Thanks for your comments. I’ll have to re-look at van Buren and D’souza’s contentions about him vs. timelines.
Have always been wanting to look into the McClellan vs. Lincoln election, and just who were the “peace” democrats in the North who were a consideration of getting the Union to accept the Secession and leave the South alone (coupled with a demonstrable military victory—which didn’t happen at Gettysburg- even though the numbers lost on both sides were very large. The South could not make up the manpower).
Yes, it was MacArthur, junior officers also there were Eisenhower and George Patton. Long passed kin left a framed political cartoon about how FDR continued to ignore the Bonus Marchers demands, as Hoover did. A really bad episode in US history. The same kin began the first ever Veteran’s Affairs office, which FDR tried to copy and create himself, and get the man to come work for him. In polite Southern terms he told him, to his face, “absolutely not, not with your hatred of the surviving veterans”-having the inside track on FDR’s own intentions to get the Southern vote.
Pelham is one of the figures whom I consider a tragic loss. Very bright, with a promising military career had the war not broken out- a brilliant artilleryman who was enormously brave. Doubly tragic for being so young-7 years after he entered West Point. Along with Pettigrew, and Patrick Cleburne. His Brady ambrotype picture is so haunting— one can see the leadership and toughness. Friend’s g-g-g uncle served with Pelham right through to Kelly’s Ford. And with Stuart all the way to Yellow Tavern and then on to Appomattox (quite a diary he kept, and all 5 of the g-g-g-uncles were in cavalry 2 with Stuart and 3 with Hampton-and they all survived amazingly.
One of my ancestors was at Fredericksburg but I don’t know if he was able to watch the show that Pelham was putting on. Ancestor was behind the sunken road at Marye’s Heights. He’d be at the same spot again at the 2nd battle, where he was captured.
Here’s what may be a picture of some of his brigade:
https://13thmississippi.com/2013/09/02/barksdales-brigade-at-fredericksburg/
https://npsfrsp.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/confederates-on-railroad-bridge-nara.jpg
Sorry to intrude, but the mention of D'Souza--whom I really have not followed--making contentions about van Buren, reminded me of the Novel fragment written by Virginia's Judge Tucker, about 1836, which both predicted the coming war--although pictured in 1849, and skewered van Buren, pictured as having won a fourth term in 1848.
The point of my butting in, however, really goes to the very interesting reflection of Virginian attitudes in the 1830s. If interested: The Partisan Leader.
There are scenes in the novel, which offer a very different picture of pre-war life in the Old Dominion, than some have tried to rewrite into a make believe smear narrative.
