The surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865 effectively ended the Civil War and slavery in the United States. Why are we no longer "expected to join in singing Patriotic songs" to mark the occasion?
April 9, 1865
Civil War Memory has moved to Substack! Don’t miss a single post. Subscribe below.
Clearly you don’t live in my house, Kevin.
The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor! Up with the star!
However, we soon recall the words of Ulysses S. Grant, who told his soldiers to stop celebrating too loudly:
“The war is over; the rebels are our countrymen again; and the best sign of rejoicing after the victory will be to abstain from all demonstrations in the field.”
We ignored that when the Giants won the Super Bowl.