Free Republic

On May 23 and 24, 1865, before the soldiers were mustered out of the Union Army, a Grand Review of the Armies was held in Washington, D.C., to honor the victorious troops. President Andrew Johnson also hoped to elevate the mood of a city that was devastated by the loss of President Abraham Lincoln. Over two hundred thousand soldiers marched from the Capitol to the White House before the largest crowds ever seen in that city. In a letter to Anna, Edwards estimated the number of spectators to be around fifty thousand. [SNIP] On the second day, General William T....

This is a "headsup" for reviews of interviews on selected Civil-era War books on BookTV this weekend. (links to summaries of presentations will be posted in post 2). The "Generals In Bronze" segment is a rebroadcast. I saw an earlier airing. It is about a sculptor that got many Union Army generals to "dish" wartime details they'd never disclose to the public. If a more sensational editor had produced the book, it could easily be subtitled "Union General Confidential". I haven't seen the other two presentations, so I can't speak about the books or authors.

AN ORIGINAL handwritten copy of the Bill of Rights, a key part of America’s original Constitution that a Union Army soldier stole from the Government of North Carolina in 1865, has been recovered. A dealer seeking to sell the valuable vellum manuscript, one of only 14 copies commissioned by George Washington, gave it to an FBI agent who was posing as a wealthy philanthropist. A judge will now decide who owns the Bill of Rights and whether those who tried to sell it committed a crime. No arrests have been made. The document is unique and forms an essential part...