Click on 2015 in the index on the right of this blog. Next, click on the title of the blog which appears; (my December 31st blog, "The Shot Must Choose You.") All my blog titles for 2015 will appear in the index.
The year was 1993, and my wife, and I found ourselves in Lynchburg, Virginia. I was enrolled in a distance education degree with Liberty University, and was attending my second and last required residential course.
I am “eat up” with the Civil War. By 1945
my Great, Great Uncle was one of the few remaining veterans of that war. He
served as Commander in Chief of United Confederate Veterans, the official
fraternal organization, during the middle of the 20th century.
(My wife and I have visited at least ten
battlefields, and I’m still an inactive member of Sons of Confederate Veterans,
which continues the lineage and tradition of the United Confederate Veterans).
Wilmer Mclean was a prominent citizen of
Virginia during the mid- 1800’s. He had moved to Lynchburg from Manassas, the
site of the first significant battle of the war. That battle actually took
place on his property. Having witnessed this national shame firsthand, he was
determined to move as far away, as possible. The completely ironic and
unexpected occurred. The Civil War ended in his new hometown, on his property,
in his living room!
I could not
leave that area without seeing Appomattox Courthouse for myself. It was just a
“hop and a jump” from Lynchburg and my school. My wife and I had visited the
site earlier in the week, and had toured the home of Mr. Mclean Generals Lee
and Grant, (a distant cousin of mine) negotiated there, so long ago. On this
very spot two signatures reconciled a divided country.
However, “we took a notion” to travel
there again by night, just prior to leaving the area for good. Though we
couldn’t go onto the site after hours, it just seemed right to get a final
flavor of The Historic. It was to be
a memorable evening for me.
As we neared the property, my wife took a
small item out of her purse, and inserted it into the audio tape deck of our
rental car. Unbeknown to me, she had purchased a copy of authentic Civil War
music that very day. The strains and cords of the music filled our car, and the
emotions I felt then have remained with me to this day!
It was like traveling back in time. It
was so reminiscent of riding in a time machine. Never in my life have I
experienced anything quite like it.
It was a pale, but poignant shadow of
having been there.
By William McDonald. Copyright pending
If you wish to copy, share or save this blog, please include the credit line, above
No comments:
Post a Comment