The historical site chosen was the
Museum of the Confederacy in Appomattox, Virginia. This museum deals with
American Civil War era artifacts and topics.
However, the museum focuses primarily on the different aspects of the
home front during the Civil War and on the Confederate side and the life of a
confederate soldier. Characteristics
such as the life styles of both the soldiers and the families they left behind
during the war. Another important aspect
about the museum was that it commemorated was General Robert E. Lee of the
Confederacy and the Battle at the Appomattox Courthouse.
As for what I learned at the Museum
of the Confederacy, there was so much to learn there it would take more than
one trip to the museum and multiple tours through the galleries inside. Some of the most important things that I
learned there were about the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. I learned that Lee’s sword and the uniform
that he wore when surrendered at the Appomattox Courthouse were never used in
battle. The sword, which is on display, was made in France out of ivory, gold,
and steel. As for the Lee’s uniform, it too was on display along with his
riding gloves and the pen he used to sign the surrender to Ulysses Grant, Lee
only wore that uniform once in his life and that was when he sign the surrender
to Grant. The museum also had Lee’s
“death mask”, this was a plaster mold of Lee’s head created when he died. The
death mask was common in his day since it was considered inappropriate to take
a photograph of someone who was dead if they were famous or important. The mask
was the last likeness of Robert Lee.
Another interesting fact that had I
learned was about a type of food Civil War soldiers had called hard tack. This
food was made out of flour, salt, and water cooked extremely hot. The reason
for this was so when the hard tack cooled it would become rock hard and not
spoil. The only way to make it edible was to soak in something like soup or a
stew.
As for why the Museum of the Confederacy
is important, it not only commemorates the Battle of Appomattox and Robert E.
Lee. The museum also shows what life was
like for both soldiers and the families they left behind when they
enlisted. For the soldiers it was
everything from their weapons and uniforms to what they did to keep themselves
occupied and fed. As for the home front, it was how hard life was for people
during the war from trying to feed themselves to trying to take care of the
family farm. The museum also has an original cabin from the Civil War time
period to help show what life was like for people during the war.
The Museum of the Confederacy does an
excellent job at both interpreting and presenting the life on the home front
and a soldier’s life in ways that were both interesting and unbiased. For
example, the museum did not pick a side between the Union and the Confederacy
over who was morally or politically correct, nor ridicule the other side. While
the museum did focus on the Confederacy, it was not in a negative or positive
way. The museum simply presented the
historical facts of what occurred at Appomattox, VA during the spring of 1865. Specifically the events leading up to and
concluding with the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia by General
Robert E. Lee. The gallery does display
people and events of those relevant to the time that were not Confederate
soldiers. Such as Union soldiers and
leaders, southern families dealing with the effects of the war and enslaved
Africans during the war and immediately afterwards.
