I think very highly of Robert E Lee, for reasons listed in this article, and for many others I’ve learned over the years studying the Civil War.
That said, no reason to take a cheap shot at Grant as you do here.
He never owned slaves. He didn’t support slavery.
My comment wasn’t meant as a cheap shot against Grant for being a slave owner (just Google GRANT SLAVE for some references).
Rather, it points out the kind of blind praise and criticism people seem to take for fact, even today with all the factual information, references and resources available. (political correctness?)
Grant - Union General = GOOD MAN
Lee - General of the CSA = BAD MAN
But it’s really not quite that simple.
Common wisdom about people and events isn’t necessarily fact - a lesson we will soon be learning all over again the hard way.
My great great grandfather, William Woody Herring was the only son of 5 brothers to live through civil war. He actually had to witness the horror of seeing his own brother, John Wesley have his head blown of by a union cannon ball. My g.g.grandfather told these things to my grandmother who was lucky enough to have been able to actually sit on his lap and listen to real life accounts of the War of Northern Aggression.
In many of his conversations with her he always told her that the war was never really about the right to own slaves, because the majority of White Southerners never owned a slave in their lives . Southerners joined the cause because they saw that their very lives and independence were being threatened by the North. Many believe that Slavery would have ended on it’s own anyway as many in the South couldn’t stomach the idea of claiming to own another human being. The North just used “slavery” as it’s reason to attack another sovereign nation for financial gain.
I am proud that my g.g.grandfather, under the command of General Robert E. Lee, fought for his country the CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA and his way of life that NEVER included owning a slave.
What disgusts me the most though, is how the Confederate Flag has been highjacked by ignorant racists who have no clue of it’s true symbolism and how because of that, liberals want to tell me that I must be ashamed of my heritage and the flag that my family fought and died under. That very ignorance is exactly what many a Southerner feared would happen.
So on this day of the great General Lee’s Birthday I will proudly fly my “rebel” flag in honor of their courage and spirit. Heritage NOT hate.
“That said, no reason to take a cheap shot at Grant as you do here. He never owned slaves.”
His wife did. As did Mary Todd Lincoln’s family.