In a message dated 10/15/99 12:14:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] 
writes:

<< As you can see there are a million angles to this discussion, none are 
 winners. How about it if we just give it up and move on. 
Linda>>

Linda & Gerald,

The Civil War has a lingering fascination with much of America and genealogy 
takes us back to those days. Discussing the moods and motivations of those 
times is not wasted effort and if it is offensive to anyone, deleting the 
email is the quick solution.  Your specific history probably generates a 
fascinating interest for discovery within you. Discovery is my goal.

I am amazed at the number of people who want to terminate discussion of the 
Civil War. I make the assumption that they have a vision of history that is 
shaken somewhat with alternative interpretations and they are uncomfortable 
with the possibility that 140 years of official history may have a couple of 
soft spots.  Discussing the history that our ancestors lived EVERY DAY is 
fairly healthy, but the subject line of each message telegraphs what is 
discussed in the message. Deleting messages is very easy. I delete more than 
I read because the subject line tells me what is inside.

Discussing the Civil War is an exercise in blending dry straight/dry 
genealogy (names, dates, places) with history, because each of those 
names/dates/places had a part in history and experienced the events of their 
times in different ways. I would love to travel back in time and observe how 
my ancestors played their roles in the events of history. That is why I am 
who I am... Their character was a product of all family history before them, 
as modified by the events of their day.  My character is a product of all 
family history before me as modified by the events that I experience in my 
life.

History is good, and I have learned more about American History in the last 
two years (by vicariously living in those times through my imagination of how 
the events of history affected my ancestors) than through studying history in 
school. My interest is renewed and is very intense because it is MY history. 
I never viewed history in those terms before.

So, debating and discussing the Civil War is very important to my study of my 
genealogy.  Reaching closure is not my objective. The never-ending discovery 
of knowledge of historical attitudes is my goal.  I hope that each of you 
sees it in that same way or at least can start to do so, or at least forgive 
my (and many of my online friends') overly eager willingness to keep the 
discussion alive. 

Very respectfully submitted,

George B. Williams
Manassas, Virginia
With roots all over South Carolina
Researching KERBO/KIRBO/CURBO in Edgefield
and Chapman/Foster/Wingo in Spartanburg and COSPER
in Charles Town

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