Making kids think about the Civil War
 

One of the things that has bothered me for many years is the lack of teaching about the Civil War in schools. As a youngster I went to a Navy miltiary school, so studying history was a big deal.

I have an employee who is essentially a good kid but shows very little knowledge about the country, constitution, etc. One day I had some fun with him. He requested a day off. I told him that he could have the day off, if he could tell me what the most famous right turn in American history was. (Some of you probably already know where this is going :D ) . Well he looked at me with a completely blank stare. "You've got to be kidding," he said. "Nope," I said, "give me the answer or no day off" (I was pulling his leg, but he didn't know that) He knows I'm a Civil War buff so he was grabbing at at straws in thin air. So I gave him another hint. "A dust covered man on a dust covered horse".

He still didn't get it. I was trying to make him think so I then asked of all the Generals who fought against Lee, who was the most successful? He finally got Grant after a few more hints.

Then I told him lets go back to the dust covered man on a dust covered horse and talk about Spotsylvania. You would not believe the number of hints I gave him until he caught on that the "right turn" was the one Grant made after Spotsylvania to continue pursuit of Bobby Lee. It signified that the Army of the Pottomac would not turn back this time.

At any rate, he got the day off and he is boning up on Civil War history. He told a new employee that he'd better know his history or he gets no time off from me.

Granted that the question was a bit on the esoteric side, but the fact that I had to keep giving hints till he got Grant kind of bothered me. If they don't know where this nation has been, how are these kids, our future generation going to know where to take it?

Bill

Hmmm... Considering your post, perhaps the following would be of interrest to the "youngsters" to check out aswell?

________________________________________________


NARA -historical research -Civil War:
http://www.archives.gov/research/arc...civil-war.html

Wikipedia -Civil War:
Category:American_Civil_War Category:Battles_of_the_American_Civil_War Portal:American_Civil_War
CW The Civil War Archive:
http://www.civilwararchive.com

CW SW Civil War:
http://www.swcivilwar.com

CW Civil War -main + photographs + maps + people + Rgt. Hist.:
http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/...r/civilwar.htm
http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/civilwar/maps.htm
http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/civilwar/photos.htm
http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/civilwar/people.htm
http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/...r/regiment.htm

and to some degree also....

mtholyoke -Documents Relating to American Foreign Policy Pre-1898 (Superb infosource!):
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/pre1898.htm

________________________________________________


Have more, for other wars. If you wish, I will share those links with you aswell.

Just wanted to share. Take Good Care!

Sincerely
A.B

The city of Fayetteville has a history concerning the War of Northern Aggression, the War Between the States, or the Civil War depending on your preferences. If you'ld like a real eye opener then go and look at the Lincoln / Douglas Debates and see the truth that they don't teach in school. Go to thefourth debate at www.nps.gov/archive/liho/debates.htm and scan down the page to the section labeled "Mr. Lincoln's Rejoinder."
Yes, Lincoln freed the slaves but he would not allow them to be citizens of the United States of America.
Robert E. Lee had a freed slave, body servant during the war by the name of William Mack Lee. William Mack along with all of Robert E. Lee's slaves were set free ten years before the war by General Lee but none left the plantation of the man that brought them to this land. When Robert E. Lee died he left $360 dollars to William Mack Lee for his education and $360 was a HUGE sum of money in those days.
William Mack Lee said of his benefactor "I was raised by one of the greatest men in the world. There was never one born of a woman greater than General Robert E. Lee."

This past Friday the 19th was the 200th anniversary of the Birth of General Robert E Lee. Most Southern States have declared this to be the Year of Lee with signed proclamations. It Would be Nice if all Schools would teach about Robert E Lee sometime this year and all the wonderful achievements that made him a beloved figure of the people of this country no mater where they were from most everyone but an uneducated radish could dislike the Man who made Washington and Lee a great educational institution. Most if not all Americans don't realize the land that originally made up Arlington Cemetery was taken from Robert E Lees family during the WBTS to make a Military Cemetery to insult General Lee....They failed in the end it is now the most hallowed ground of these USA and mentioned in prose and song.

The problem is that most schools want to focus on slavery when talking about the war and not the battles or soldiers. Yes, slavery was a dark stain on our nation's history and must be taught, but not to the extent that it is today. I am currently researching the training facilities of soldiers from Illinois and am getting frustrated by the academics telling me that I need to fit my research into a historical debate, when all I want to do is tell the story of these men and their first days in the army.

As for Arlington, I wonder if Lee (if he is not already buried there) would be proud of what his estate has become and if he would have wanted burial there.

My guess would be no, he would not want to have been buried there after the house grounds had been converted to a cemetery. Members of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery were the first ones buried in Arlington close enough to the house to render it uninhabitable. Lee is buried in the family vault in Lexington, Virginia at Lee's Chapel in Washington and Lee University. It is a beautiful chapel. I used to visit it every year when I was a Virginia resident.

After the war, the federal government did reimburse the Lee family a pittance for the land they stole.

Bill