Dr james robertson nov 2 2019. Born in danville virginia which is mentioned in the band song. the night they drove old dixie down. Virgil kane is the name and i served on the danville train
I like the style of this presentation. Even today, over 150yrs after these tumultuous events there's still controversy. Many try to erase the memories of this war and it's utterly wrong! Like ALL history, it is vital that what happened and why is known and understood. Both viewpoints need to be remembered because otherwise, they can raise their ugly heads and history WILL repeat itself. This programme is an excellent example of how that can be done. Simple storytelling, without bias, politically or otherwise. War, is a breakdown of communication. When one side stops listening, it is inevitable and that has scary parallels with today, 2024. America is rapidly becoming more and more polarised. Unless some drastic reconciliation happens, I fear major internal conflict.
The Union Veterans talk about Confederates re-writing the memories of the war because after all of the blood, treasure and destruction. The reasons for the war just didn't hold up anymore. So its not being erased. It's being told. Correctly.
Much like the run up to that civil conflict the division we see now grows more by the day. Many seem to think this history can't be repeated. I'm not so sure.
@@robwernet9609 You mean where one political party wants a Civil War because their political power is receding because they are religious nutjobs who immersed themselves in lost cause ideology and the other side, which just wants to give average Americans healthcare so they don't go bankrupt over medical care. One side asks its voters to die for it every year. The other does not. Division comes from a small percentage of the voters (The Republican party) constantly killing its own voters and wondering why nobody else wants to join. The South also went backwards prior to the Civil War. In the exact same away. Republicans are free to die for their ideology but they can't ask the other 75% of the country to follow. Democrats will never ask that of me.
@@robwernet9609 Division grows because lies are not being exposed and eliminated. After the Civil War, we bought about a hundred years of semi-peace by allowing southerners to tell the Lost Cause Myth to each other. It was always a bunch of made up rationalizations that professional historians knew were wrong (they did, after all, trace the development of the whole story, starting with The Lost Cause pamphlet in 1865). But it's 2024 and the ancient lie is breaking down. The real lesson, the one you probably didn't consider, is that if you lie about history, it eventually catches up to you. At a far enough remove, the truth of history emerges. The victors (or here, the determined loser) may write the initial history, but the professionals eventually see through the lies. In this case, they always did. Doubt me? The Egyptians wrote an account of a famous battle. They describe the Pharoah winning a great victory and then being very magnanimous afterwards, even marrying off a daughter to the loser. Historians went. . . Hmmm. Well, we eventually got the account from the other side. They wrote it up as a win for them, complete with tribute and the "award" of one of Pharoah's daughters. This is closer to the truth. But the Egyptian account, even when that's all we had, didn't ring true.
The year is 2024 the 159 anniversary of this amazing week in our nation’s history. It’s a powerful document. Rest in peace Doc. Enjoyed your books and wisdom in a troubling time in our history.
@@robwernet9609 I was born in the Fall of 1953 and am now 71 years old. My grandfather was born in August of 1885. He told me of seeing his first airplane, his first telephone, first electric light, first automobile. He was born in a time when many things were just as they had been for many hundreds if not thousands of years, especially transportation and communications. I have lived to see a time when I can communicate with anyone on this planet within a few seconds. Our Milky Way galaxy contains possibly 400 BILLION stars, and it is estimated that there are between 100 - 200 BILLION galaxies and the James Webb telescope reveals new discoveries every week. Technologically and medically, we today have better lives than ever before, but we are less happy than we've ever been....or so it seems to me. We have not yet learned that we must organize our lives, our social/national/economic lives in such a way that does not block the way to happiness. We humans discover quite rapidly but we learn and evolve very, very slowly and must endure great pain because of it.
While a member of the Australian Army I attended the US Army Logistic Management College at Ft Lee, in Petersburg Va. I was privileged to visit Gettysburg, Appomattox and various battlefields during my time there. I was deeply moved at Gettysburg at the slaughter and tremendous sacrifice of soldiers of both sides. The US does not need another civil war!
Such terrible loss of life to preserve a practice that never should have been in existence. God forgive those who maintained slavery. God bless those who brought it to an end.
41:00 Wilmer McLean, who owned the house at Appomattox, had previously owned a farm at Bull's Run. The only man in American history who can claim "The Civil War started in my back yard, and ended in my front parlor.
Just about 20 minutes ago, I was thinking of a way to explain something at work . A coincidence, and what you indicated " the civil war started and ended on the same man's properties in Virginia. Was something that came to mind .
I only wish the best for those southern soldiers who were only simple farmers and were lied to by Confederate leaders Most Southern soldiers did not own slaves and worked their farms with assistance of family members.
@@edwardsaenz4216 Your statement is one of the pillars the lost cause is built on. If you endeavor to read the letters & diaries of common soldiers who didnt own slaves they were overwhelmingly fighting for slavery if you believe their own words. The correspondence is actually tough to get through even in a purely academic fashion but I recommend you try to ascertain the truth of their motivations. I understand it was a different time but even for the era the confederacy was one of the last bastions of evil. Its important to note not everyone in the union wanted slaves freed either but they weren’t willing to kill their brothers & betray their country for the right to endlessly enslave human beings. An important distinction between virtually every union & confederate soldier.
@@BlueRidgeStreaming not only that, but I have been watching many of the other episodes. Your series on the Civil War - very informative at the regional level - you don't get this detail elsewhere. Great job!
Lee surrendered to General U.S. Grant. To phrase the event as an "agreement" is incorrect. Surrender and agreement are not linguistic equivalents. Just like winner and loser have different meanings.
Then you drove right past my house on Jamestown Rd, Farmville on the Union picket line and cannon line on the East side of the Battle of Cumberland, Church. The last Confederate victory.
Incredible with how intelligent Lee was to be so blind to the absolute evil he fought to uphold. He was at the head of the darkest chapter in our history.
It has to be rembered that those who wanted Slavery to end where radicals at that time. Never in human history had any other Nation or people otlawed the practice of Slavery. So the ending of Slavery was one of many steps in humanity's long journey from animalistic behaviours to Civilised individuals capable of independent thought and action but with the capacity to empathise with others and feel sympathy for strangers.
@@andyforbes5553 I agree with second part of your statement..for the first part england/france/Spain all abolished slavery way before the U.S. did...I'd prefer to argue that the radicals were the confederate secessionists who fought to uphold it.
