[wideminded]

I visited Richmond with my son a couple of years ago. While I have never been a sympathizer with the Confederate cause, I had to admit that the Museum of the Confederacy was one of the finest museums I have been to, in terms of the consistent interest of all its exhibits. The shocking thing though was that for some reason the museum and the adjoining Confederate White House had deeded some surrounding land that they owned to a local university hospital. The hospital then put up a multi-story building that towers over the back of the museum and Jefferson Davis's house. The effect is that these historic buildings are surrounded by this hospital complex, as in The Little House in the Big City. It is totally un-aesthetic and ruins the historic context of the location. I was discussing this with the tour guide in the Confederate White House. She said she thought it was pretty sad. Although I have always considered myself 100% northerner, I had to agree with her.

[Grand Old Partisan]

The museum displays Jefferson Davis' shackles, but neglects to mention that the man who imprisoned him so was not the Republican, Abraham Lincoln, but the Democrat, Andrew Johnson.