Posted by geekguy2008 on May 10, 2008 at 2:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

God bless our fallen Civil War heros.

Posted by carolinadude on May 10, 2008 at 5:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Amen, geekguy!
God bless the South and God Bless the USA. This should be a very nice service this evening at the French Hugenot Church which I plan to attend in remembrance of our Confederate Veterans and am unable to attend the others this morning.
"Son" from Summerville

Posted by jmw29410 on May 10, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sadly, it will only be a matter of time before the NAACP decides they have to stick their noses into it and try to declare it to be a celebration of Racism.

Posted by draftdot on May 10, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sadly, it will only be a matter of time before the NAACP decides they have to stick their noses into it...

OR

Sadly, it will only be a matter of time before the "STATE TREASURERS" decides they have to stick their noses into it.

Posted by Zod on May 10, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It sure is nice to see that 600,000 dead americans can provide some people with humor.......

Posted by KnowAllSeeAll on May 10, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For those in attendance today, have a nice time.

For those abstaining due to conscientious reasons, get a life.

I will not be there today. Couldn't care less, but I will not put down those who wish to take this seriously.

Posted by KnowAllSeeAll on May 10, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

To each his own.

Posted by Rggr on May 10, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Hailing from the north, nothing gives me more glee than watching my southern brethern remember their rich heritage (getting their butts whupped by the yankees)."

You identify with the north so much that you moved here?

Posted by Roger1978 on May 10, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

How about that; raregar67 is not only a cop hating demoncrat prick he's also a carpetbagger!

Thats ok, we WELCOME you Yankee, we need someone to ride on the back of the garbage trucks for us!

Have a good day y'all.

Posted by geekguy2008 on May 10, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"It sure is nice to see that 600,000 dead americans can provide some people with humor......."
*****************************************************
Just remember something, Zod...
While we're celebrating Memorials for the war's fallen, we also enjoy "humor" from the 4K + dead from the Iraq war.

Posted by UrGatorbait on May 10, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To bad some can't separate the past from the memorial services and still want to live in those grand old times glorifying a war they probably wouldn't step foot in then griping about the Iraq war all in the same breath.

It's big on history and pageantry in paying respect to the fallen. A true spectacle everyone must see at least once.

raregar I think ya upset they little love fest.

Posted by jefferymaier on May 10, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

They were not Americans. They were traitors, fighting for the right to own another human being. Let's honor them? While we are at it, why not honor Stalin and Hitler also? I am sure that Cousin Arthur could find some nice words for them also.

Posted by auger on May 10, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Anyone who believes that the war was fought solely over the issue of slavery, knows very little of that part of our U.S. history.

Posted by wegwam on May 10, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

you can label that 17 yr old kid from the lowcountry a traitor if you want but we all know he was a hero.

Posted by auger on May 10, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The actual numbers were closer to 620,000 dead and an additional 1,100,000 maimed or injured. These numbers are the combined losses for both sides, not just for the Confederacy.

Posted by ridgerunner on May 10, 2008 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)

raregar67 if you live close to or you are smart enough to find I26 why dont you try taking a north bound trip on it, i dont think anyone in any of the southern states will miss you,, By the way if things are that bad in the south why are you here?

Posted by RTC on May 10, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have been to Gettysburg. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life.
You could sense the anguish and the loss of so many brave men.
God bless them all....North and South.

Posted by auger on May 10, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I can see only a few scenarios that would cause someone to reside in an area to which they deem so vile.

1) You were placed here by your employer. If this is the case, quit and find a new job elsewhere. You are serving neither the community nor your company by staying here.

2) You are a minor and relocated with your parents. At the age of 18, you can go anywhere you want to go. Grab that backpack, find a secondary road near an interstate on-ramp, and spread your wings!

3) You can’t travel due to “certain” restrictions. The day that ankle bracelet comes off, hit the highway!

4) You do not understand Southern ways and make no effort to do so, however, you do like the cost of living and weather, so you stay. Explore the local culture/history and learn about the area.

Posted by jefferymaier on May 10, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

auger, Exactly what "States Right" were they fighting for?

Posted by auger on May 10, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

jefferymaier - While slavery was the key moral issue which sparked the war, it was not the only issue. Political powers between Northern and Southern states, economics, taxation, and yes, states rights were also of key importance in the decision to go to war. The main issue regarding states rights at the time was the debate over the right of a state or states to secede from the U.S. and form their own sovereign state or nation.