@@ringostarrgazer2419 I'm not calling anyone Radicals but instead pointing out that the concept of outlawing Slavery was so totally new that civic leaders at the time would have called it a Radical idea. Yes Britain waged war both finical and literal to force many nations to comply with Britains stance on Slavery. Countries such as France, Spain, America, Brazil and the many nations ot West Africa had to be forced at times to desist from practicing in this terrible Trade but within 50 years every Western civil nation had outlawed Slavery themselves that is why I made no distinction between nations. I am talking about us as a race the human race and how we have developed mentally. The point of all this is, we are the people we are today with all are high minded ideals because of what are ancestors did and not inspite of them as so many today belive. If it wasn't for our ancestors fighting over Slavery, then who would have taught us it was wrong. Do you think we would just have known Slavery was wrong instinctively, from birth. We owe all we are and much we belive to those who came before us.
great view. I'm interested in collecting hand written diaries from the civil war ... pref. Pickett, Lee or Grant would be ideal. I also would be interested in any military gear from the era.
I challenge the notion that Union soldiers sought to destroy Richmond for four years, rather, they “sought to occupy Richmond”, may have been a better description.
I don't think the facts really support that. Grant and Sherman were fighting a modern war -- they were out to destroy the southern _war making_ capacity. Sherman, keep in mind, didn't really occupy either Atlanta or Charleston. He simply made sure they couldn't support the war and then went on to the next target. Grant didn't hang around Vicksburg, either. Now, they _did _ occupy Vicksburg, but there were important reasons to do so.
Maybe the reason Gen. Pickett didn't take his duties too seriously that April 1st is because he was still bitter over the massive loss of his men "Pickett's Charge" at Gettysburg which he blamed Lee for. Just a thought.
Billy Yank was mostly fed. Johnny Reb was starving. Johnny Reb had marched longer, farther, and faster during the than Billy Yank ever did. Only during the pursuit of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia had Grant forced his men this way. Johnny Reb had done so willingly to protect theirs homes, hearths and family.
@@genxpilot69 100%. I wonder how things would of panned out if the federal government said Kansas would be a free state-but only southerners with no slaves could settle on it, that would be very interesting.
Excellent presentation, and well written. Question: Given the importance of the railroads to Lee's army, why didn't the Union troops just attack them 50 miles or so to the south?
Because Sherman didn't want to march north, with winter coming and do just that. The winter in that area can be wet and miserable. He was to busy waging a war of extermination on women, children, the elderly and enjoying his pillage. This has always been exactly my point. What you propose, could have ended things MUCH earlier, but Sherman had a much more ambitious plan. Remember he was a failed banker, and the land he "cleared and cleaned out" was all bought up by NY bankers after the war on the cheap. Wars are always fought for empire, NEVER humanitarian reasons. To the victor go the myths and the monuments.
At the Battle/Siege of Petersburg, and after the bomb that created the Crater Union forces moved south and attacked the rail line. It was only 5 miles south of Petersburg. There was a skirmish and the Confederates withdrew, and Lee had to withdraw and attempt to escape.
Many thanks to those Union troops who saved the USA from the evil clutches of tyranny. Thanks also to the 200 000 African American soldiers known as United States Colored Troops who fought to end African American slavery. Thank you also to Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln and his administration. Thank you also to the abolionists who helped to end slavery in the USA.
The tyrant was Lincoln and his administration that basically ripped up the constitution to do whatever he wanted. The CSA was pro constitution and understood that document far better then Lincoln and the Republicans did back then. When the CSA lost the war, all it did was make oppressive centralized federal the future government of the country. States rights died when the CSA lost.
@willoutlaw: Have you looked at the actual initial reasons for the American Civil War? The southern states were fighting for THEIR rights against northern tyranny. Until 1863, slavery was a sidebar. Even Lincoln was ambivalent about freeing the slaves. It was only when he was convinced of the damage to the confederate economy that he issued the proclamation, even then, he delayed issuing it! Over 100yrs later, black Americans were still fighting for equality. Frederick Douglass fought tirelessly to help African Americans, that's true. The main thanks should go to him and the abolitionists for the end of slavery in the US. The coloured troops were actually used, initially, out of desperation because the federal armies were having difficulties in recruitment and retention of soldiers. It was only when they proved how competent they were with the sub-standard equipment they were issued that they became more widely accepted and finally respected as they deserved.
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars Don't waste your time with these people. They've never opened a history book in their lives yet profess to be experts. These are power hungry radicals who cynically look at history as a weapon to advance their various political agendas. They see the world in one dimension and demand absolute control over its narrative. History is something they seek to dominate or destroy. There's no middle ground.
Research original Archived history records. Slavery was OUTLAWED in the Naorthern States in 1804. Shipping Companies stopped transporting Slaves in 1804.
Modern day trench warfare can be directly traced to the Battle of Fredericksburg. It came about because of the wall at the Sunken Road protection below Marye's Heights. Pronounced ma-rees heights. Not Mary's heights.
Lol no... but definitely by the end of the civil war open line infantry field tactics gave way completely to trench warfare... but it's not that simple. Fredricksburg wasn't just Marye's Heights... it was a lot bigger. The most sustained and viscious combat occurred on the Confederate right where the Union actually broke through for a bit There were plenty of Napoleonic tactics used during the Franco-Prussian war. And also Russia is fighting Hella wars at this time.
We have not forgotten the sacrifices of our ancestors. I have nearly a dozen confederate relatives mostly from SC and NC . I will forever be greatful to Dr Robertson for this series . When he filmed this I bet he could not imagine the country turning on their own and vilifying our gallant southern leaders and our brave southern boys who live on inside of us . I for one will never forsake the southern cross or my home state who raised that Bonnie Blue flag high and proud in defiance in the spring of 1861 . God save Dixie Sic semper Tyrannis Deo vindice
It’s amazing that the south an men that fought an died trying to split an fight against the United States are looked at as heroes I’m from the south but I never understood why they were not tried for treason an the main generals that lead rebellion were not hanged
No, the (still) racist Democrat Party did. They controlled the South and forced the citizens there to choose a side. If you don't understand why people weren't hanged, you haven't studied it very well.
Because Lincoln didn't want them tried for treason, he wanted to bring the country back together peaceably. He didn't want to punish the South, he had a Reconstruction Plan to put the country back together again. Obviously that didn't happen once he was assassinated.
