J.D.R. Hawkins

One bullet can make a man a hero… or a casualty.

Archive for the tag “Appomattox Court House”

14 Dec 2021
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Lee’s Sword

I came across this article on Facebook and found it extremely fascinating, so I wanted to share. Let me know what you think.

The Return of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Sword

by Kev Lee

The famous sword of Gen. Robert E. Lee is making news this week because its finally returning to Lee’s place of surrender more than 146 years after the Civil War. Anyone who’s not a history buff might wonder what the big deal is, but for decades, there’s been a myth surrounding Lee’s sword.


Legend has it that upon surrender to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant after the Battle of Appomattox Court House, Lee gave up his sword to Grant as a traditional gesture, but Grant refused the sword. History has a funny way of making a big circle, as the sword is moving from its longtime resting place at the Museum of the Confederacy in downtown Richmond to a new museum in Appomattox, Va.


Even if you don’t care too much about history, Lee’s sword is a notable and unique French-made sword. The 40 1/2 inch sword has a lion’s head on the pommel (the knob at the bottom of the handle) and an ivory grip. The sword has lost all its gold color from years of polishing and upkeep, but was recently restored so it glows and glitters once again.


There is writing on each side of the blade. One side reads “Gen. Robert E. Lee CSA from a Marylander 1863” while the other side says “Aide toi dieu l’aidera.” That means “Help yourself and God will help you.” The sword also comes with a scabbard made of blued steel, which is partially protected from rust. They aren’t sure who made the sword, but they know it would have been extremely expensive in the 1800s. The sword was only for ceremonial use and there’s no sign he used it in battle.


If you want to look at this amazing piece of history and craftsmanship, the sword will also be visiting two more museums in Virginia.

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10 Apr 2017

The Day After

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It’s difficult to comprehend what Southerners must have been feeling the day after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. Yesterday was the anniversary of this event which, in both cases, happened on Palm Sunday. I imagine they were saddened by loss, and yet, relieved the war was finally over. They probably held out hope that, somehow, the South might still emerge triumphant, or they could have been enraged by the outcome and felt helplessness with the result. Some certainly were fearful about what the future had in store. Whatever each individual felt, I’m sure the majority were hoping for reconciliation and prosperity.

One thing many Southerners, especially soldiers, learned to do without during the war was coffee. Both armies, north and south, loved the drink. The following article describes their passion for it.

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For the Union, coffee was a big deal. 
In fact, the word “coffee” shows up in Union letters and diaries more often than any other word-including words like “war,” “bullet,” “Lincoln,” and “mother.”
For Union troops, Coffee was a more regular part of soldier life than fighting. Every soldier was given a ration of 16 kilograms (36 lb) of coffee per year, and they drank it every morning.
One rifle company even made a rifle that had a coffee grinder in the stock.
Since most Union troops only fought two weeks per year, the coffee grinder ended up being used more than the bullets.
The Confederates, on the other hand, hardly had any coffee.
Union blockades kept the Confederates from getting their daily caffeine fix.
Some Confederate soldiers were so desperate for a java fix that they would brew potatoes and rye until they turned black, just to have a caffeine-free, bitter drink that the soldiers could pretend was coffee.
Caffeine may have actually made a strategic difference in the war. Union generals would time attacks based on when their men were most buzzed on caffeine, convinced that the extra rush from coffee gave their men a fighting advantage.
(Article courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, March 31, 2017 ed.)
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04 Aug 2016

The Truth is Out There

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There are so many misconceptions today about why the Civil War was fought, what motivated the South, and what the Confederate battle flag truly represented. Some people are wrongly offended by the flag because they don’t really understand what it symbolizes. I found the following letter interesting, so I wanted to share.

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The Truth About the Confederate Battle Flag

Many of the facts that I reference…were included in a message delivered several years ago by Pastor John Weaver…

Combine the current attacks against Biblical and traditional marriage, the attacks against all things Confederate, the attacks against all things Christian, and the attacks against all things constitutional and what we are witnessing is a heightened example of why the Confederate Battle Flag was created to begin with. Virtually every act of federal usurpation of liberty that we are witnessing today, and have been witnessing for much of the twentieth century, is the result of Lincoln’s war against the South. Truly, we are living in Lincoln’s America, not Washington and Jefferson’s America. Washington and Jefferson’s America died at Appomattox Court House in 1865.

Instead of lowering the Confederate flag, we should be raising it.

© Chuck Baldwin

http://www.confederateamericanpride.com/battleflag.html

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1220517550

(Courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter)

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09 Apr 2015
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150th Anniversary of Lee’s Surrender

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Today marks the 150th anniversary of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender, and the closing moments of the Civil War. After realizing that his exhausted and weakened army was surrounded, Lee exchanged a series of notes with Union General Ulysses S. Grant. They finally agreed to meet on April 9, 1865 at Wilmer McLean’s home in the village of Appomattox Court House. Their meeting lasted approximately two and a half hours, after which Lee surrendered his troops to Union forces.

This was indeed a sad day for the South, because it meant the end of states’ rights, as well as a more unified central government. It was sad for the country as a whole, because over 620,000 men lost their lives. Freed slaves thought it was the happiest day until they discovered later on that the Federal government had no intention of helping them prosper as a society. Because of this lack of support, many freedmen suffered from lack of food, medicine, etc., and had no other recourse but to return to their now impoverished former owners and beg for jobs. Thus, sharecropping began.

Appomattox Courthouse is now an historic national treasure. Wilmer McLean’s house has been restored, as have several other outbuildings at the tavern, located at a crossroads intersection. The road where Confederate soldiers lined up to surrender their arms still exists.

All of the buildings were in severe decay when restoration began. Mr. McLean lived at the home for five years after the war until his debt forced him to move back to Northern Virginia, where his wife owned a home. From that time until the 1970’s, the house and surrounding buildings stood vacant. Restoration is still in process.

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