| It was the darkest times for the North in the five | | | | through quietly. These are magnificent towns of |
| year long American Civil War. President Lincoln could | | | | mansions for the plantation owners and exist as if |
| not find a superior officer who would take the | | | | from another time zone, or a movie lot of millionaires |
| charge to the enemy. | | | | rows. |
| In contrast, to the great advantage of the out | | | | Sherman reached the coast, and then sacked and |
| manned and out gunned South was the decision of | | | | burned his way back up towards Richmond. The |
| the most brilliant graduate at West Point Academy, | | | | North had to make the brutal point that slavery was |
| Robert E. Lee to be drummed out of West Point to | | | | over and a new order was coming. If only Lincoln |
| join the South. Lee felt a loyalty to his native Virginia | | | | could have lived to supervise that. |
| that he could not refuse. | | | | However, before those triumphs,back at the parade |
| For the next half of the war and more, the masterful | | | | ground in Washington. Imagine these broken men, |
| strikes, retreats and maneuvers led by Lee kept a | | | | mostly wounded, all exhausted, trying to put on a |
| far superior northern force at it's wits end. | | | | brave face for America, at a very perilous hour. |
| At the top of the heap of those wits was the | | | | These tired, brave men limped by the Presidential |
| President. In contrast, the Senior Union General was | | | | Review Stand, dignitaries all around. |
| often heard speaking that the nation needed a | | | | And they sang their tribute to the man who had |
| dictator, and he had just the candidate in mind, and it | | | | given his life and who really triggered the Civil War, |
| was not President Lincoln. | | | | John Brown. It was their camp fire tribute to the first |
| At university, we studied that letter Lincoln wrote to | | | | to die to free the slaves, and it was so rudimentary |
| that General, and it is a masterpiece of putting an | | | | yet so solemn in the tune that President Lincoln |
| arrogant fool in his place, and reminding him that first | | | | mused out loud that it was a shame that such an |
| he must give victories. Only then should we talk | | | | inspiring tune did not find itself accompanied with |
| about his dictatorship. He did not give victories, and in | | | | more noble words. |
| later terms showed himself to be all hat and no | | | | And, in the middle of the night, that now famous |
| cattle. He resigned, followed by other losing generals. | | | | wife of a minister who had overheard the words of |
| Until that soon famous, wonderful drunkard, Ulysses | | | | Lincoln awoke and sat upright. She jotted down the |
| S. Grant began to punch amazing victories down the | | | | words of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. And that |
| Mississippi and especially his masterful taking of | | | | same tune of the body of John Brown lies a |
| Vicksburg, which earned him another amazing letter | | | | mouldering in the grave, brought us Mine Eyes Have |
| from Lincoln. Grant then smashed his way across | | | | Seen the Glory of the Coming of The Lord. And |
| Tennessee. | | | | Glory Glory, what a hell of a way die, become Glory, |
| By then the armies of General Sherman were | | | | Glory, Hallelua, The Saints Go Marching On. |
| pounding their way across the south. I have driven | | | | Those men saw themselves as broken and about |
| that route from Atlanta to the Atlantic to follow | | | | ready to die for no good purpose perhaps, and what |
| Sherman's March to the sea. In a ten mile swath few | | | | a hell of a way to die, being blown apart by cannon |
| buildings survived. | | | | shot. But she saw these fine men as noble warriors |
| But locals will tell you which few towns survived, and | | | | fighting for a just cause and that God would surely |
| they had names of northern Presidents such as | | | | soon welcome them, of that she had no doubt. |
| Madison and Monroe. Here the townsfolk had | | | | And back then, so did President Lincoln, and that new |
| gathered on the edge of town and greeted the | | | | song inspired many. It rather choked me up when I |
| testosterone driven soldiers with torches. | | | | read that. I hope it does you too. I hope that you, |
| The townsfolk showed their northern connections | | | | like I, find these incidents affecting the evolution of |
| and with pleads of mercy and loyalty Sherman | | | | America insightful and inspiring, as I have. |
| allowed his thousands of vengeful soldiers to pass on | | | | |