What about beating slaves then pouring brine in the wound makes you think he was a good christian man? In the throws of poverty… grant walked the slave his step parents tried to give him downtown & freed him rather than accept life changing money to help his family by selling the man. The character of grant when impoverished versus the horrifying character of lee when wealthy beyond his needs says everything about the difference between the real greatness in men.
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBarsWesley Norris, one of the slaves he had punished in this manner testified to the facts. Dick Williams (local constable) administered the lashes. Lee enjoined Williams to lay into the slaves good & then ordered them thoroughly washed in brine… Arlington House The Robert E Lee Memorial. Whats astonishing is you dont know about all this. The lost cause isnt real… There is nothing redeeming about the confederacy. Today the lost cause is resoundingly laughed at you dont want to be the last one holding the bag of slavery
It was a misunderstanding, Lee mistakenly took Grant as the regimental blacksmith on account of the dirty uniform he wore. So Lee handed Grant his sword to be sharpen and next thing you know the yankees were going on about a surrender.
I truly believe Gen Lee's men would have marched to the gates of hell for him. Shoeless, unarmed, starving....they'd of done it. Simply bc he commanded them to.
Longstreet should have explained what he meant by "Not yet". Let's sacrifice a few more men for nothing, just to show we're not the kind of people to give up?
He still had troops who wanted to follow, there were still multiple confederate armies in the field... Willmington was still open... not yet meant not yet. They were hoping to escape and unite with Joe Johnston's army in NC. Kirby Smith in the far West was still active and in fact was the last to surrender in March.
that glove and hand sign was a way to the rest of that southern trash to never give up and this the reason we have them still running around with that flag of theirs
Boy this bleating, gloating attitude is annoying. Do you know why we didn't have decades long nightmarish insurgencies in the South? Do you know why emancipation and reconstruction went so god damn smoothly? Because we honored each others sacrifice and we agreed to compromise on the memory of the war. Most people don't think about this... the whole genius of Lincoln in helping to put the country back together was his insistence that there be reconciliation and compromise... not punishment. That meant letting people have their memory... a compromise. "With malice toward NONE, with charity for ALL with firmness as the right God gives to to finish the work we are in and bind up the nation's wounds."
@@Baseballnfj Oh yea. Jim Crow, segregation, and lynching's sure helped to control storming the capital too. I guess it's all in your point of view BOY!
people the most high were there in every battle but man close his eyes to this fact he forced two brothers to shed blood for one reason alone just as he sent moses with that message to pharoah he did the same here and they still don,t see it lee had the the most powerful army but that cause was dead from the start but this place is still in danger they still hold us as hostage but the end is near APTTMH
I agree. It makes me very sad to think of all that we Americans have had to just throw it away because we've been manipulated into it by demagogue-politicians.
The narrator, professor James I. Robertson Jr. has a pleasant southern drawl and replaces his Rs with Ws, not unlike the way a child does. This is not a complaint but rather the opposite.
You mentioned "The ground made sacred by the blood of patriots." You are referring to the Northerners exclusively. Seditionists are not patriots. Those who fought to keep people enslaved are not patriots. Roll my eyes at the "States Rights" argument. Great video but lets not glorify those who fought for slavery.
@@tcod3137 NY Tribune's 1859 article (yes, predating the Civil war). Of course you had testimony of Wesley Norris in 1866 -- one of his former slaves. Don't get me going on Longstreet -- his Christianity made him think they were inferior... Yikes!!!!
@@jannarkiewicz633 paper never refused ink!! We’re any of the people you mentioned ever cross examined? Remember lee never put himself up on a pedestal, it was the people that did that to him!!
Lee should have surrendered at Gettysburg. Hundreds of thousands died and suffered after that crushing annihilation and he surely knew there was no winning from that day. He was a mediocre general at best ( arrogant narccisistic) who failed miserably once he went on the offensive. Disgraceful. Tragic.
Mainly it was strength in numbers, guns, food, and equipment, coupled with the fact that Lee's army was only a shell of it's former self at this time and further impacted with a desire for Lincoln to not lose the election as many in the north, were ready to sue for peace having been very tired, of sending their sons, fathers and loved ones to die in Virginia, or Andersonville for example.
@@butterfly.933 ...I didn't think there was an election in 1865. Wasn't that in 1864? And it wasn't the Northern Armies suffering from massive desertions...many of the poor Southern soldiers were coming to grips with the fact that they had been dying to defend wealthy plantation owners who owned millions of slaves. They didn't own any.....
@@Joseph70663 The overland campaign, which included Petersburg , yes was part of 1864 leading up to the election. Yes again! Northerner soldiers, unhappy with fighting a war, which now, had the added directive of freeing slaves, was not something many of them were the least bit interested in doing, as they wrote home in many letters detailing their feelings on the matter. Good point. I can't say as I have read any letters or accounts of southern soldiers unhappy about defending the rich mans war, which I believe it was. Lincoln added a second directive in his war, which he did hoping to, A) cause a slave insurrection as had recently happened in Haiti, which never happened in the south. B) Hoping to gain support from the different abolitionists, of which there were three classes; those being direct abolitionists who offered no answer to the social issue created by direct and immediate abolition, much like sjw's today they simply liked pointing their finger from atop the moral high ground, yet offering no solution, (Virtue signaling is not new) also were deportationists... like Lincoln himself became, and exclusionists who wanted slaves freed, but confined to the south. Lastly, C) Adding this directive eliminated England and France from aiding the Confederacy, Lincoln's most troubling of these reasons listed. Never the less, none of this changed the reason these men were defending Virginia, or elsewhere. Deserters in Virginia were tired of being hungry and waiting months inside of a besieged location. I do recall Lee having said he met with the politicians in Richmond; and, all they seemed to be interested in doing was eating peanuts and chewing tobacco while his men starved. Hard to blame deserters who wanted to quit at that time and go see their family's. Forgive me I was answering ( like a fool ) a troll, that the narrator, seems to have acquired.
@@Joseph70663 Confed troops eventually came to the truth that so many died for the elitist plantation owner desire to preserve institution of slavery. Was only a matter of time.....what a waste
Lee a great general? Who did he beat? Burnside, Hooker, Mcclellan, Pope? All were bad generals. He was bested the moment he met a good general in Meade, and he never won a great offensive battle without stonewall jackson. I implore you to study Napoleon at Austerlitz. The battle is identical in every way to Gettysburg down to the terrain and number of men engaged on each side. Study what Napoleon did, and you will find your great general.