Posted by DontSpamMeBro on May 10, 2008 at 4:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I see "jefferymaier" was educated at a government school and learned not to question what he was taught or do any independent research. Sad state of affairs for our nation that there are so many like him.

Was slavery an issue? Yes. The larger issue, however, was state's rights and the right given each and every state to secede from the union when it damn well pleased. It's a shame that those fighting for the "north" chose to blindly support a federal government that had become more of a dictatorship than a representative republic. We've been "reaping the benefits" of having such a dictatorship for many years now.

From Sobran.com

The original 13 states formed a “Confederation,” under which each state retained its “sovereignty, freedom, and independence.” The Constitution didn’t change this; each sovereign state was free to reject the Constitution. The new powers of the federal government were “granted” and “delegated” by the states, which implies that the states were prior and superior to the federal government.

Even Lincoln affirmed the right of the states to secede. Go figure.

Posted by jefferymaier on May 10, 2008 at 5:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So you say they seceded over the right to secede. If you were to read the "Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union" you would read exactly what they were fighting for. The right to pursue run away slaves, and have their property (Human Beings) returned by non slave holding states.

Posted by jefferymaier on May 10, 2008 at 5:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If you believe we live in a dictatorship, then you to should take advantage of our interstate highway system. It can take you to Canada in the north, or Mexico to the south. I will stay and work to improve things here.

Posted by geekguy2008 on May 10, 2008 at 5:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This war was not fought over slavery.
Oh, but you never knew that did you? You're just trash that never finished school, right? Yeah, you probably live out in Aynor with the rest of that PWT.

Posted by auger on May 10, 2008 at 5:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

jefferymaier said "So you say they seceded over the right to secede." You didn't specify to whom you were addressing this comment, so I will assume it was directed at me. My response, I did not say that.

Posted by ridgerunner on May 10, 2008 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

what are all the yanks bragging about if it had turned out the other way we wouldnt allow their sorry a-- on our sacred soil.

Posted by bfrank2 on May 10, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

jeffereymaier
I believe it is plainly stated that the premise for succession was the fact that other states had not held up their end of the agreement between the states. Just as today, if one party does not hold up their end of a legally binding contract, it makes that contract null and void.

Posted by bfrank2 on May 10, 2008 at 6:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As immoral as slavery may be, it was a legal instituion in the US at that time. It was an evil that was shared by both northern and southern states as the bulk of slave traders were of northern residence. The African people share in this as well for a great many were captured prisoners from warring tribes sold to the traders.

Posted by CedarPosts on May 10, 2008 at 6:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

raregar67 - "Hailing from the north, nothing gives me more glee than watching my southern brethren remember their rich heritage (getting their butts whupped by the Yankees)"

Well, I guess it's how you keep score but the way I see it the Yankees got their butts whupped by a force half the size, with considerably less resources.

Yankee casualties were nearly 250,000 more than Southern casualties.

But maybe the better way to gauge who really won is to look at where the headquarters of today's Fortune 100 are located... 71 of them are below the Mason Dixon line!

Yes we know why you're here.

So leave your snow and rust belts, your wall streets and concrete canyons, your graffiti laden subways, mainline trains, and traffic jams, and your cities with names like Detroit, Columbus and Buffalo, behind.

Put your Chinatowns and Little Italy behind you, leave those corner bars where all the women look like Sarah Jessica Parker and we'll say welcome to the South a place where you can play golf all year long and you don't have to pull your boat out of the water in November, a place were owning a convertible makes sense.

Let's face we know why you're here, life up north sucks!

Posted by bfrank2 on May 10, 2008 at 6:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There were free blacks in the south as well as fighting for the Confederacy. So you can see that slavery is not so easily blamed on any region or faction. But the fact is that while slavery was an issue, the issue that caused the South to succeed was the breaking of a binding contract between the states. You can no more blame slavery for the War Between the States than you can tea for the American Revolution. That war was begun over taxation without representation.

Posted by auger on May 10, 2008 at 6:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

raregar67 said "I spent more time at Parris Is. than I care to recall, and I retired here years ago at a young age." That explains a lot. Retired Navy here. Do you know why sailors have that flap on the front of their dress blue trousers? When you unbutton it and drop it down, it turns into a handy lunch counter for Marines! Semper Fi!

Posted by geekguy2008 on May 10, 2008 at 7:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Cedarposts...dont' forget we have the best looking women here, too.

