Well, well, well...I do declare, Miz Betty, you had me skeered there for a
while.

Ah, Marsh Robert.  Now there's a man the likes of which you'll NEVER see
again.  A couple years back I was doing some short-term consulting work in
Reston and had an opportunity to do the Robert E. Lee / battlefield circuit.
Wasn't impressed with his boyhood home (looks too much like an early 20th
century schoolhouse), but the walk down to the Potomac was wonderful (a bit
longish for an old gimp like me, but the bluebirds were out!).

I'm impressed with your knowledge of The War.  I agree with your analysis of
Gettysburg--J.E.B. has always been given short shrift for showing up late
due to causes beyond his control.  Plus, Pickett was a dumb-ass IMHO.
Frontal assaults against Mod 1861 Springfields was shear stupidity.

If Lee had kept his commission, the war would have been far, far, shorter.
Too bad he didn't--too much blood was spilled.  Plus, he got suckered into
commanding a Confederate army when all he wanted to do was defend Va.  Then
you got Jeff Davis--talk about your incompetents!

Ever read Shelby Foote's seminal "The Civil War"?  Wonderfully in-depth.  It
certainly ain't baf'room reading.

I've seen my family's coat-of-arms.  I think it features a drunken Scotsman
scratching himself underneath his kilt.  I believe the motto is, "Semper
Pruritis" (Always Itching).

BTW--to me, "sugah" is hugs and kisses, as in when a plump aunt comes over
and says, "Gimme some sugah, hon".



-----Original Message-----
From: Betty Alfred [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 10:45 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Civil Wah


In a message dated 02/04/2000 8:38:00 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Them's fightin' words, Betty, an' I got 13 rounds left today!
  >>

HA!  GOTCHA!  I knew I'd get a bite.  I'm one of you babe, but being as how
I'm from Alexandra, lotsa folks don't consider me part of the South.  I've
had to fight that one too.  I love Lee, I have to tell you -- I swear this
on
the grave of every dead relative I have.  My favorite book is "The Wartime
Papers of Robert E. Lee."  But if I didn't love Lee, I'd be kicked right out
of my family.  The Lee coat of arms hangs in our home.

Remind me to tell you about my family's coat of arms one day.  It's just too
ridiculous to talk about now.  Trisha has one that is impressive, believe
you
me.  But mine -- mine is a joke, and I'd like to get my hands around the
neck
of the jerk who thunk it up.

You're right about Bull Run, but that was representative of his general
policy, wasn't it?  I recognize and acknowledge the limited resources of the
Confederacy and the other factors you mentioned, believe me.  Never has the
term "unlevel playing field" meant more!  I just think Lee made some
tactical
boo boos (i.e., Gettysburg).  He would have had Stuart with him the whole
time if his orders to Stuart had not been so confusing.  But Stuart doesn't
seemed to have faired well through history with regard to his absence at
Gettysburg.  That doesn't seem fair.  Also, Lee didn't take Longstreet's
advice, and there was just too much green going against them in a noticeably
bad way (not that I'm Monday morning quarterbacking, mind you).  On the
other
hand, there was the great Lee and Jackson at Chancellorsville.  That was a
play against all accepted military strategy, but it worked brilliantly.  I
sometimes wonder what would have happened if it hadn't though.  I'm just
playing around with alternate timelines.

I also wonder how the war would have progressed if Lee had accepted the
Union
commission, instead of going with the tide of his beloved Commonwealth.

Also, my cat is named for Jubal Early -- that ought to tell you something
(sugah).  That came about because he was a feisty little so-and-so when I
brought him home.  He bit me in the animal shelter and did a marvelous job
of
cat-cussing.  There seemed no other choice.  Now he's so gentle he doesn't
remotely resemble his namesake's personality -- but it's too late.  The name
stuck.

Sherman and his men did a terrible thing -- a terrible thing.

But, I have a special place in my heart for J. L. Chamberlain.  I hope I can
be forgiven for that -- he really seemed like a good man.

Thus ends my ranting...ain't ya glad?