By the time Mead and Grant fought Lee the "The Army of Northern Virginia" was depleted, tired, and just plain old worn out. Lee wasn't the greatest General however he was a damn good tactician, with Jackson, Longstreet, and some other southern leaders "The Army of Northern Virginia" was one hell of a force to be reckoned with.
And the fog? That was a key element in Napoleon's battle plan and victory. Was there a similar fog at Gettysburg and used by Meade to surprise and overcome the enemy? I'm asking. I don't know.
A guerrilla war would have resulted in the total destruction of the Confederates. As it was, Confederates were deserting at near record levels while they were being chased across Virginia, Tenn. N. Carolina. It's hard to conduct guerrilla warfare when they were being run like starving, homeless jackrabbits across the country.
By this time of the war theres no chace for the reb army. They should have gave up long ago. It would have saved a lot of people. Lee knew it was over he got a lot of men killed for nothing.
if the good "Doctor" can't say "Railroad" with "Hard "R"s, then it's not "accent", it's a speech impediment [as in Elmer Fudd] and inappropriate to be broadcast.
Normally I would just delete such an asinine comment. However, I am compelled to respond. "Inappropriate" is not the word you're looking for. Just because someone is slow of speech does not mean they shouldn't speak, especially when they are an authority on the subject matter at hand. Could you not understand the message and information? Given your line of thinking, I suppose that FDR shouldn't have been president since he had polio. Maybe Bob Ross shouldn't have had a painting show because he only had 9 fingers. Really?!???
Grant realized what the commanders before him did not --- that he could never match Lee's genius. He did know that he had vastly superior numbers of everything, and that's what he used. Grant fought a war of attrition he knew he couldn't lose. Just order failed charges, then order more failed charges on top of those. So you get 7,000 of your men shot down in 20-minutes at Cold Harbor, who cares? Just order another charge until subordinate commanders refused to obey further orders. Lee would retreat, and Grant would follow him for more charges. Grant's work was called the "Butcher's Bill" and except for Lincoln he would have been relieved faster than any commander before him. Sure, he never won a battle, but he won the War. Lee lost fewer of everything, but couldn't replace any of it. But, the attrition caused Lee to retreat and eventually surrender. Grant also caused a change in American military thinking... for the next century America would only fight wars of attritions. Not since Lee did America produce a single military genius; American generals were known for their odd personalities such as "Blood 'n Guts" Patton who won only because they had more beans and bullets than the enemy.... America never had a Rommel, Manstein or Guderian. Yeah, we lost a million dead after 1865, but no one gives a shit when you win the wars.
I like Lee but the blind worship has to stop. The casualty comparisons aren't surprising given that the Federals were faced with the big offensive task of taking the American Southland while the Confederates were on the defensive. Still, Lee made wasteful and costly moves throughout the war that needlessly drove up his % casuality rate. Between the two generals, there's no comparison. Lee fought in one theater with one army the whole war and was unsuccessful whenever he attempted offense. Grant commanded in three different theaters with three different armies in the war and was successful in all of them.
Wait Grant never won a battle? How about "the unconditional surrender" name? Vicksburg, fort donelson,Henry, to name few...Talking about waste....how about Picket charge? If Grant had made mistakes so did lee . You can not compare these 2 generals. And btw Grant was a genius. He saved the USA
158yrs. ago today. April 9th 2023. It's good to remember our history. Thanks for your program.
Thank you Dr. Robertson for teaching us all. Rest in Peace sir. You will not be forgotten.
He was a great teacher of the civil war Love his commentary
Cop on
Racist sectarian liar
Yeah.... Whats his name again?
Dr james robertson nov 2 2019. Born in danville virginia which is mentioned in the band song. the night they drove old dixie down. Virgil kane is the name and i served on the danville train
@@davidhallett8783 Well! That was a bunch of oddly spaced sentences containing random words and dates! Lol
This is the best account of the last days of the confederacy I ever heard. Dr Robertson RIP
I'm 65, live in Columbus Oh. Civil War history is my passion. The more I learn through these documentaries, the more passionate it becomes. .
Thank you so very much
Yeah, easy to like Civil War Hstory if you were n the side that won..
@@johnschneidhorst3406We are ALL on the side that won. We are all Americans. There are no Confederates any more.
About hr north of you and 5yrs behind but I too am a nut. Can't get enough. O-H
Outstanding! a true pleasure and Dr. Robertson makes it so tasteful RIP sir
I like the style of this presentation. Even today, over 150yrs after these tumultuous events there's still controversy. Many try to erase the memories of this war and it's utterly wrong!
Like ALL history, it is vital that what happened and why is known and understood. Both viewpoints need to be remembered because otherwise, they can raise their ugly heads and history WILL repeat itself.
This programme is an excellent example of how that can be done. Simple storytelling, without bias, politically or otherwise. War, is a breakdown of communication. When one side stops listening, it is inevitable and that has scary parallels with today, 2024. America is rapidly becoming more and more polarised. Unless some drastic reconciliation happens, I fear major internal conflict.
The Union Veterans talk about Confederates re-writing the memories of the war because after all of the blood, treasure and destruction. The reasons for the war just didn't hold up anymore. So its not being erased. It's being told. Correctly.
Much like the run up to that civil conflict the division we see now grows more by the day. Many seem to think this history can't be repeated. I'm not so sure.
@@robwernet9609 You mean where one political party wants a Civil War because their political power is receding because they are religious nutjobs who immersed themselves in lost cause ideology and the other side, which just wants to give average Americans healthcare so they don't go bankrupt over medical care. One side asks its voters to die for it every year. The other does not. Division comes from a small percentage of the voters (The Republican party) constantly killing its own voters and wondering why nobody else wants to join. The South also went backwards prior to the Civil War. In the exact same away. Republicans are free to die for their ideology but they can't ask the other 75% of the country to follow. Democrats will never ask that of me.
@@robwernet9609 Division grows because lies are not being exposed and eliminated.
After the Civil War, we bought about a hundred years of semi-peace by allowing southerners to tell the Lost Cause Myth to each other. It was always a bunch of made up rationalizations that professional historians knew were wrong (they did, after all, trace the development of the whole story, starting with The Lost Cause pamphlet in 1865).
But it's 2024 and the ancient lie is breaking down. The real lesson, the one you probably didn't consider, is that if you lie about history, it eventually catches up to you. At a far enough remove, the truth of history emerges. The victors (or here, the determined loser) may write the initial history, but the professionals eventually see through the lies. In this case, they always did.