Posted by auger on May 10, 2008 at 7:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

augerbreath...Parris Is. trains MARINES, not sissys. I am retired from a steel mill. You inbred offended johnny rebs need to chill out. Another family reunion is coming; there will be plenty of dating opportunities for y'all. Peace to 1 and all. p.s. you could eat my shorts!

Now you see, this proves my point rather well. I was born and raised in Ohio. My ancestors served in the OVI Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the war. I was delivered to South Carolina by the grace of God and a set of orders from the USN in 1973. Except for a four year stint on the West coast, I have been here ever since. I love the area and made it a point to assimilate myself into this environment. Then there are folks like you that apparently enjoy living here but can't let go of that desire to berate everything the South is about. Get over whatever hurt you in the past and become one of us..........or leave. Your choice.

Posted by luvmydogs59 on May 10, 2008 at 7:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I also originally hail from the north. Do I really care who won the war? No, I don't. What I do have, is respect for all those fallen heroes, north or south. A war is a war, and men have fought and died, as they still are, for their cause and their country. Please, people, it's 2008...let it go, already!

Posted by Tulane75 on May 10, 2008 at 7:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who had died while captive. A parade with thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic. WIKIPEDIA

According to HISTORY.COM, several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for honoring the Confederate dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day:

Mississippi: Last Monday in April
Alabama: Fourth Monday in April
Georgia: April 26
North Carolina: May 10
South Carolina: May 10
Louisiana: June 3
Tennessee (Confederate Decoration Day): June 3
Texas (Confederate Heroes Day): January 19
Virginia: Last Monday in May

Posted by rebel1 on May 10, 2008 at 8:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

to all those yankee's that say we lost the war, I say sir, we didnt lose, we just ran out of bullets. Reload men, reload!!!!

Posted by dbeast420 on May 10, 2008 at 10:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by rebel1 on May 10, 2008 at 8:59 p.m.

to all those yankee's that say we lost the war, I say sir, we didnt lose, we just ran out of bullets. Reload men, reload!!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------

Y'er darned right. Besides,half time is almost over

Posted by The_Mouth_of_the_South on May 10, 2008 at 10:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To all you filthy, wretched, unpatriotic expatriates from the north who don't appreciate our home, you are free to leave at any time. Y'all managed to turn your cities in the north into cesspools, now you want to ruin our beautiful South with your liberal bias. You are no better than the Muslims in this country who were cheering the fall of the twin towers on 9/11. Y'all are more worthless than pluff mud at low tide!!!

Posted by kvnwells on May 10, 2008 at 10:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Please help me understand.... The Confederates decided not to abide by the Consititution of the United States government and decided to break away from the Union. If anyone else attempted such, he would be called a traitor. I understand they did not attempt to overthrow the United States government but wanted to create their own confederate states. By doing so, they elected their own President, Congress and created currency. What amazes me- these people call themselves Americans??? They were no diffenent than the radical anti-government racist today, that would love to create their own government in one of our states. They have a strong dislike of the American way. Most of us would look at them like they're crazy in 2008 but some wish to honor them for doing the same thing between 1861-1865. What am I'm missing here??

Posted by Pro_Texana on May 10, 2008 at 10:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

North-South animosity leading up to the election of 1860 was primarily grounded in regional economic competition (tariffs, taxes, public works, etc). However, since the southern planter economy (which is almost exclusively what the South had during this time period) was based on slavery, this ‘peculiar institution’ was always an irritant in regional politics. But these regional politics were not enough to push the nation into the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history. The existence of slavery within the confines of southern states was not in question, a point tacitly endorsed by Abraham Lincoln in the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, and as a presidential candidate in 1860. The major fight, which ultimately led to secession and fighting, was over the expansion of slavery into new territories.

Democrats, the conservative party of the era, favored local sovereignty (insert state’s right argument/Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 here). The Republican Party, a newly formed alliance of old Whigs, abolitionist, and moderate democrats staunchly opposed this (insert Compromise of 1850 here). Because the most vocal/radical members of the Republican Party were abolitionist (led by northern evangelical ministers), southern slave owners saw them (and Lincoln) as a threat to the existence of slavery. Lincoln’s pandering to both the abolitionist and the moderates in his own party sent mixed signals to the South, as well. The election of Lincoln pushed South Carolina over the edge (“too small to be a nation, too big to be an insane asylum”). The state actually voted to secede in 1852 (angered by the Compromise of 1850), and made good on this threat one month after Lincoln was elected. If you doubt that the issues surrounding slavery were not the cause of this action, then you should go back and read the South Carolina Secession Declaration. Mary Chestnut’s diary also illuminates how important slavery was to the southern cause. The federals were the aggressors in the war, which was largely unpopular up north. For the first time in its young history, the U.S. was on the verge of becoming a legitimate world power. Lincoln vowed to use any means necessary to keep the union intact.

