For preservation was initiated in the 1880s and 1890s when the veterans were at the height of their power in government and Industry Leaders and all of them. It was because battlefields ironically these places of conflict could become places of comfort. So americans always put tremendous emphasis on these places as a tool of reconciliation. The key part of the battlefield that came from the sons of confederate veterans stipulated the government would care for this battlefield and not detract from the glory. The dedication speech i helped managed. 1927, said the keynote speaker said we do more than dedicate these fields in memory of things that have passed. We consecrate them in the spirit of lee and lincoln to a more perfect understanding to south and north. For the next 50 years or so would faithfully carry out that charge. Where americans can come together and understand the war in a very human level. Just to give you a sense of how deep this tradition is and how its perceived by the
Exists than the rest of the world combined than all. Society thinks of itself as being nonmilitaristic and i think in our essence we are. Preserves battlefield land to such a degree. Now our traditional view of the civil war was born on the postwar period. The reunification of our nation. Think about the fact in United States capital today are seven statutes to man supporting the rebellion against the federal government during the American Civil War. They dont do that in syria, libya. They do it here. Thats remarkable. Now there are lots of ways and the reconciliation scholars have shone is buried and incomplete in some areas and in some ways. How did that come to pass . Part of the answer is when you want to make up with somebody you find Common Ground. Place where you can both be comfortable. To some degree we did it on a national level. In the aftermath of the civil war few things everybody could agree with or most people and that was that the american soldier be he dressed in gray
Lees father, light horse harry lee had been with washington at yorktown and witnessed what he deemed to be the shameful behavior of lord corn wallacenr by sending a subordinate to formally surrender the british army. Lee would not shame the familys name by transferring the responsibility to a subordinate. As the small party left the apple tree site and reached the appomattox river, lees horse traveler stopped to drink. Continued into the village behind us. And encountered Wilmer Mclean who was outside of his house, perhaps looking to have a guard posted at his home. Mclean first showed him a building most likely in the front corner of his yard. The rain tavern as it was known but the buildings was unfurnished. Then mclean offered his own home, which stands behind us. Behind me and in front of you. It was a fine brick home. Marshall returned to lee to guide him to the location. The group arrived at the house at about 1 00 p. M. They left lieutenant dunn at the gate. He was posted there
Established the bargain that the white north and the white south would hold on to for generations. Despite the terrible cause, spite grant continued, quote, i do not question the sincerity of the si great mass of those who were great opposed to it. Sincerity. Indeed who could have doubted bted the sincerity of the confederacy, who had bled itself to death in pursuit of that cause. The confederacy was profoundly sincere. The soldiers were sincere in their longing to lead the United States. Sincere in their hatred of what they saw as an invading army. Nvadin sincere in their hatred of the abolitionist and black republicans that they blamed for starting the war. Sincere in their belief that they had the best army and the rmy an best d generals. They were never shaken in those beliefs all the way up to to appomattox and beyond for generations. So general grant was right not gen to doubt their sincerity. Er general grants portrayal at appomattox gave the white south what it most wanted, and