Commander, U.S. Army War College,
I read with great dismay a news article regarding the
removal of portraits of General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas “Stonewall”
Jackson at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle PA. These two great leaders were outstanding
graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served with
distinction in the U.S. Army. Similarly,
President Jefferson Davis graduated from West Point, served in the U.S. Army
and as U.S. Secretary of War under whom a modernization of forces was
conducted. These men chose to defend
their homes and align with their states when the call to secede and take up
arms was petitioned back in 1861.
Secession and nullification were taught as Constitutional state’s rights
at West Point and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court of the era.
Somehow we believe ourselves today to be more enlightened
and upstanding than these great Christian soldiers but the Constitution and the
Bible and true history are nonetheless unchanging. Unfortunately as America slips into an
acceptance of mediocrity and immorality, history is ignored or altered to fit
and conform to the predominating main stream narrative. But these men and many outstanding
Confederate Generals like General Stephen Dill Lee and General Wheeler Joseph
Wheeler and many other Confederate veterans went on to proudly serve their
country and states after the War.
General Nathan Bedford Forrest is still regarded as a brilliant
tactician as were most Confederate officers and their campaigns and strategies
and the histories of these battles in this great struggle are worthy of
continued appreciation and study.
Many U.S. military bases are named after Confederate General
Officers as these men were intelligent, accomplished, disciplined, exemplary
military men. This article stated that
these men “fought against America” but indeed they fought for the America they
and their neighbors believed the original framers created, one of individual
and state’s rights and a decentralized government power structure, against an
oppressive burdensome federal government which invaded their homeland using the
same U.S. Army in which they formerly served.
The article further stated that College spokeswoman Carol Kerr said, “Lee was
certainly not good for the nation. This is the guy we faced on the battlefield
whose entire purpose in life was to destroy the nation as it was then
conceived.” Actually it wasn’t conceived
in that framework. And as I have
hopefully demonstrated and as true history reveals, Lee faithfully served the
United States and the U.S. Army to the point he was actually offered command of
the Army by President Lincoln. Surely a
man worthy of continued respect and honor.
He elected to attempt to defend his home and his state of Virginia. He also went on to serve as President of
Washington and Lee College. Entire
purpose? This Ms. Kerr needs to perhaps
study some history herself but it is apparent in her tone and choice of words
that she desires to be an ignorant revisionist.
She is not a good representative of the U.S. Army War College. I believe an evaluation of the use of
taxpayer funds for such inventories and remodeling as is apparently in process
at Carlisle Barracks and frankly for paying the salary of such spokesmen may be
warranted.
Stuart Forrest Waldo,
Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Commander
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