunt through marriage that is a direct descendant of John Singleton Mosby. I am also a descendant of many men who fought on the Union side in this great war including two uncles that fought at Gettysburg. I am in fact the proud descendant of a grandfather and uncle that fought during the Revolution as well as men involved in every conflict this nation has seen up to and including Viet Nam. It seems to me though that when one speaks of the great War for Southern Independence, there are certain men that have become iconic, almost god like heroes and General Lee is usually right at the top of that list (personally, General Longstreet is right there with Lee). I used to teach this war to high school freshman and the very first question I would ask them was "who believes this war was fought to free the slaves?" Without question each class was unanimous - the war was fought to free the slaves! This is where we have gone wrong over the years - we've allowed history to be rewritten which has now allowed several generations to believe things like the CSA battle flag stands for racism. It has also been rewritten to have people begin to believe that anyone that had anything to do with that war must have been traitors to the U.S. and we must stop honoring them by taking their portraits down from places of honor. It has also led to shameful things like making the greeting "Happy Holidays" PC and publicly admonishing people who still think "Merry Christmas" was and is just fine. Southern states have removed flags from state buildings because of this PC attitude. I fear we have done this to ourselves and at this point in time there's no going back. I also feel that we, those of us that know the real truth, must continue to fight back and not allow our heritage to be destroyed by the uneducated masses in this country. Thanks for this thread OP - you did good my friend!

I'm done with my rant now !

 

[the ringo kid]

Well said Sir, well said. I always get emotional when thinking about the war, and all of our folks from both sides, who were scarred for life, and those who died.

 

[gator68]

There is an excellent website called: Black Confederates. Its excellent info. One thing I always knew, was many served in the Confederate Military. The thing that shocked me the most--were the huge numbers who did so. According to that site--100,000 served in the Confederate Military--many because they didnt like the idea of some from across the Country-trying to tell them how to live--as well as didnt like the idea of uninvited "guests" coming on their land.

The Confederate Congress did authorize using slaves as troops -- at the end of March, 1865. Just a few weeks before Lee surrendered. There were not 100,000 blacks in the confederate military. Wow, you really believe slaves are going to rise up to fight the union "trying to tell them how to live"? What do you think they told the overseers?

 

[gator68]

I used to teach this war to high school freshman and the very first question I would ask them was "who believes this war was fought to free the slaves?" Without question each class was unanimous - the war was fought to free the slaves!

You're right -- it wasn't fought to free the slaves. It was started by the south to preserve the institution of slavery. They knew it was doomed if they stayed in the union. They had fewer and fewer votes in congress each year. The only choice that would keep their slaves in bondage was to leave.

1860_census.html
Look at this again. In the slave states, 25 - 50% of families owned slaves; 33% -50% of the population were slaves. In Mississippi and South Carolina more than half the population were slaves. Those are incredible numbers.

 

[Faulkner]

Just some points for clarification.

Please read Lincolns first innaugrel speech.

The South (South Carolina) fired on Fort Sumter. As a result of this, Lincoln called for the raising of 95,000 troops for 3 months service. Their battle cry was "preserve the Union".

Once Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, many in the North were furious, because the focus of the war changed to freeing the slaves, not about preserving the Union. Shortly after, conscription began in the North, as the it was then harder to "Rally 'round the Flag" when the cause was no longer one you could die for.

Robert E. Lee was, in my mind, a great general. He maintained the ANV through years of inept and lackadaisical supply. But, he failed to realize there was more war than just that in Virginia. Gettysburg was a great battle, but at the same time, the siege of Vicksburg was ended. A solid argument can be made that the South lost the war at Shiloh, by not pressing Grant. There's an old saying, "The South never smiled after Shiloh".

Also in my opinion, Longstreet bore the brunt of the failure at Gettysburg because he alone of the top CSA Generals at the battle, was not a Virginian.

To get a good grasp of the situation as it actually was, start reading biographies from the period. Not just the popular ones, try them all. Some will impress you, others will make your blood boil. But you'll come away with what actually happened, ( if you pair them with official records and period maps). Our accounts of historical periods get distorted with every new book published.

Just for clarification, it wasn't Lee's responsiblity to be concerned with other theaters of the war. His assignment was that of commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia and he was not in a position to have strategic or tactical input regarding Vicksburg or Shiloh.

If there is blame for Confederate strategic implementation of the war outside of Lee's theater of operation it falls at the feet of President Jefferson Davis and the several Confederate Secretaries of War.

 

[the ringo kid]

The Confederate Congress did authorize using slaves as troops -- at the end of March, 1865. Just a few weeks before Lee surrendered. There were not 100,000 blacks in the confederate military. Wow, you really believe slaves are going to rise up to fight the union "trying to tell them how to live"? What do you think they told the overseers?

There were not 100,000 at the same time--but total during the war years. I didnt make up the numbers but, that number was within a few thousand difference from both sides,

 

[1morethan8]

My daughter is in the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Last year she got to meet Robert E. Lee at a reenactment they had in Charleston, TN...

Her friend with Abe (This guy is his double!)...

 

[PA Reb]

You're right -- it wasn't fought to free the slaves. It was started by the south to preserve the institution of slavery. They knew it was doomed if they stayed in the union. They had fewer and fewer votes in congress each year. The only choice that would keep their slaves in bondage was to leave.

1860_census.html
Look at this again. In the slave states, 25 - 50% of families owned slaves; 33% -50% of the population were slaves. In Mississippi and South Carolina more than half the population were slaves. Those are incredible numbers.

In my opinion, you're right to some extent. The only point I was trying to make is history has been rewritten to the point that today the real truth is buried forever. Lincoln himself said over and over from the get go that the war wasn't over slavery but changed his words later on. Although I believe it ended as it should have and we finally abolished slavery, this topic is really like beating a dead horse. I think it will range on forever !

 

[jlrhiner]

Just for clarification, it wasn't Lee's responsiblity to be concerned with other theaters of the war. His assignment was that of commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia and he was not in a position to have strategic or tactical input regarding Vicksburg or Shiloh.

If there is blame for Confederate strategic implementation of the war outside of Lee's theater of operation it falls at the feet of President Jefferson Davis and the several Confederate Secretaries of War.

Lee's original title, at the beginning of the war, was Chief of Staff of the CSA. He was in this position when the "defensive" strategy was developed. His focus was always on Virginia. Davis tried to control the other theaters, but men, supplies and glory went to the ANV. BTW, Bragg was a favorite of Davis. Lee transferred commands from his army to the Army of Tennessee and back again routinely, such as when Longstreet was sent to serve under Bragg. Bear in mind also, the war officially ended when Lee surrendered the ANV.

Bad thing about being the head guy. Not only do you get all the applause, but also the blame.

 

[wbraswell]

''Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one.''

I do not remember ever hearing this line. I love it. It reminds me of the morality I was taught by my father.
Politicians have started many many wars for reasons that are far different than the reasons that armies fight them. If Phil Sheridan's army is marching down the street, and they're going to take everthing they want and burn all the rest, you really don't care what their politics or reasoning are.

 

[williamlayton]

I will make one statement. The South made a terrible mistake by following the firebrands of Sout Carolina.
Ol Sam told them what was going to happen to them.
Blessings