"Sir, we are all Americans" Day 9 Appomattox Courthous

Just short of 4 years by 2 months, the Civil War had destroyed over 600,000 soldiers, countless homes, civilians, billions of dollars of property and spirits across the un united states and around the world.  By april 9 1861 the pride of the confederate army led by General Robert E Lee was a ragtag starving shoeless band of renegades.  At a small green wood called Appomattox Courthouse, Lee’s last supply line of food was intercepted and destroyed by the Union army and Lee realized he had no choice but to surrender.  He was completely surrounded and his troops were starving. 

Arriving at 1pm that day, General Lee was dressed in his best, expecting to be taken as Grant’s prisoner and even Traveller, Lee’s beloved white horse, was brushed to a glow.  The meeting was to take place at a civilian’s house where strangely 4 years previous in another home, this same man had given up his house to the Confederate army at the first battle of Bull Run.  General Grant arrived late, dressed in a muddy well worn uniform.  Grant was so adverse to moving forward with the business at hand and was enjoying reminiscing with Lee about days they had served together years before that Lee finally reminded Grant why they were together. 

A Seneca Indian, long a member of Grant’s upper staff was also in the room to facilitate in writing up the terms for both Generals to sign.  This native named Ely S Parker.  Ely Samuel Parker (1828 – August 31, 1895), (born Hasanoanda, later known as Donehogawa) was a Seneca attorney,engineer, and tribal diplomat. He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, when he served as adjutant to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. He wrote the final draft of the Confederate surrender terms at Appomattox. Later in his career, Parker rose to the rank of brevet brigadier general. President Grant appointed him as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the first Native American to hold that post.

 Lee, upon discovering Parker to be a Seneca remarked "It is good to have one real American here." Parker replied, "Sir, we are all Americans." 

After Lee left the house some time later and made his way back to his nearby camp, his remaining troops lined the road, most too distraught to speak.  Instead they carefully reached up to touch gently, Traveller, the General’s horse.  A few “thank you” or “goodbye” drifted in the springtime dusk. Traveller (1857–1871) was Confederate General Robert E. Lee's most famous horse during the American Civil War. He was a grey American Saddlebred of 16 hands, notable for speed, strength and courage in combat. Lee acquired him in February 1862, and rode him in many battles. Traveller outlived Lee by only a few months, and had to be shot when he contracted untreatable tetanus. His name is often misspelled with a single ‘L’ in the American style, though Lee actually used the British-style double ‘L’.  Lee never called him Traveller as the horse had had two previous names by previous owners but always referred to his beloved horse as “the grey”.   When Traveller died, he was buried, exhumed, his bones were bleached and he was put on display til his bones started to dissolve.  Finally  in 1971, Traveller's remains were buried in a wooden box encased in concrete next to the Lee Chapel on the Washington & Lee campus, a few feet away from the Lee family crypt inside, where his master's body rests. The stable where he lived his last days, directly connected to the Lee House on campus, traditionally stands with its doors left open; this is said to allow his spirit to wander freely.

I spent the afternoon at this historic place where it ended, still far from visiting many more Civil War sites myself.  A perfect recreation of the room made it feel like the two Generals had just left before I arrived. It was a very moving experience especially to speak at length with the curator of the museum.   Sadly many of the Union officers  immediately bought up every piece of furniture in the room where the signing took place after the two Generals left so what is there for us to see today are replicas.  Happily, a good amount of it has been returned. The museum is excellent but I already knew all the details.  More meaningful to me, just as when walking the same path as any great historical figure,  I found myself stopping on the entry stairs and crossing the yard wondering what they both felt.  I was walking where they stepped. So many lives lost!     Saddest of all, I truly believe we are just as capable of destroying each other now as we were then, each completely convinced of our right-ness and willing to kill or die for it.  I have to ask myself, of course the freedom of the slaves was worth fighting for altho I wonder if there could’ve been any other way to achieve the same result?  But why can’t we see that violence is NOT the answer? 

In these inflammatory times before the election, especially as I pass through town after town of yards of pumpkin and goblin filled TRUMP signs, I can only hope that the winners will help the losers feel they are not disenfranchised and help to dissipate the most fervent misguided anger and hate I have ever experienced in my lifetime.   

Let us all remember,  we are all americans.  

  

Hugs from the road.