The South won some great battles, had much better generals, and the Army of Northern Virginia accomplished much more with much less. But the war never really went that well. The western campaign was a total failure/disaster. A better general than McClellan would have ended the war in summer of 1862. Lee invaded Pennsylvania in 1863 under orders from Richmond in order to take pressure off of Grant’s march down the Mississippi river. Cold Harbor was probably the South’s last real victory.

Posted by The_Mouth_of_the_South on May 11, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The constitution itself declares the right to secede when the federal government becomes too tyrannical. Besides, Lincoln was perfectly happy to allow slavery to continue forever (he repeatedly said so all the way up to the emancipation proclamation). The north also continued in the slave trade between Africa and the Caribbean Islands all the way up to the end of the War of Northern Aggression.
Besides, the things that Yankees did today would be unconscionable. They systematically raped women (both black and white), terrorized civilians, they burned crops, murdered innocents, they even stole clothing off of the backs of new born babies!
The Nazis and Stalin had more compassion for civilians when they invaded sovereign countries. In a nutshell, Lincoln and the Yankee invaders were war criminals just like Hitler, Stalin and Idi Amin.

Posted by preachlove on May 11, 2008 at 3:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ravenel said: "Southerners, we like ourselves," he said. "We're proud of what our folks did back then."

I say, Mr. Ravenel, what are you proud of? Are you proud of treating slaves like farm animals, lynching and raping slave women?

This war was fought over slavery, it's sad that all those southern men died to protect those rich plantation owners and their families.

Posted by JohnS on May 11, 2008 at 10:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

it's nice to have a day to remember our past. Some people need to read up on the subject before they post things that make them look dumb. SC had approx 21,000 men who died during the war and 100,000 injured. Confederate memorial day is a big deal.

Posted by The_Mouth_of_the_South on May 11, 2008 at 11:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

preachlove:
You obviously don't know your history, but prefer politically correct biased (and inaccurate I might add) opinion. It is silly to say that these brave soldiers and sailors were fighting for slavery, since very few of these men were slave owners. More to the point, you should be upset about the atrocities carried out by these evil Yankee soldiers. They treated the blacks worse than the plantation owners. It wasn’t the Confederate soldiers that were raping black women, it was the Yankee soldiers. This is fact, not opinion. These brave men (both black and white) were defending their homes. If you study history, there were black regiments that were fighting for the south, and there were slave owners fighting for the North. General Grant owned slaves even after the end of the war and didn’t release them until the passage of the 13 Amendment. So much for the lie that the North was fighting to end slavery. They were only fighting to enslave the entire south, which they did successfully after the War of Northern Aggression.

Posted by realman on May 12, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves in the “Rebel” states. It DID NOT free all the slaves! Not only that, if the Civil War started because of slavery, why did Lincoln wait TWO YEARS to free only a select group of slaves? Because the South was winning the war and he needed an issue for the Union soldiers to fight for.

This is a quote from Lincoln himself:

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause.”

Due to the invention of the Cotton ‘Gin, slavery was on the way out, anyway.

There was nothing unconstitutional about South Carolina (or any other state) seceding from the Union. Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union, and he was willing to do anything to accomplish that.

Was slavery an issue? Of course it was. But it wasn’t the issue that provoked the North to force it’s will against the South. Slavery was perfectly legal and had yet to be abolished.

Posted by realman on May 12, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I also think it's quite funny how most county school districts celebrate the holiday by referring to it as a "Teacher Work Day" or something similar. They are afraid to reveal the real reason why the schools are closed to students every May 10th.

Posted by Diamondhead on May 12, 2008 at 11:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What I don’t understand is how something that happen 143 years can have a profound effect on some of you people. It’s interesting to read, study and watch the re-enactments about the war between the states but that’s about it. You can dance around the issues as much as you want but the bottom line is the slavery issue. The plantation owners managed to dupe the general population into fighting this war and since the average Johnny Reb didn’t have a former education it didn’t take much to convince him.

Now if you want to swallow a bitter pill, try coming home from the war in South Vietnam only to see a bunch of damn liberals protesting in streets, waving the Viet-Cong and North Vietnamese flags and saying respectful remarks to you, especially when you lost friends and relatives in that war. Our cause was just and we won every battle with the enemy yet we lost the war. Our enemy saw our weaknesses, calculated the risks and followed through with their plans to wear us down, just like the Islamic Jihadists are studying our weaknesses.

