May 12, 2011

Lee's sword returning to Appomattox



(RTD) It's an enduring myth of the Civil War: Robert E. Lee surrendered his sword to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, and his Union counterpart refused the traditional gesture of surrender.
"Lee never offered it, and Grant never asked for it," said Patrick Schroeder, historian at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park.
In a historical twist, though, Lee's French-made ceremonial sword is returning to Appomattox 146 years later, leaving the Richmond museum where it has been displayed for nearly a century. Continued



Photo: Lee and his generals / W. B. Matthews, pr., Washington, D.C. circa 1907 (Library of Congress).


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