April 9
On this day in 1865, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under command of Robert E. Lee surrendered. The surrender took place at the home of Wilmer and Virginia McLean in Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. Union commander Ulysses S. Grant refused to change the written terms of the agreement he offered to Lee, but verbally allowed a change that let the men under Lee's command claim a horse or mule from the Confederate Army to take home with them. The full correspondence between the two men can be read here.
Seventy-seven years later, another, different surrender occurred. American forces defending the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines surrendered on April 9, 1942. The surrendered forces were then marched out under brutal conditions. Japanese general Homma was executed in 1946 over what is now known as the Bataan Death March.
By Mwalimu Daudi, Wednesday, 9 April , 2008 @ 11:49 am
American troops continue to this day to occupy the South. Talk about quagmires!
Remember that the Civil War was never approved by the UN. And it was started by a Republican shortly after winning office without a majority of the votes! In 1864 Lincoln, facing growing opposition at home because of his unilateral decision to involve the United States in a civil war defeated a Democrat war hero General McClellan by claiming that the US was winning in its battle against the insurgents.
Was the Civil War a "war for cotton"? Obviously, considering the widesperad use of cotton in America today. I believe that He Who Has No middle Name should look into these matters once He wins in November.
By Mockinbird, Wednesday, 9 April , 2008 @ 2:47 pm
I wish Florida would secede again. A President McCain could visit us. A President Clinton, or a President Obama could not. Either of them could only come as far as South Georgia, and then, they could call us on the phone. Clinton, or Obama could stay up there and "commune" with Jimmy Carter and Sonny Perdue.