Lee and Grant

Our local Power Museum is working hand in hand with Missouri Humanities Council to bring a special Smithsonian Exhibit to our town. The traveling Lee and Grant exhibit opened this past week, and it is drawing a nice crowd. Many events are planned during the month or so stay. It is timely that Carthage, site of a first Civil War battle, should have this exhibit and during the Civil War Sesquicentennial year.

I made a fast sashay through and hope to go back again and to attend some of the special programming. One of the most unique things on display is the Lee Bible which he carried during the war. The fork and spoon that Grant used in the field was also interesting to me.

                                  Grant's fork and spoon used in the field.

DH’s grandmother was born in Georgia, reared in Arkansas, and always spoke of it as the War Between the States. We have visited  battlefields of defeat and victory for one side or the other, and we have visited the Grant home in Illinois where he lived after the war. We have respect for the intelligence and moral stands of both Lee and Grant.We also have visited the Jefferson Davis home in Biloxi (before Katrina) and found a soft spot in our hearts for that man.  While we know that men in Blue acted in devilish ways same as those in Gray, we can not help but feel the right side won because keeping our nation unified was a great achievement.

                                   Lee's Bible carried throughout the Civil War.