Many, many years ago I wrote a story about the Civil War and I visited a great many of the battlefields and cemeteries and anything to do with the War Between the States.
With Appomattox being only 18 miles from my children in Lynchburg, VA, my grandson (still working toward his license) was eager to drive me to the Appomattox Court House. In the parlor of the McLean House on April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all United States forces, ending the bloodiest chapter in the history of the United States.
According to the Surrender Terms, Grant asked only that the Confederates pledge not to take up arms against the United States. Officers were allowed to keep their side arms and the Confederate soldiers who owned horses were allowed to take them back home. Passes were printed for the Confederates to carry and prove they were free to go home.
On April 12, 1865, Federal troops lined the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road and received the weapons, flags, and trappings of Lee’s infantry in a formal surrender ceremony.
Down the road a piece is the Museum of the Confederacy, a comprehensive collection of artifacts and documents related to the Confederate States of America. Most of the items were donated from Civil War veterans and families of soldiers who lived during that time.
With a Michigan mother and a Virginia father, Will has family who represented both the north and the south. He and his mom and dad have spent a great deal of time finding those relatives in the various places where the battles took place.
Battles were fought mostly in Virginia but continued as far west as Ohio, Indiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. So many “firsts” happened in the Civil War and I hope to tell that story sometime in the spring. God Bless until next week.
Winter in the Wilderness, the first e-book novel published by Minshall, is offered through Amazon and most Internet book sites. A print edition may be obtained from Amazon or you can order an autographed copy from the author at Box 1040, Congress, AZ for $7.95 plus $3.50 for postage and handling. The fourth edition of RVing Alaska and Canada is available through Amazon.com.
At 45, Widow Minshall began 20 years of solo full-time RVing throughout Alaska, Mexico, and Canada. Sharlene canoed the Yukon, mushed sled dogs, worked a dude ranch, visited Hudson Bay polar bears, and lived six months on a Mexican beach. She lectured at Life on Wheels, published six RV-related books and wrote a novel, “Winter in the Wilderness.”
Leave a Reply