RomanceEverAfter

Historical Romance Column

Closing Comments

As I close this second half and last entry of my article on the American Civil War, I thank all of the authors, historians, guides, curators and others who have made this adventure into history so realistic for me. The time I spent reading, exploring and thinking about this war has given me a totally new outlook on our country and war in general. There was a time in my life, specifically my high school years, when I wondered why we had to spend so much time studying our past. I had my whole life ahead of me. I wanted to know how to deal with the future. I didn’t realize that understanding my past would give me a springboard for my future.

Writing and researching this article has brought back a memory of one my high school history classes which was memorizing the "Gettysburg Address." I suggest you read this important historical document by accessing the following website http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/gadd/4403.html. On the "Translation" page of this website, it refers to this document as "one of the gems of the English language." As I reread it and think of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, Generals Grant, Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Meade, McClellan, Beauregard and Chamberlain, and the thousands of men who served under them, I feel respect and gratitude for what these men gave of their lives to this war. I can imagine that President Lincoln felt similar emotions when he gave the Gettysburg Address.

It is thought by some that Lincoln prepared this speech in haste on his trip to Gettysburg. However, there seems to be drafts in existence that were probably made before he left for Gettysburg. This was such an important statement for Lincoln and his country; I tend to believe that he gave this much thought prior to delivering it on November 19, 1863.

In a recent CSPAN interview with author, Shelby Foote, he stated once again the importance of learning from our past. He feels, "the more we know about where we live, the more we know about who we are." He also discusses the reasons for the difficulty the South has with putting the Civil War in the past. His thought on that subject is that "people remember battles they have lost more than they remember the ones they won." This may also contribute to the reason for so many novels and historical books written from "a Southern point of view." Our country seems to continue its fascination with the Civil War. Authors and historians continue to produce works in various media about this time period, and they are well received by their audience.

The final phase of the Civil War is called The Reconstruction Period. This period was difficult for the South, and many historians believe, it was even more difficult because of the death of President Lincoln. It went on for over 10 years and seemed in many ways to be a time of bitterness for the South instead of a time of healing. Federal troops were not withdrawn from the South until 1877. This fact in itself would have been difficult for the South as it would continually remind them of the pain they had so recently endured.

I hope you have enjoyed and learned from this two-part article and take the opportunity to visit some of the battlefields and special sites from this time period in American history. My next article will be based on Virginia Henley’s Plantagenet Trilogy. I am looking forward to sharing history of significant and colorful individuals who lived during the reign of the English Kings John and Henry III.

Kaye Hatfield

To view references for The Civil War: Through the Eyes of Heather Graham, please see  The Civil War: References II

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