Writer Knew Little About Confederacy

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Last week I read a letter from a female in Damascus, Va., who sounded somewhat distraught about the custom of honoring Confederate veterans on Memorial Day. After reading her letter, I could only shake my head in disbelief. As one who has been an enthusiast, researcher and collector on the American Civil War, as well as being a descendant of those who participated in the conflict, I took some mild offense to her concept of that portion or our country’s history.

It was obvious that her knowledge of the Civil War is very, very limited. It was relative to that of a sixth-grader. Too many people express their opinions based on so little knowledge of an issue that they have no idea how it can belittle their intellect to others. That is why I urge all people to seek to learn more of what needs to be known of a subject before expressing themselves publicly. And that is what our libraries are for, along with many other institutions of higher learning. A person can never get enough education.

Regarding the letter: The men who fought for the Confederate States of America were citizens of the United States. The people of the Confederacy knew from the onset that they could never conquer the United States. Their goal was autonomy, to be a separate nation. They did not so much fight against the United States as they fought for their respective states and the Confederacy as a nation. Before the end of the war, then-President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation of full amnesty for all who served and adhered to the Confederacy. After the war, all states that seceded from the Union were readmitted one by one. U.S. citizen rights were returned to all people who accepted the surrender of the Confederacy immediately after it was signed.

To sum it all up, it was an American war fought only by Americans. And as President Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg Address, “These honored dead shall not have died in vain.”

That is why honor is bestowed on both sides at every Memorial Day.

I do not know everything about the Civil War, but I am still learning because I want to learn.

I am a decorated veteran of the United States Armed Forces and proud to have served.

Michael Terry
Abingdon, Va.

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Flag Comment Posted by Robert on June 26, 2009 at 3:24 pm

There are so many people that know very little about the…so called Civil War that it’s discusting. The winner of that conflict has made sure that they look like the non villan. Our children are taught that the war was all about slavery, states could not suceed, there was no state rights and these southerners were traitors, which is all lies.The north has done everything possible to make themselves look like the good guys. When in fact the northern troops were made up of thousands of individuals from other countries, including many southerners that had no clue why they were even fighting…my uncle being one of them. The war was an invasion of the southern states of America by the forces of the United States under Lincoln, two independant and seperate countries. This invasion was illegal under the constitution since Lincoln did this on his own without the approval of congress. He also forced the southerners to fire the first shot at Fort Sumter, S.C. However, this happened only after Lincoln provoked the south and commited several acts of war giving the southerners the right to fire on the fort. In addition, Fort Sumter was the property of S.C. and not the property of the USA as it was rented the the U.S government so that they could collect taxes from the incoming ships at Charleston.
  Lincoln’s invasion was a direct effort to take over the government and do away with the American Republic thus creating a more powerful central government or military disposium, which we have today. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was more of a poem than actural facts, in other words it was a bunch of bull.
  To close there are a number of good books out there to read and learn the truth about Lincoln’s invasion. However, most people say that they are filled with lies but I say why is that. Maybe the brainwashing has done a superior job of convincing many Americans that the north was right ..The brainwashing by the north has been one of the biggest myths placed on the American people that has even existed. One more thing everyone of the slave ships bringing slaves to our shores were owned and operated by northerners.And the flag of the United States protected these ships from being boarded by England. These ships operated out of the New England states and New York and not out of the south. Many high ranking officials were involved in the trade making millions of the selling of human cargo. Also involved in the trade were the African Kings who sold these people into bondage in the first place. The South had no ships to go to Africa and never transported one slave out of that country. In addition, only 6% of all southerners ever owed a slave. And further more there were more slave owners in the union army than in the confederacy….Think about it when General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant..Grant was a slave owner and Lee was not. So go study a little more before you condemn my ancestors for doing what was allowed by law.

Flag Comment Posted by AnnaBelle on June 26, 2009 at 12:53 am

Thank you for your letter! You have said everything I wanted to say and more. Also, thank you for our service to this great country that we live in. Without people like you, it would not be safe for me to live in. My father is also a veteran of the United States army, and served his country.

I think the female writer of the letter you are referring to, needs to be educated on the Civil War, instead of spewing hate on a subject she knows little to nothing about.

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