Bill
I lived in Richmond, VA, and thought I understood the Civil War prior to living there, but...I didn't. I became obsessed with it, and lived in an area outside of the city surrounded by battlefields. Cold Harbor, Seven Days, Gaines Mill. Could easily drive to Petersburg, Manasses (Bull Run 1,2), etc. I walked my dog on the grounds of the main Confederate military hospital nearly every day for a year. While I never empathized with their 'cause' I certainly felt the depth of it, the complexity of it, and the long-tail of memory it had. My boss lived on a farm near Cold Harbor and was still plowing up bullets, shrapnel, and buttons and belt-buckles in the late 1990s. By the bucket full.
I don't know why I write this, other than I'm annoyed at the post below taking issue with it. Steelnavy is a history site, yes, dedicated to modeling ships, and yet its not really as frequented as it once was and so it doesn't get a lot of posts. And people getting all offended, even though they cage it by not being overt about it, is one reason that sites start to lose traffic. Like, seriously, get over it. I lived in the capital of the Confederacy for many, many, years, among people who were decendents of the 'lost cause' and I liked being reminded that all of that hell came to an end. Richmond is doing fine. We're all better for it ending how it did.
Grant took Lee's surrender at the McLean house in Appomattox, Virginia.
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