Doubt me? The Egyptians wrote an account of a famous battle. They describe the Pharoah winning a great victory and then being very magnanimous afterwards, even marrying off a daughter to the loser. Historians went. . . Hmmm.
Well, we eventually got the account from the other side. They wrote it up as a win for them, complete with tribute and the "award" of one of Pharoah's daughters. This is closer to the truth. But the Egyptian account, even when that's all we had, didn't ring true.
The year is 2024 the 159 anniversary of this amazing week in our nation’s history. It’s a powerful document. Rest in peace Doc. Enjoyed your books and wisdom in a troubling time in our history.
Not all that long ago in the larger scope of time. But a mere few seconds ago in the eons that mark thru history.
@@robwernet9609 I was born in the Fall of 1953 and am now 71 years old. My grandfather was born in August of 1885. He told me of seeing his first airplane, his first telephone, first electric light, first automobile. He was born in a time when many things were just as they had been for many hundreds if not thousands of years, especially transportation and communications.
I have lived to see a time when I can communicate with anyone on this planet within a few seconds. Our Milky Way galaxy contains possibly 400 BILLION stars, and it is estimated that there are between 100 - 200 BILLION galaxies and the James Webb telescope reveals new discoveries every week. Technologically and medically, we today have better lives than ever before, but we are less happy than we've ever been....or so it seems to me. We have not yet learned that we must organize our lives, our social/national/economic lives in such a way that does not block the way to happiness. We humans discover quite rapidly but we learn and evolve very, very slowly and must endure great pain because of it.
While a member of the Australian Army I attended the US Army Logistic Management College at Ft Lee, in Petersburg Va. I was privileged to visit Gettysburg, Appomattox and various battlefields during my time there. I was deeply moved at Gettysburg at the slaughter and tremendous sacrifice of soldiers of both sides. The US does not need another civil war!
Such terrible loss of life to preserve a practice that never should have been in existence. God forgive those who maintained slavery. God bless those who brought it to an end.
41:00 Wilmer McLean, who owned the house at Appomattox, had previously owned a farm at Bull's Run. The only man in American history who can claim "The Civil War started in my back yard, and ended in my front parlor.
The war began in his front yard.
@@robertdubois2917
Really?
Nobody knows - That's a really cool fact. Glad to learn about it!
Just about 20 minutes ago, I was thinking of a way to explain something at work . A coincidence, and what you indicated " the civil war started and ended on the same man's properties in Virginia. Was something that came to mind .
God bless all the men who fought and died with honor. God bless America.
I only wish the best for those southern soldiers who were only simple farmers and were lied to by Confederate leaders Most Southern soldiers did not own slaves and worked their farms with assistance of family members.
@@edwardsaenz4216 Your statement is one of the pillars the lost cause is built on. If you endeavor to read the letters & diaries of common soldiers who didnt own slaves they were overwhelmingly fighting for slavery if you believe their own words. The correspondence is actually tough to get through even in a purely academic fashion but I recommend you try to ascertain the truth of their motivations. I understand it was a different time but even for the era the confederacy was one of the last bastions of evil. Its important to note not everyone in the union wanted slaves freed either but they weren’t willing to kill their brothers & betray their country for the right to endlessly enslave human beings. An important distinction between virtually every union & confederate soldier.
@@edwardsaenz4216 They had more in common with the Mid Western Northerner than the planter elite.
At least three thoughtful, intelligent gentlemen left on the web. Thank you 3. I was losing faith.
Best review of the retreat online
This is narrated for a Southern audience!
yep
Thank you so much for this excellent presentation.
You're welcome
So glad I found this fine series
This is a great episode, and a magnificent channel, not just for the fine residents of Virginia. Many Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
@@BlueRidgeStreaming not only that, but I have been watching many of the other episodes. Your series on the Civil War - very informative at the regional level - you don't get this detail elsewhere. Great job!
Lee was the man!
There is so much to Lees route of retreat in VA. What about Sheridan’s ride to cut off Lee? They should mark that route in Virginia.
This series is excellent 👌
Lee surrendered to General U.S. Grant. To phrase the event as an "agreement" is incorrect. Surrender and agreement are not linguistic equivalents. Just like winner and loser have different meanings.
To be fair, the video includes Lee exclaiming in despair "my God is the army disintegrating?" That cry was a cry of truth and they covered it.
Very very good! Thank you Sir.
Most welcome!
I drove Lee's retreat in 2015 a 150 years after it happened.
Then you drove right past my house on Jamestown Rd, Farmville on the Union picket line and cannon line on the East side of the Battle of Cumberland, Church. The last Confederate victory.
Incredible with how intelligent Lee was to be so blind to the absolute evil he fought to uphold. He was at the head of the darkest chapter in our history.
Yes he was. A good man gone wrong
It has to be rembered that those who wanted Slavery to end where radicals at that time. Never in human history had any other Nation or people otlawed the practice of Slavery. So the ending of Slavery was one of many steps in humanity's long journey from animalistic behaviours to Civilised individuals capable of independent thought and action but with the capacity to empathise with others and feel sympathy for strangers.
@@andyforbes5553 I agree with second part of your statement..for the first part england/france/Spain all abolished slavery way before the U.S. did...I'd prefer to argue that the radicals were the confederate secessionists who fought to uphold it.
@@ringostarrgazer2419
I'm not calling anyone Radicals but instead pointing out that the concept of outlawing Slavery was so totally new that civic leaders at the time would have called it a Radical idea.
Yes Britain waged war both finical and literal to force many nations to comply with Britains stance on Slavery. Countries such as France, Spain, America, Brazil and the many nations ot West Africa had to be forced at times to desist from practicing in this terrible Trade but within 50 years every Western civil nation had outlawed Slavery themselves that is why I made no distinction between nations. I am talking about us as a race the human race and how we have developed mentally.
The point of all this is, we are the people we are today with all are high minded ideals because of what are ancestors did and not inspite of them as so many today belive. If it wasn't for our ancestors fighting over Slavery, then who would have taught us it was wrong. Do you think we would just have known Slavery was wrong instinctively, from birth. We owe all we are and much we belive to those who came before us.
Nah
great view. I'm interested in collecting hand written diaries from the civil war ... pref. Pickett, Lee or Grant would be ideal. I also would be interested in any military gear from the era.
Then look up, and find "Lee's Dispatches" by Douglas Southall Freeman.
I challenge the notion that Union soldiers sought to destroy Richmond for four years, rather, they “sought to occupy Richmond”, may have been a better description.
