General Robert E Lee (God bless and rest his noble and honorable soul) was a Virginia patriot in that he was conservative enough to know his commonwealth, one of “these” and not “the” United States was his “first” call to loyalty—and the alliance of the sovereign states his second much as the patriots of the First War for American Independence felt.
Those born on Southern soil who fought for the murdering, raping,looting and burning savages who laid waste the land that enabled their very existence were the bastard fathers of the bastard scalawags who were the treacherous running dogs of the avarice infested and hate infected Satan spawned carpetbaggers. I piss on their legacy and consider their progeny cursed--but in a nice way:).
You must first remember that no -- zero, zip, nada -- Southern soldiers were killed by any Union forces until after the Confederacy formally declared war on the United States, on May 6, 1861.
Nor did Upper-South voters in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia ratify secession until after the Confederacy was officially at war with the United States.
So voters of those states knew they were going to war when they voted to secede and join the Confederacy.
War was their choice.
And large numbers voted against secession and war in those Upper-South states, most for reasons entirely related to their views on slavery -- they were anti-slavery and pro-Union.
So over 100,000 of those young (white) men served in the Union army -- a force as large as any that served at one time in Robert E. Lee's army.
In addition, over 200,000 men from border states of Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri served the Union, along with 150,000 Southern blacks.
Of all the people who served in the Civil War, those Southern-Union troops and their families doubtless suffered more than any others.
Again, my reference from post #21 is: William W. Freehling, The South Vs. The South : How Anti-Confederate Southerners Shaped the Course of the Civil War
So, what, Bob was crossing his fingers when he swore allegiance to the United States? So it just didn't count? At any point in his military career, even in wartime, if his state government had whistled, he'd follow them, whatever the cost to the country he had taken an oath to protect and defend? I guess the country slept well at night knowing that its borders were protected or its military academy headed by someone who felt no lasting loyalty to his country.
Did the patriots of the Revolutionary era put their states above the country? Consider Washington's Farewell Address:
For this you have every inducement of sympathy and interest. Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.
Lee's own father, a Revolutionary War hero, most assuredly didn't put state above country. As a reviewer of a biography of "Lighthorse Harry" Lee wrote, there was "no more ardent nationalist than Henry Lee, whose opinions on government and union grew out of his experiences as a soldier."
Those born on Southern soil who fought for the murdering, raping,looting and burning savages who laid waste the land that enabled their very existence were the bastard fathers of the bastard scalawags who were the treacherous running dogs of the avarice infested and hate infected Satan spawned carpetbaggers. I piss on their legacy and consider their progeny cursed--but in a nice way:).
So that's what your alias refers to. Happy Rain indeed.
If you really feel that way, you are beneath contempt.