"What The Surrender At Appomattox Court House ..." Topic

…150 Years Ago Teaches Us About Reconciliation.

"One act by Union Brig. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain during the surrender ceremony at Appomattox Court House is a bright moment in one of the darkest periods of U.S. history.
The dawn is chill and gray. Union soldiers line the small dirt road, ranks thin from disease, battle losses, and the scars of war. The 1st Division of the 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, stands rank on rank, observing with some attention the far hill, where their enemies are gathered. Union Brig. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain describes this moment — the surrender ceremony led by Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon's on the morning of April 12, 1865, at Appomattox Court House — in his memoir, "The Passing of the Armies:"…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Pity there are so few Chamberlain's…

Most of what he wrote about the surrender we now know that it was not as he described. The story of what he did has been questioned and many think he wasn't even directly involved, at all!

I always admired the words of General U.S. Grant:

"I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse."

You must note that Chamberlain's memoirs were published in 1915 In he midst of a great effort to bring the country together. This involved the South increasing its effort to spread the Lost Cause myth, and the North going out of its way to accept the myth and exhibiting graciousness.

That same year "Birth of a Nation" would sweep the country as the first movie blockbuster. Few films have been so false to history and pernicious in their effect.

The cost of reconciliation was great in that Jim Crow was to last until The 1970s, and the last vestiges of the warping of history are only now being dealt with.

Well stated, Repiqueone!

Absolutely agreed, Repiqueone and Andrew. And I truly hope that these are "the last vestiges of the warping of history." The Lost Cause myth has lasted far too long and caused far too much harm.

I agree, Repiqueone said it well.

About time that the lost cause myth was destroyed forever. Nothing but misery and shame because of it.

Interesting and thought provoking piece. I didn't know about Chamberlains injury at Petersburg.

It always amazes me…We can't seem to discuss a subject like this without Bob needing to push in "Lost Cause myth", "Jim Crow", and "Dem evil white Southerners"…

For once I wish he would just keep on subject…but that's not his goal….

Well, it could be that the biggest failure of the Reconstruction was to leave the party of slavery in existence as it was that party that created and maintained Jim Crow.

And it was a president of that party that screened 'Birth of a Nation' in the White House.

But, once again this is Fez territory.

Oh, rReally nice shot at Chamberlain. Perhaps as with Grant next time his name comes up you could find a reference to him having owned a slave…

Apparently from many responses, Murf, most people did think it was on subject.

Strangely enough, Goragrad, there were Northern and Southern Democrats, and many Northern Democrats fought for the Union, and nominated and voted in the election of 1864. Of course all the Southern Democrats were unable to do so as they were , by their own statements, no longer citizens of the U.S. Though Lincoln saw this differently.

You might also read a bit of history on how the two parties, GOP and Democrats changed dramatically over the years to where they stand today. The Solid South of Wilson's day is made up of the same states, some of the same attitudes, but largely a different party.

What political parties represent can change, and so can people change parties, Much of the political infighting of the 20th century was between Northern and Southern Democrats, that seems have changed parties as well.

Grant has been under considerable reconsideration by historians both militarily,and even his Presidency, as a more accurate assessment of the historical facts of the war and reconstruction are replacing fiction and myth.

As a result of this replacement of myth with history several personages are now seen far more positively- such as Grant, Longstreet, Senator Stevens, and Frederick Douglas, and Generals such as George Thomas, and some. are being viewed more critically such as Lee, Forest, and Davis. As we are also seeing now, a few symbols, flags, and monuments are being questioned even by Southerners.

This is a good thing and may actually lead to a more honest appraisal of one of the watershed moments in our history and a better national identity,

Repiqueone nailed it again. Each of the major US parties is different from what it once was. It's more accurate to compare social conservatives then to social conservatives now, and the same for social liberals, regardless of then-or-now party affiliation.

That 'parties have changed' line has all been refuted before on the Fez RePiqued One as you may well remember, so we'll leave it there where it belongs.

So has the deconstruction of Chamberlain reached back to Little Round Top or did his 'prevarications' in his memoirs just start in 1915 with respect to Appomatox?

Goragrad, I heard a lot of ranting, but no refutations of any merit. It's always difficult to consistently refute the truth.

I have not accused Chamberlain of prevarications, but what one remembers, what one emphasizes, and what one selects to write can be influenced by the emotions and tenor of the times. I suggest you read any number of current historians on the period from the turn of the century through the 1930s and the growth of the Lost Cause myth, and the increased strengthening of Jim Crow Laws. 1915 was the 50th anniversary of the end of the war and there was a concerted effort at bringing the nation together( the war in Europe was menacing enough to encourage mending our fences and trying to unite as best we could.). The obfuscation of accurate history and the oppression of blacks under Jim Crow was the price.

Chamberlain was a politician and in tune with his times and would certainly in 1915 have written his memoirs in a conciliatory way toward the South. He was not alone in this regard. It is revealing to read and compare many remarks from the same Northern Notables from 1865-1875, and then post 1900.

Memoirs are often unreliable sources because they are often self-serving and prone to time-edited remembrance. They are useful for insights into the author's thinking, and to lead us to topics that may be explored from more objective sources. A few are great literature. In this period that would be Grant's two volume memoir on the war written as he was dying from cancer.
Some of the worst are from the Southern Generals such as Early who were more interested in rewriting history than truth or honest reporting.

I recommend:

The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History by Gary Gallagher
Magnolias Without Moonlight by Sheldon Hackney
Lee and His Army in Confedrate History by Gallagher

Much of McPherson's work over many volumes, and Grant's memoir mentioned above are simply great reading .

I'm sure you'd find them all fascinating.

As I noted this has all been hashed out in the Fez and discussing current politics here is inappropriate.

I will say that insofar as your comment about the current discussion leading to a better national identity it appears that those wishing to do this are applying the Soviet airbrush to history. At the same time they are assigning blood guilt to the current inhabitants of the South.

None of what I have written above is current politics except where I twice merely mentioned that some vestiges of historical events are still to be dealt with. Only you seem to be insisting that it be current affairs.

Goragrad, I listed several books by top flight professors of History from the University of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Princeton, they are hardly Soviet propagandists. At the moment, there is a substantial amount of excellent current scholarship examining the ACW period. The result of this renaissance of interest is a thorough and complete identification of Jubal Early's and Freeman's treatment of ACW history as propaganda, I.e., The Lost Cause.

There is no blood guilt applied to any current citizen of the South, but it will become less tolerable to the majority of Southerners for anyone to publicly, and with the state's sanction, advocate the continuance of any prejudices based on very bad history, and even worse understandings of the proper role of Goverment in the United States. This is what liberation from false history and poor government can achieve. This is a important value to be gained from studying history.

The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The "Great Truth" about the "Lost Cause"

Another well researched and scholarly book. Not only the war but how reconstruction has been changed and twisted to support the myth of the lost cause by using their own words. Not cherry picked slimline but the entiredocument.

As a slight aside and as a lifelong admirer of GH Thomas (from reading the Altsheler fictional series as a kid) I am THRILLED P##PLESS that Thomas is being seriously studied and reconsidered by many historians with stirling reputations for being even handed.

About DA#N time!

Thomas sounds like a hell of a man, Andrew.