AJC RE:CONFEDERATE HISTORY MONTH & MY REPLY

[honeybee]

Confederate heritage? Forget it

Published on: 03/19/07

State Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) has proposed a splendid way to recognize Georgia's contributions to American history during a pivotal period in time.

He wants to establish a permanent Confederate History and Heritage Month. What better manner to encourage tourism related to the Civil War and to demonstrate how far Georgia has come since then?


Perhaps Confederate History and Heritage Month, proposed to be observed in April by Georgia, could spotlight such Civil War era items as ads for slaves.

Mullis' proposal, Senate Bill 283, sailed through the Senate Rules Committee last week. If adopted by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue, April would be designated as the month to contemplate Confederate heritage. Elementary and secondary schools, as well as the state's universities, would be urged to incorporate that heritage in history lessons.

It's a wonderful idea. The senator's bill would do all of Georgia a service by reminding everyone of the desperate lengths to which the South was willing to go to preserve the cruelty and injustice of slavery.

Schoolchildren, for example, could spend the month reciting the names of the quarter-million or so Southern men and boys who died from wounds or from disease in their vain effort to keep their black brothers and sisters in bondage, not to mention the untold others who went home maimed after the war.

Our children could work on their math by trying to estimate how many widows and orphans were left behind. Or on economics by calculating how badly the war damaged southern industry and agriculture and how long it delayed prosperity's arrival in the South.

Our children could tour Andersonville, where the Confederacy so starved and weakened Union prisoners that an appalling 13,000 died there.

Our children could ask why the terrible suffering occurred.

Thanks to Mullis, we could answer that it was because one group of people wanted to keep another brutalized and subservient.

Thanks to Mullis, it's possible that part of history will never be forgotten.

Of course, no proper observation of the Confederate heritage would be complete without an re-enactment of some sort. We surely don't want to re-enact the whipping of a slave or the forced breakup of a black family or the sexual exploitation of black women by their masters. That might stir up demands for an official apology from the state of Georgia, and some legislators have already made it clear that no such apology will be forthcoming, that's it's time to look forward, not backward.

Except, of course, for Confederate History and Heritage Month.

Instead, maybe we should re-enact the April 9, 1865, surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee to Gen. U.S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. Because apparently some people still need to be reminded that the war is over, and that the South lost, and that the South's defeat was one of the best things that ever happened to this country.

— David McNaughton, for the editorial board ([e-mail])

[honeybee]

MY E-MAIL TO THE WRITER:

I can see from your article that you have the public school version of the war. We can't call it civil because it certainly wasn't that at all. I thought I might give you a little information and it would be up to you to pursue it.

I have researched my family history back several generations and would like for you to know that my grandparents were white farmers and just as poor as blacks were, they never owned slaves. They barely owned property, they were dirt farmers. My 3rd great grandfather died in Chattanooga, TN fighting for his way of life, which did not included slavery.

Yes, I would very much like to see him honored, it took me 10 years of research to get his headstone placed next to his wife. To me he is as honorable as any other person. He fought and died for his C untry.

Lincoln wanted a United States, one president, one government, our country wasn't big enough for two. I believe that one historian stated that it was the first issue of "Taxation without Representation," with the South's exposure and accessibility to ports and vessels from Europe, it seems the North wasn't please with this.

Lincoln did not bring slavery into the issue until the Gettysburg address. Up until that point he stated he would allow slavery to continue as it was in the Southern states but would not allow it in any states that it as not already established.

The North had slaves as well as the South but most uneducated people tend to leave that particular issue out of their discussion. When the slaves were freed they only has a certain number of days to find gainful employment in the North or they were incarcerated. The Northern armies certainly didn't want crowds of people to follow them from campaign to campaign, having to provide food and care for the troops and the freed slaves. SO they freed the slaves and left them where they were or to do the best that they could.

People who argue the point seem to leave out the white owners who were good to their slaves, they only want to point out the bad. People also tend to forget that not everyone in the South was a white, rich plantation owner, when in fact they were very few compared to the population at that time.

Another point people tend to avoid is the issue of how the slaves were gathered from their country. I can't picture white men from a ship running around with nets and snares snatching up grown men and women and entire families without a struggle or a fight from the great warriors of the tribes. I believe that the heads of the tribes or communities were somewhat involved.

I am only asking that you fully research both sides of a story before rushing to your keyboard to publish a personal opinion without knowing ALL of the facts.

Have a nice day.

[honeybee]

Only wishedI could post it on the other forum for comment

[mad4martinis]

I'm glad you replied to this article Honeybee. Good for you!!!
I hope he prints the letter too.

[honeybee]

Thansk M4M

My reply from him reads-

I appreciate you interest in the issue and I appreciate the fact you took the time to respond. Have a good day yourself.

HHMMMM What do you make of that? I believe he was just trying to stir the pot. Have to wait and see.

[wranger]

Very good. Truth is a great thing.

[honeybee]

In my best Scarlett O'Hara voice

"Why he's pro'bly just an old Yankee carpetbagger."

[fairydust]

Honeybee, Has anyone in your family became a Sons of Confederate or a Daughter of Confederate?
Once membership is active, I do know that there is a dedication and memorial service to honor your family member.
I am sure with all of your researching, and time that you have all that you would probably need to become a member yourself if you aren't already.
Your grandfather does deserve the recognition.

Your reply to the journalist or shall we say writer went noticed regardless of the reply he sent back. You got through to him that he does need to check more references before casting out a school version article. GOOD FOR YOU! And yes, I wish you could post this elsewhere, if not send your reply to another paper or person who it also may get through to.

I have two grandfathers from different sides of my family who also fought in the war. Both for different reasons I would assume. Thats all it is is assuming because all I have from way back then is what is written.. and preserved or media related. We have some memoirs that he wrote too.. and it is about his battles and how he was thinking of each day being the last. Very touching.
Of course family tales as well.

I have one side that was poor.. and the other side that had slaves, however.. if you go to their gravesite, there are alot of unmarked graves along beside each family. Those were their slaves that I was told. They did take good care of them considering what people are taught.. I can not relate their history to some of others.

[honeybee]

The closest DOC chapter to NC is Franklin and I have a friend who belongs. The SOC is local but of course I am the wrong gender. Lilred was at a hunting show last year and a re-enactor there told me of a lady in Blairsville who had a chapter but I can't for the life of me remember who it was.

I guess I could do it in my "free time" which I don't have. I do have all the records and my "pedigree" as the genealogist refer to it for proof. I just haven't gone any further.

I have some gr-gr kin who served in other wars also.

I want to pursue genealogy somemore, just have to find time.

I just feel that both sides of the issue should be discussed, it is all one sided. The history books only tell a small amount and you really have to research to learn more.

Lilred's school actually teaches both sides of the issue and I appreciate it , because of I feel that she is being taught something incorrectly or half-fact then I make sure I correct her knowledge.