After my third post in this forum I must admit, that I am somehow puzzled, how lively the debate very soon gets.
Obviously there are some affairs which better shouldn´t be adressed...as there are clearly partizan views and sympathies which cannot be conciliated easily.
Well...I know that my point here is another box-office-smash of that kind - but I cannot help...I have to ask it from you:
Probably much less people would sympathize with the historic South if there hadn´t be Lee and the ANV.
There was much blundering and tobacco-chewing in Richmond and Bragg´s leading in the West was far from sweeping, there were outspoken, fire-eating slaveocrats and so on
- but as far as I read about Lee I read nothing which could really stain his vest....
Of course I read about his (brief and reluctant) period as a slave owner - but regarding the reality of american life in 1860 he acted nowhere out of the common there - but followed rules which were quite common accepted in that time
(rules - regarding the dealing with enslaved humans - as hard as this may sound in the present time).
In regard of his private relations and his management of the army his extreme need to act morally seems puzzling to me.
Hence I´ve got one question:
Did he indeed - as a commander of the ANV - acted that morally?
Please...
- I know that there is a actual discourse in the US to somehow get to a more critical historical assessment of the South
- and I know that at the moment the tone in such discussions quite easily becomes rash.
I am in need of primary sources and documents (which so many of you have overflowing knowledge of) as a fundament of reasoning -
I am a bit tired of partizan biographies (which I read) and mere opinions (which tend to ignore all sources which do not support that opinion)...
To specify it: From the title of this thread it should be clear that I am indeed a bit sympathtic to Lee, but on the other hand I know that I am of course influenced by D.S.Freeman (whom I read maybe to early in my life when I was easily impressionable....)
- but nothing I read afterwards could change my impression that much.
But I am not a opinionated bigot - I am indeed looking for a foundation to get to a more balanced appraisal....
Obviously there are some affairs which better shouldn´t be adressed...as there are clearly partizan views and sympathies which cannot be conciliated easily.
Well...I know that my point here is another box-office-smash of that kind - but I cannot help...I have to ask it from you:
Probably much less people would sympathize with the historic South if there hadn´t be Lee and the ANV.
There was much blundering and tobacco-chewing in Richmond and Bragg´s leading in the West was far from sweeping, there were outspoken, fire-eating slaveocrats and so on
- but as far as I read about Lee I read nothing which could really stain his vest....
Of course I read about his (brief and reluctant) period as a slave owner - but regarding the reality of american life in 1860 he acted nowhere out of the common there - but followed rules which were quite common accepted in that time
(rules - regarding the dealing with enslaved humans - as hard as this may sound in the present time).
In regard of his private relations and his management of the army his extreme need to act morally seems puzzling to me.
Hence I´ve got one question:
Did he indeed - as a commander of the ANV - acted that morally?
Please...
- I know that there is a actual discourse in the US to somehow get to a more critical historical assessment of the South
- and I know that at the moment the tone in such discussions quite easily becomes rash.
I am in need of primary sources and documents (which so many of you have overflowing knowledge of) as a fundament of reasoning -
I am a bit tired of partizan biographies (which I read) and mere opinions (which tend to ignore all sources which do not support that opinion)...
To specify it: From the title of this thread it should be clear that I am indeed a bit sympathtic to Lee, but on the other hand I know that I am of course influenced by D.S.Freeman (whom I read maybe to early in my life when I was easily impressionable....)
- but nothing I read afterwards could change my impression that much.
But I am not a opinionated bigot - I am indeed looking for a foundation to get to a more balanced appraisal....