Appomattox: A place of peace

For months, like many of you, I've been reading about the approach of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Folks, it's here.

I have been fascinated with the discussion about the war's legacy, why it happened, what we can learn from it.

At times, I am overwhelmed by it all.

That's when I let my mind wander to a quaint village in southwestern Virginia -- Appomattox Court House.

On April 9, 1865, (146 years ago today), Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia. Other units would follow suit in the following weeks.

The blood-letting was over.

Years ago, our family made a stop on the way to Washington, D.C. My kids loved the place -- it was that relaxing and peaceful.

Tomorrow, I head to Charleston, S.C., where the war started, to blog from Fort Moultrie, the Battery and other sites. Look for reports Monday into Wednesday.

I hope the next four years bring fruitful dialogue on the war. Calm, reasoned discussion and the realization that what we have in common is far greater than our differences.

150 years of Civil War re-enacting

Before the Civil War ended, reenactments began. Soldiers, freshly home from combat, recreated battle scenes to educate townspeople and honor fallen comrades. For Gettysburg's 50th anniversary in 1913, more than 50,000 Confederate and Union veterans returned to Pennsylvania. • Article

Redford's 'Conspirator' opens next week

Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator” (opening across America on Friday, April 15 — the 146th anniversary of Lincoln’s death), looks at the immediate aftermath of America’s first presidential assassination. The story explores the military tribunal that tried and convicted four people accused of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to murder Lincoln. In a Salt Lake Tribune interview, Redford talked about “The Conspirator,” the political parallels between the 1860s and today, and “what story sits underneath the story we think we know.” • Article

Yes, there is a Robert E. Lee V

Two of every three Americans have an ancestor who lived through the Civil War. It helps explain why so many people — re-enactors, treasure hunters, genealogists, collectors, hobbyists, preservationists, tourists, battlefield rats — feel so connected to a war that began 150 years ago. • Article

Worry in Charleston over possible shutdown

A looming government shutdown is threatening to close the gates to Fort Sumter, meaning the touchstone of the 150th anniversary of the first shots of the Civil War could be dark next week for long-planned activities. • Article