At Odds with Oneself

What can I say? Is it a tragedy, or have I wished this upon the Union? No, not even in the heat of battle would I wish these events to unfold. Now the Union stands despite being lamed by the death of their embodied public, Abraham Lincoln. How these events would have changed the course of our struggle we shall never know, though nothing can be accomplished by our prediction of hindsight. Our cause has been assimilated into the greater nation, although our differences are far from reconciled. How long until we view each other as brothers once more? Certainly our common differences would have been better ameliorated by the great leader. I believe him to be of a vast forgiving nature, never admitting to our secession. Lincoln continued to consider the nation whole, no matter the state of affairs, showing great strength as a uniting force through the course of this ordeal. Without his steady hand, the rebuilding of this nation presents a towering difficulty, one I wish to help with in any way possible, no matter the social consequences.


http://books.google.com/books?id=RrV2AAAAMAAJ&q=james+longstreet+reconstruction&dq=james+longstreet+reconstruction&lr=&pgis=1

My Arm and Nation Lamed

My right arm paralyzed in the battles of Wilderness and my Confederacy in shambles, I am only distraught. Distraught that my arm was lamed only to witness our surrender, distraught at our efficient defeat, and distraught most of all that even I admit that no other option can be conceived on our Appomattox battlefield. Imagine my surprise on finding that my former West Point comrade Grant on the other side of the partition, outmaneuvering our own every step of the way. Though I knew that Grant would be a favorable negotiator, I still believed that if he presented us with unimaginable terms, we would fight it out to the bitter end. After realizing that my function as the First and Third Corps Commander served mainly as reliance for that of Gordon, it was with a heavy heart that I recommended to Lee that we surrender. However, I find that Lincoln is not a disagreeable man, and I hope to aid in the reconciliation of South to North in these upcoming months as best I can.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=TTgOAAAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=battle+of+appomattox&ots=zhYLm6N2T4&sig=a61O2nWd5kgJHs6rT_u88t-fMMk

http://archotol.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/3/353