I don't think the facts really support that. Grant and Sherman were fighting a modern war -- they were out to destroy the southern _war making_ capacity.
Sherman, keep in mind, didn't really occupy either Atlanta or Charleston. He simply made sure they couldn't support the war and then went on to the next target.
Grant didn't hang around Vicksburg, either. Now, they _did _ occupy Vicksburg, but there were important reasons to do so.
RIP Dr. Robertson and David McCullough
We need to find a new Dr Robertson and do more Virginia history docs.
Shad bake? Amazing.
Maybe the reason Gen. Pickett didn't take his duties too seriously that April 1st is because he was still bitter over the massive loss of his men "Pickett's Charge" at Gettysburg which he blamed Lee for. Just a thought.
Plus it was apparent that the South was going to loose and these battles were largely pointless.
He was an arrogant prissy wealthy slaveowning fool! History has little interest whether that military diva was personally conflicted!
If Lee gave up after gettysburg he would haved saved thousands on both sides. The south knew it was never going to win.
Personally, I think PTSD was more the case. A proud man, he was never the same after the loss.
That was great. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Billy Yank was mostly fed. Johnny Reb was starving. Johnny Reb had marched longer, farther, and faster during the than Billy Yank ever did. Only during the pursuit of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia had Grant forced his men this way. Johnny Reb had done so willingly to protect theirs homes, hearths and family.
AND THEIR SLAVES!! SNEER>>>>>
And all for a foolish cause.
@@shanebell2514 the rich man's cause, poor man's fight.
@@genxpilot69 100%. I wonder how things would of panned out if the federal government said Kansas would be a free state-but only southerners with no slaves could settle on it, that would be very interesting.
Protect their right to own slaves. You kind of left that out.
Excellent presentation, and well written. Question: Given the importance of the railroads to Lee's army, why didn't the Union troops just attack them 50 miles or so to the south?
Because Sherman didn't want to march north, with winter coming and do just that. The winter in that area can be wet and miserable. He was to busy waging a war of extermination on women, children, the elderly and enjoying his pillage. This has always been exactly my point. What you propose, could have ended things MUCH earlier, but Sherman had a much more ambitious plan. Remember he was a failed banker, and the land he "cleared and cleaned out" was all bought up by NY bankers after the war on the cheap. Wars are always fought for empire, NEVER humanitarian reasons. To the victor go the myths and the monuments.
@@butterfly.933 Read Shelby Foote about Sherman. You can hardly accuse him of Northern propaganda.
At the Battle/Siege of Petersburg, and after the bomb that created the Crater Union forces moved south and attacked the rail line. It was only 5 miles south of Petersburg. There was a skirmish and the Confederates withdrew, and Lee had to withdraw and attempt to escape.
Also, Grant knew, just as Lee knew.
Many thanks to those Union troops who saved the USA from the evil clutches of tyranny. Thanks also to the 200 000 African American soldiers known as United States Colored Troops who fought to end African American slavery. Thank you also to Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln and his administration. Thank you also to the abolionists who helped to end slavery in the USA.
The tyrant was Lincoln and his administration that basically ripped up the constitution to do whatever he wanted. The CSA was pro constitution and understood that document far better then Lincoln and the Republicans did back then. When the CSA lost the war, all it did was make oppressive centralized federal the future government of the country. States rights died when the CSA lost.
@willoutlaw: Have you looked at the actual initial reasons for the American Civil War? The southern states were fighting for THEIR rights against northern tyranny. Until 1863, slavery was a sidebar. Even Lincoln was ambivalent about freeing the slaves. It was only when he was convinced of the damage to the confederate economy that he issued the proclamation, even then, he delayed issuing it! Over 100yrs later, black Americans were still fighting for equality.
Frederick Douglass fought tirelessly to help African Americans, that's true. The main thanks should go to him and the abolitionists for the end of slavery in the US.
The coloured troops were actually used, initially, out of desperation because the federal armies were having difficulties in recruitment and retention of soldiers. It was only when they proved how competent they were with the sub-standard equipment they were issued that they became more widely accepted and finally respected as they deserved.
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars Don't waste your time with these people. They've never opened a history book in their lives yet profess to be experts. These are power hungry radicals who cynically look at history as a weapon to advance their various political agendas. They see the world in one dimension and demand absolute control over its narrative. History is something they seek to dominate or destroy. There's no middle ground.
Love his piedmont virginia accent!
He sounds like a combination of Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny. Is this a common accent for people in his part of the USA?
The fight for the preservation of slavery finally met its inevitable end.
not in africa
Research original Archived history records.
Slavery was OUTLAWED in the Naorthern States in 1804. Shipping Companies stopped transporting Slaves in 1804.
THANK THE LORD
Very sad. Too bad to south couldn't get more troops
I thought I heard that Dr Robinson had a piedmont accent
Modern day trench warfare can be directly traced to the Battle of Fredericksburg. It came about because of the wall at the Sunken Road protection below Marye's Heights. Pronounced ma-rees heights. Not Mary's heights.
Bro forgot about the Crimean War
I was thinking the trenches at Petersburg. Where both side dug miles of trenches
Lol no... but definitely by the end of the civil war open line infantry field tactics gave way completely to trench warfare... but it's not that simple.
Fredricksburg wasn't just Marye's Heights... it was a lot bigger. The most sustained and viscious combat occurred on the Confederate right where the Union actually broke through for a bit
There were plenty of Napoleonic tactics used during the Franco-Prussian war. And also Russia is fighting Hella wars at this time.
Great!, to say the least
love bud Robertson & Mort Kuntsler!
Moral of the story never go to a shad bake during a war.
We have not forgotten the sacrifices of our ancestors. I have nearly a dozen confederate relatives mostly from SC and NC . I will forever be greatful to Dr Robertson for this series . When he filmed this I bet he could not imagine the country turning on their own and vilifying our gallant southern leaders and our brave southern boys who live on inside of us . I for one will never forsake the southern cross or my home state who raised that Bonnie Blue flag high and proud in defiance in the spring of 1861 . God save Dixie
Sic semper Tyrannis
Deo vindice
Why don't we ever hear from the decendents of the tens of thousands of Confederate deserters and draft dodgers??
