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Not having read the documents 5fish recomended, I'll speculate that all of them are also speculation. Lee's defeat at Gettysburg sparked the Lost Cause movement, the primary purpose of which was to pin the blame on anything or anyone except Lee. One of those anythings was Lee's health.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Not having read the documents 5fish recomended, I'll speculate that all of them are also speculation. Lee's defeat at Gettysburg sparked the Lost Cause movement, the primary purpose of which was to pin the blame on anything or anyone except Lee. One of those anythings was Lee's health.
ole
The lost cause movement never used Gen. Lee's health at all. Over Gettysburg it ended up with Gen. Longstreet against the Va. camp. The Gen. Lee supporters in the 19th century wanted Gen. Longstreets head and blamed him. There were the cries about Gen. Stuart but he was from Va. so the cries that it was his fault faded.
Only in the last years has Gen. Ewell's lack of action been brought to up for blame. A note Gen. Ewell is a Va. and that is why he escaped blame for a time.
Gen. Lee's health has never been brought to the list of why he failed at Gettysburg. It is not romantic to say Gen. Lee is human and has human failings. It is not romantic to say Gen. Lee was sick which led to his poor proformance at Gettyburg. It does not make for a good story and Historians like romance and a good story.
It is like the red baron for years everyone want him shoot down in a dog fight but now we know is was shoot down by ground fire. I took a scienific team to prove it before most historian went along with it even thou the evedence was there the whole time. Why because it not a good story that some nobody shoot down the Red baron. It just not right the RED BARON was great and should go out in a dog fight.
Those papers on Gen. Lee's health were written over the last 40 years well after the lost cause mythos had faded. At Gettysburg some historians mention he was sick some never do and no one ever singles it out as a factor in his defeat. They always find other scapegoats for Gen. Lee. The whole battle centers on his proformance and it was below par the guestion is why.
The Lost Cause Mythos has faded? When did this happen? Pardon me; I guess I missed that.
The Lost Cause didn't begin with Gettysburg and doesn't end there. I'll have to take your word that Lee's health was not brought up as an excuse for his failure until recently. It seems, though, that I've been reading that particular bit for some over 40 years.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Us folks 'down here' never consider the cause lost, just paused. What's the phrase, 'the South will rise again'? When the South does rise, and there is considerable evidence that has happened over the last 145 years, let us hope we set a good example for the rest of the country, with liberty and justice for all. Might even throw in a little bit of improved racial harmony. For one, I believe it's happening. If you yanks ever attack again, remember Ft. Campbell, Ft. Bragg and Ft. Benning are on our side of the line!
__________________ Ancestors in US Army: 13th TN Cav; 10th TN Cav; 3rd NC Inf
Ancestors in CSA Army: 48th VA; 63rd VA, 5th NC Cav; 37th NC
Wife and Grandson's CSA: 15th AL, 51st GA, 41st TN; 36th TN; GA Mil 1197 Dist
The Lost Cause has faded and the south did plan to win the next war. Now when you hear us (yes born and raised) complain about issues from the civil war it just hurt pride because we were on the losing side.
Everyone has pride in their home team!!
I must first give notice that I borrowed the title "Death of a Nation" form Clifford Dowdey book Gettysburg/Death of a Nation. The book was written back in the mid 20th century. He wrote many books on the civil war and they are insightful.
If illness(which I believe) was a factor in Gen. Lee's defeat at Gettysburg and we know illness was a factor at North Anna in June 1864.
One can argue that Gen. Lee's ill health cause the death of the confederacy and the death of a nation.
Gen. Lee was the heart and soul of the southern cause and he was the death of the southern cause. There is some great divine justice in that.
I must first give notice that I borrowed the title "Death of a Nation" form Clifford Dowdey book Gettysburg/Death of a Nation. The book was written back in the mid 20th century. He wrote many books on the civil war and they are insightful.
If illness(which I believe) was a factor in Gen. Lee's defeat at Gettysburg and we know illness was a factor at North Anna in June 1864.
One can argue that Gen. Lee's ill health cause the death of the confederacy and the death of a nation.
Gen. Lee was the heart and soul of the southern cause and he was the death of the southern cause. There is some great divine justice in that.
Growing up in the North Carolina mountains on the Virginia-Tennessee border, I was told that General Lee fought the war. Moving to Tennessee in 1978 I discovered that there was a whole bunch more to that story. Lee was only the commander of the eastern theatre. The outcome of the war was also greatly impacted, to say the least, by the events of the western theatre. Lee didn't win it, but he certainly didn't lose it by himself. It was Lee's brain that was important, not his sword. Cut him some slack (no pun?).
__________________ Ancestors in US Army: 13th TN Cav; 10th TN Cav; 3rd NC Inf
Ancestors in CSA Army: 48th VA; 63rd VA, 5th NC Cav; 37th NC
Wife and Grandson's CSA: 15th AL, 51st GA, 41st TN; 36th TN; GA Mil 1197 Dist
Gen. Lee was the heart and soul of the southern cause and he was the death of the southern cause. There is some great divine justice in that.
Puh-lease! Where is the puke emoticon when you need it?
Lee has been made the symbol of the Confederacy because he was very nearly the only genuinely good man the Confederacy had to offer. He was a capable general and worthy of great respect as a man, but let's not even start comparing the nobility of the Confederacy with the nobility of Lee.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Us folks 'down here' never consider the cause lost, just paused. What's the phrase, 'the South will rise again'? When the South does rise, and there is considerable evidence that has happened over the last 145 years, let us hope we set a good example for the rest of the country, with liberty and justice for all. Might even throw in a little bit of improved racial harmony. For one, I believe it's happening. If you yanks ever attack again, remember Ft. Campbell, Ft. Bragg and Ft. Benning are on our side of the line!
Before we attack AGAIN?? If memory serves you all fired the first shots on US! Anyways... before YOU attack again you all might want to consider that NATO and the UN would probably stick there nosey faces in it before anything got out of control. Not to mention the fact that this isn't the 19th century anymore. If this country was plumeted into another civil war, the rest of the world would see a weak, divided country, and would not miss the chance to pounce on it. All they would have to do is march in and pick up the pieces. It's what they want anyways.
__________________ "In mortal combat, a man may and will become so infuriated by the din and dangers of a bloody fight that his heart will turn to stone and his every de sire [be] for blood."
John Hadley, 7th Indiana after the battle at Port Republic
[quote=larry_cockerham]Growing up in the North Carolina mountains on the Virginia-Tennessee border, was told that General Lee fought the war.
WAIT!! Gen. Lee did not fight the civil war all by his lonesome with one arm tied behind his back. You're telling me my momma lied to me as a child.
All I know about you boys across those mountains was that you all got your butts kick by U.S. Grant.. You all folded like a bad poker hand. I remember about someone to marching to the sea, too. Where was your southern pride?
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Gen. Lee did not fight the civil war all by his lonesome with one arm tied behind his back. You're telling me my momma lied to me as a child. 
U.S. Grant.. You all folded like a bad poker hand. I remember about someone to marching to the sea, too. Where was your southern pride?
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