Freedom is a concept the liberals and Dixiecrats have yet to comprehend.

Posted by realman on May 12, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Diamondhead said:

". . .since the average Johnny Reb didn’t have a former education. . ."

I apologize in advance for my ignorance, but what's a "former education"?

Thanks.

Posted by Diamondhead on May 12, 2008 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Mouth-of-the-South....

Northern Aggression??? Give me a break!

You equate the Union army with Stalin and Hitler? You Dixiecrats are enough to make a skunk vomit.

Posted by CHRISJIII on May 12, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The confederates deserved worst than what they got. They were all traitors and should be remembered as such. They tried to secede because the rich planters wanted to continue to hold people in bondage. The rank and file southern soldier really saw no benefit in going to war to preserve a lifestyle that in reality did not benefit them at all, so yes they were duped.

Posted by realman on May 12, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"The confederates deserved worst than what they got. They were all traitors and should be remembered as such. They tried to secede because the rich planters wanted to continue to hold people in bondage. The rank and file southern soldier really saw no benefit in going to war to preserve a lifestyle that in reality did not benefit them at all, so yes they were duped."

What a stupid statement. I don't believe I've ever seen any comment as stupid as this.

Posted by Diamondhead on May 12, 2008 at 12:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

realman...

I seriously doubt the average Johnny Reb received an public education since public education didn’t exist then. If he got any kind education it might been in church but to have access to ideas, issues, pro and con didn’t exist for him.

Posted by The_Mouth_of_the_South on May 12, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Diamondhead,
The same goes for Yankee soldiers. They were just brainwashed pawns used by the war criminal Lincoln to impose his illegal will on southerners.
Our soldiers knew what they were fighing for, especially as they were taking fire from Yankee ships outside of the harbor for 4 years. They were fighting for a sovereign southern government, defending their land and homes from an invading army.

Posted by realman on May 12, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So Diamondhead. . .

Are you saying that Billy Yank (who lynched blacks in Chicago and rioted in New York upon learning that slaves were freed) was more educated than their Southern counterparts? What makes you think that's true? And I'm still not sure what you mean by "former education". Did you mean "formal" instead of "former"?

Posted by Pro_Texana on May 12, 2008 at 12:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Passions run hot when brother fights brother. Both sides dealt atrocities on the other during this horrible war. We expect atrocities from a foreign enemy, not from those ‘familiar’ to us. One hundred years from now, this discussion about the causes and righteousness of the war will still be on-going.

I have lived in most of the Confederate states, two Union states, and now reside in Texas. South Carolina and Georgia are the two states in which I have lived where anti-North sentiment was the strongest. I suspect this has to do with the scorched earth and plundering policies of Sherman. In Texas, the war is barely an afterthought. The Alamo and Texas Independence from Mexico are the only historical perspective here. But, Texas was never successfully invaded by the Union Army, and was also the Confederate state with the largest contingent of Unionist. Sam Houston was actually impeached as Governor b/c he would not support secession. The Cause never really caught on here.

Posted by Diamondhead on May 12, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Realman…

We can go tit for tat until the cows come home. You have your viewpoints and I have mine. History will judge no matter what our opinions might be. What I don’t understand is how something that happen 143 years ago can have the effect on people down here when they never experience any of the fighting or hardships themselves. It’s like listening to some blacks on how hard life is and how we owe them money because of slavery…come on give me a break and get on with life. The NAACP and the Dixiecrats need and depend on each other. One can not exist without the other.

I have a bias view on the war in South Vietnam because I served there, just like the liberal baby boomers who protested against the war in South Vietnam, they also have their bias viewpoint. We can never come together unless our common interest is threaten. Until then, we can never reconcile our view points because we are opposites. I hope this high grad got his point across to you.

Pro-Texana…

You have good handle on history.

Posted by Pro_Texana on May 12, 2008 at 1:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

A great book on the history of the Confederacy is Look Away! By William Davis, a history prof. at Virginia Tech. It is not a one-sided celebration of the South, but a well-researched and well-written treatise on the Confederacy, warts and all.

For those who labor to understand the Southern mindset regarding the unpleasantness of 1861, I’ll leave you good people with one of Faulkner’s most famous lines from Intruders in the Dust about courage and the edge of no return: “For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is an instant when its still not yet two oclock [sic] on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it’s all in the balance…”