It’s amazing that the south an men that fought an died trying to split an fight against the United States are looked at as heroes I’m from the south but I never understood why they were not tried for treason an the main generals that lead rebellion were not hanged
Because Lincoln wanted the war to end no to go on for 10 years of guerrilla warfare. If you would have had hangings no one would surrender after that
No, the (still) racist Democrat Party did. They controlled the South and forced the citizens there to choose a side. If you don't understand why people weren't hanged, you haven't studied it very well.
Because Lincoln didn't want them tried for treason, he wanted to bring the country back together peaceably. He didn't want to punish the South, he had a Reconstruction Plan to put the country back together again. Obviously that didn't happen once he was assassinated.
That's because you've never been in a war or suffered.
It was not the end of the Civil War…it was the Surrender of the arm of Northern Virginia. Johnston had yet to surrender in North Carolina.
This program must be quite old. James I Robertson died on 11/2/2019. His distinct southern accent is missed.
On his retreat, Marse Robert gave my old granny a mule.
Cool story
I always admired Lee as a military genius i always thought he was a good Christian man
He had escaped slaves flogged and the ordered brine poured into their wounds.
Source?
What about beating slaves then pouring brine in the wound makes you think he was a good christian man? In the throws of poverty… grant walked the slave his step parents tried to give him downtown & freed him rather than accept life changing money to help his family by selling the man. The character of grant when impoverished versus the horrifying character of lee when wealthy beyond his needs says everything about the difference between the real greatness in men.
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBarsWesley Norris, one of the slaves he had punished in this manner testified to the facts. Dick Williams (local constable) administered the lashes. Lee enjoined Williams to lay into the slaves good & then ordered them thoroughly washed in brine… Arlington House The Robert E Lee Memorial. Whats astonishing is you dont know about all this. The lost cause isnt real… There is nothing redeeming about the confederacy. Today the lost cause is resoundingly laughed at you dont want to be the last one holding the bag of slavery
And he was responsible for the deaths of more Americans than Hitler.
Just wonering was Lee a traitor to the Republic? Thomas a fellow Virginian honored his oath.
It was a misunderstanding, Lee mistakenly took Grant as the regimental blacksmith on account of the dirty uniform he wore. So Lee handed Grant his sword to be sharpen and next thing you know the yankees were going on about a surrender.
I truly believe Gen Lee's men would have marched to the gates of hell for him. Shoeless, unarmed, starving....they'd of done it. Simply bc he commanded them to.
Longstreet should have explained what he meant by "Not yet". Let's sacrifice a few more men for nothing, just to show we're not the kind of people to give up?
He was hoping they could escape.
He still had troops who wanted to follow, there were still multiple confederate armies in the field... Willmington was still open... not yet meant not yet.
They were hoping to escape and unite with Joe Johnston's army in NC. Kirby Smith in the far West was still active and in fact was the last to surrender in March.
that glove and hand sign was a way to the rest of that southern trash to never give up and this the reason we have them still running around with that flag of theirs
Spoiler Alert: The south lost and that way of life dissolved. Unfortunately there are still a few who have yet to realize this reality.
Boy this bleating, gloating attitude is annoying. Do you know why we didn't have decades long nightmarish insurgencies in the South? Do you know why emancipation and reconstruction went so god damn smoothly?
Because we honored each others sacrifice and we agreed to compromise on the memory of the war. Most people don't think about this... the whole genius of Lincoln in helping to put the country back together was his insistence that there be reconciliation and compromise... not punishment. That meant letting people have their memory... a compromise.
"With malice toward NONE, with charity for ALL with firmness as the right God gives to to finish the work we are in and bind up the nation's wounds."
@@Baseballnfj Oh yea. Jim Crow, segregation, and lynching's sure helped to control storming the capital too. I guess it's all in your point of view BOY!
Yes, very sad.
Lincoln wanted to ship the slaves back to Africa or South America, Columbia.
'way of life'? For whom? Road to Hell, you mean. Utterly unsustainable and anti--American.
people the most high were there in every battle but man close his eyes to this fact he forced two brothers to shed blood for one reason alone just as he sent moses with that message to pharoah he did the same here and they still don,t see it lee had the the most powerful army but that cause was dead from the start but this place is still in danger they still hold us as hostage but the end is near APTTMH
I’m afraid we’re not so united anymore.
I agree. It makes me very sad to think of all that we Americans have had to just throw it away because we've been manipulated into it by demagogue-politicians.
The narrator, professor James I. Robertson Jr. has a pleasant southern drawl and replaces his Rs with Ws, not unlike the way a child does. This is not a complaint but rather the opposite.
The Siege of Petersburg (1864 -- 1865) is a 19th Century Version of Homer's Iliad, and the Siege of Troy. But, rewritten into the sagas of the CSA.
So...history really does repeat itself.
You mentioned "The ground made sacred by the blood of patriots." You are referring to the Northerners exclusively. Seditionists are not patriots. Those who fought to keep people enslaved are not patriots. Roll my eyes at the "States Rights" argument. Great video but lets not glorify those who fought for slavery.
Did you hear the saying, Don’t speak ill of the dead!
@@tcod3137 read how Robert E. Lee treated his escaped slaves. He was no saint. We should not make excuses for such behavior.
@@jannarkiewicz633 and when I read about what Robert E lee did, who the author of this great article?
@@tcod3137 NY Tribune's 1859 article (yes, predating the Civil war). Of course you had testimony of Wesley Norris in 1866 -- one of his former slaves. Don't get me going on Longstreet -- his Christianity made him think they were inferior... Yikes!!!!
@@jannarkiewicz633 paper never refused ink!! We’re any of the people you mentioned ever cross examined? Remember lee never put himself up on a pedestal, it was the people that did that to him!!
Lee should have surrendered at Gettysburg. Hundreds of thousands died and suffered after that crushing annihilation and he surely knew there was no winning from that day.
He was a mediocre general at best ( arrogant narccisistic) who failed miserably once he went on the offensive. Disgraceful. Tragic.
I wonder if the union army had speed because they were going hells bell for days before the surrender.
Mainly it was strength in numbers, guns, food, and equipment, coupled with the fact that Lee's army was only a shell of it's former self at this time and further impacted with a desire for Lincoln to not lose the election as many in the north, were ready to sue for peace having been very tired, of sending their sons, fathers and loved ones to die in Virginia, or Andersonville for example.
@@butterfly.933 ...I didn't think there was an election in 1865.
Wasn't that in 1864?
And it wasn't the Northern Armies suffering from massive desertions...many of the poor Southern soldiers were coming to grips with the fact that they had been dying to defend wealthy plantation owners who owned millions of slaves.
