It is important to remember that Robert E. Lee during the final five years
of his life was trying to provide of model of behavior for southern white
men. See, for instance, his testimony before the Joint Congressional
Committee on Reconstruction. Lee wasn't trained as a lawyer, he was trained
as an engineer at West Point, but none of those lawyers in Congress were
able to tie him up with their questions. For Lee, the War was over when he
surrendered what was left of the Army of Northern Virginia, April 9, 1865.
Lee expected Virginia to survive within the Union and tried to set an
example.
Harold S. Forsythe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 1:26 PM
Subject: Re: Slave Narrative for WPA Project
>I recall the story of what happened at St. Paul's Church in Richmond after
>the war. It was "the " church for the city leaders and the Confederate
>cabinet, right across the street from Capitol Square; it was where Jeff
>Davis was attending service that April morning when Lee sent word that
>Petersburg had fallen. So after the war, the congregation is in
>attendance, including an elderly black man who, not too long before, had
>been a slave. At one point in the service, when people were to come down
>and kneel in front [I am not familiar with the services], he did so, to
>the stunned silence of the crowd. He knelt at the altar, alone, and no one
>followed. The church was hushed. Till Lee stood up, walked down, and knelt
>bedside the old man. If we want to look into the nature of someone's
>character, this is it; it would have been so easy for Lee to stay seated,
>as everyone else did.
>
> As I said elsewhere about heroes, they are people who rise above a
> challenge, who exhibit courage and character in particular circumstances,
> they are not cartoon Hollywood "white hats", cradle to grave. They are
> human beings who at times rise above their human weaknesses and in doing
> so inspire the rest of us to rise above our own. What Lee did in that
> church was courageous, and might have inspired a few of the angry hearts
> in the congregation to move on, too. That old black man was a human
> being, just like them. Like it or not, times had changed.
>
> Nancy
>
> -------
> I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.
>
> --Daniel Boone
>
>
>
> On Mar 4, 2007, at 11:12 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>> Lee owned no slaves, didn't believe in the institution, regretted its
>> existence.
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