They didn't own any.....
@@Joseph70663 The overland campaign, which included Petersburg , yes was part of 1864 leading up to the election. Yes again! Northerner soldiers, unhappy with fighting a war, which now, had the added directive of freeing slaves, was not something many of them were the least bit interested in doing, as they wrote home in many letters detailing their feelings on the matter. Good point. I can't say as I have read any letters or accounts of southern soldiers unhappy about defending the rich mans war, which I believe it was.
Lincoln added a second directive in his war, which he did hoping to, A) cause a slave insurrection as had recently happened in Haiti, which never happened in the south. B) Hoping to gain support from the different abolitionists, of which there were three classes; those being direct abolitionists who offered no answer to the social issue created by direct and immediate abolition, much like sjw's today they simply liked pointing their finger from atop the moral high ground, yet offering no solution, (Virtue signaling is not new) also were deportationists... like Lincoln himself became, and exclusionists who wanted slaves freed, but confined to the south. Lastly, C) Adding this directive eliminated England and France from aiding the Confederacy, Lincoln's most troubling of these reasons listed.
Never the less, none of this changed the reason these men were defending Virginia, or elsewhere. Deserters in Virginia were tired of being hungry and waiting months inside of a besieged location. I do recall Lee having said he met with the politicians in Richmond; and, all they seemed to be interested in doing was eating peanuts and chewing tobacco while his men starved. Hard to blame deserters who wanted to quit at that time and go see their family's.
Forgive me I was answering ( like a fool ) a troll, that the narrator, seems to have acquired.
@@Joseph70663 Confed troops eventually came to the truth that so many died for the elitist plantation owner desire to preserve institution of slavery. Was only a matter of time.....what a waste
They had fresh bread and Meat and shoes. A huge difference in body strength and morale.
Sorry; but wars are never over, until there is no more such! How could his (Lee's) soldiers not have wanted to continue, and in fact die?
Unfortunately, you are probably right.
Lee a great general? Who did he beat? Burnside, Hooker, Mcclellan, Pope? All were bad generals. He was bested the moment he met a good general in Meade, and he never won a great offensive battle without stonewall jackson.
I implore you to study Napoleon at Austerlitz. The battle is identical in every way to Gettysburg down to the terrain and number of men engaged on each side. Study what Napoleon did, and you will find your great general.
By the time Mead and Grant fought Lee the "The Army of Northern Virginia" was depleted, tired, and just plain old worn out. Lee wasn't the greatest General however he was a damn good tactician, with Jackson, Longstreet, and some other southern leaders "The Army of Northern Virginia" was one hell of a force to be reckoned with.
And the fog? That was a key element in Napoleon's battle plan and victory. Was there a similar fog at Gettysburg and used by Meade to surprise and overcome the enemy? I'm asking. I don't know.
I wish the South had conducted a Guerrilla war, and never gave up.
A guerrilla war would have resulted in the total destruction of the Confederates. As it was, Confederates were deserting at near record levels while they were being chased across Virginia, Tenn. N. Carolina. It's hard to conduct guerrilla warfare when they were being run like starving, homeless jackrabbits across the country.
The war did not end when Lee surrendered. Read more history.
By this time of the war theres no chace for the reb army. They should have gave up long ago. It would have saved a lot of people. Lee knew it was over he got a lot of men killed for nothing.
Good documentary with good information and an interesting perspective. Nit: The commentators mispronounce cavalry. A common error.
his god which is satan was in no position to help him at this point
I'm not sure he thought that his God was Satan
if the good "Doctor" can't say "Railroad" with "Hard "R"s, then it's not "accent", it's a speech impediment [as in Elmer Fudd] and inappropriate to be broadcast.
Normally I would just delete such an asinine comment. However, I am compelled to respond.
"Inappropriate" is not the word you're looking for. Just because someone is slow of speech does not mean they shouldn't speak, especially when they are an authority on the subject matter at hand.
Could you not understand the message and information?
Given your line of thinking, I suppose that FDR shouldn't have been president since he had polio.
Maybe Bob Ross shouldn't have had a painting show because he only had 9 fingers.
Really?!???
Grant realized what the commanders before him did not --- that he could never match Lee's genius. He did know that he had vastly superior numbers of everything, and that's what he used. Grant fought a war of attrition he knew he couldn't lose. Just order failed charges, then order more failed charges on top of those. So you get 7,000 of your men shot down in 20-minutes at Cold Harbor, who cares? Just order another charge until subordinate commanders refused to obey further orders. Lee would retreat, and Grant would follow him for more charges. Grant's work was called the "Butcher's Bill" and except for Lincoln he would have been relieved faster than any commander before him. Sure, he never won a battle, but he won the War. Lee lost fewer of everything, but couldn't replace any of it. But, the attrition caused Lee to retreat and eventually surrender. Grant also caused a change in American military thinking... for the next century America would only fight wars of attritions. Not since Lee did America produce a single military genius; American generals were known for their odd personalities such as "Blood 'n Guts" Patton who won only because they had more beans and bullets than the enemy.... America never had a Rommel, Manstein or Guderian. Yeah, we lost a million dead after 1865, but no one gives a shit when you win the wars.
I like Lee but the blind worship has to stop. The casualty comparisons aren't surprising given that the Federals were faced with the big offensive task of taking the American Southland while the Confederates were on the defensive. Still, Lee made wasteful and costly moves throughout the war that needlessly drove up his % casuality rate. Between the two generals, there's no comparison. Lee fought in one theater with one army the whole war and was unsuccessful whenever he attempted offense. Grant commanded in three different theaters with three different armies in the war and was successful in all of them.
Wait Grant never won a battle? How about "the unconditional surrender" name? Vicksburg, fort donelson,Henry, to name few...Talking about waste....how about Picket charge? If Grant had made mistakes so did lee . You can not compare these 2 generals. And btw Grant was a genius. He saved the USA
total Confederate soldiers killed under Lee's command: 121,000. total Union soldiers killed under Grant's command: 94,000
We lost Korea Vietnam Iraq Afghanistan we don't win anymore we cut our losses and leave
Its the graves that get me they died such a long long time ago
The one thing all these videos have in common is that they all use different numbers.
Thank u for stopping the democrat confederacy.
There’s a day where we must march off to stop the Democrats yet again…
It’s the modern GOP that is about states rights honoring Confederate icons and ignoring the Civil Rights legacy of Lincoln and Grant.