After the death- a reflection

April 30, 2015  Morning minyan GJC
A Talk about the Torah portion Aharet Mot/ After the death from the book of Leviticus

Some of you heard my talk before Pesach about the Union soldiers who cobbled together a seder from very bitter herbs, a brick (to symbolize the charoset) and a lot of wine. The very next week I went on an amazing road trip to commemorate the 150^th anniversary following the trail of the final week of the Civil War. This ended in a very moving 4 days at Appomattox and then on to Washington DC for a commemorative program at Ford’s Theater.

When I realized that the parsha./Torah portion this week was Aharet Mot/Kedoshim-I wanted to follow up that talk as this is the 150^th anniversary of the weeks when Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled from Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and beyond.

The train arrived in Philadelphia  on April 22, 1865 and the next morning nearly 500,000 people waited in lines for 19 hours at Independence Hall to pass by the casket. In small towns along its 1400 mile journey, crowds in cities and lone people stood on the side of the road just to catch a glimpse of the 'precious cargo' and stand in silent sorrow. It reached its destination in Springfield Illinois, on May 3.

Aharet Mot refers back to the aftermath of Aaron and his sons inauguration as kohanim (priests) which turned from a most triumphant day only to be dashed by the death of his sons. 

Aharet Mot seems to me to also mirror the most triumphant 4 days of Abraham Lincoln’s life: the final surrender of  Lee to Grant followed by the surrendering of the confederate arms on April 12. 

But just two days later on April 14, Lincoln, in a buoyant mood, surrounded by a national capital in celebration, rode his carriage to Ford’s theater for an evening of much needed entertainment.

Joy only to be dashed by his assassination and ultimate death at 7:22 the next morning.

Aharon’s response was silent sorrow.

So, I invite us to hold a moment of silence in remembrance of that awful time 150 years ago.

Let me finish with this from Lincoln‘s second inaugura which rings true today:

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

A Final Dinner tribute to Lincoln

A long trip to Washington DC takes me through beautiful farm country of Virginia where I pass once again through the Wilderness, that area of burning fires and ultimate slaughter at Cold Harbor and the death of Stonewall Jackson. But it also includes the mighty James River and large swatches of green and blossoms and empty roads that never seem to end.

They end in time for me to arrive in Washington DC so that I can attend the events that now commemorate that horrible evening of April 14, 1865.

The city during the days after the surrender was jubilant. The evenings  full of fireworks. All in the city turned on their lights to illuminate the feelings of relief and joy.

Vigil outside Ford's Theater

Abraham and Mary Lincoln decided to go to the theater, Ford's Theater for an evening of entertainment.  That is where my brother and I are going to go for a special 9:00 pm performance, for an evening of memory..

While I was in Appomattox, I heard about a vigil in front of the theater and tickets for a tour. Marc has managed to get tickets not just to the tour, but has found tickets for inside the theater.

We make an evening of it. First, of course we have to eat dinner. What better place than Chinese- but not just any Chinese restaurant. Noooo, we go to the restaurant that is on the first floor of the boarding house that belonged to Mary Surrat. There with John Wilkes Booth, ninth of ten children born to the famous, eccentric, and hard-drinking actor, Junius Booth they met to conspire with Lewis Powell, David Herold, Michael O'Lauglin, John Surratt, Edman Spangler, Samuel Arnold, George Atzerodt.
 
We arrived rather early, assuming there would be a crowd, so were surprised that it was rather empty. On the outside is a plaque commemorating the location, though most people don't seem to notice it or stop to read.

We ordered and soon enough,  3 men sat next to us. "Are you hear because..."  "Of course." They told us how they couldn't get tickets to the show at the theater because they hadn't become $1000 members of  Ford's Theater. I think both of us were internally smiling, knowing that we had gotten tickets. But best not to boast!

 As the restaurant slowly filled we chatted with young and old. The response was the same

"Of course!"

Letter to Ulysses S. Grant

U.S. Grant was scheduled to go to Ford's Theater on April 14 with Lincoln, but declined to go.

Isaac F. Quinby Rochester NY  to USG April 17
While the whole people are plunged in the deepest grief at the death of our wise and most excellent President there is mingled with it a feeling of thankfulness that you, for whom the same blow was intended, so providentially escaped. If our hopes of the recovery of Secretary Seward are also realized, the Nation will soon arouse itself from its almost stupor of grief, and forebodings of other calamities to follow in the train of this will give place to confidence in the ability of those at the head of our affairs to bring about the peace and National prosperity which seemed so well assured before this sad event. The people hope not less from you in the future than you have accomplished for them in the past, and I speak therefore not in the name of personal friendship alone, but in that the Nation, when I ask you to take all wise precautions to guard against the assassins who may be watching their opportunity to strike at your life. With the most earnest wishes that your life may be spared to your family and to the Nation...

The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant edited by John Y. Simon Vol 14

Me and Judy Collins

After an extraordinary 10 days on the road, I was able to spend the evening of April 14, 2015 in Washington DC Among the many reasons to remember that night one is documented in this picture that Marc managed to get for me.

We were attending the events at Ford's theater in honor of the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's fateful night out after  a joyous day when the city had celebrated the end of the war.

Among the singers for a star studded evening was, gasp, Judy Collins. When I was a teenager, Robin, Sally and I would always see her during her yearly visit to the outdoor stage in Columbia Maryland. Every year.

And even now, her voice is just as crystal clear and simple and beautiful. She sang Amazing Grace, then invited us to sing with her. Not a dry eye.

Outside, I happened to be standing in the back of the crowd when we saw the handlers  bringing her around right next to me. I told her that she was wonderful and that she had always been wonderful. Then Marc snapped this picture. My face is slightly visible to the right. I broke into tears.

Hannah Reynolds April 13, 1865

My name is Hannah Reynolds
I live here in Virginia
I cook and keep the house clean
I am a slave

My master Doctor Coleman
Lives west of Appomattox
He treats me well and kindly
I am his slave

     And the war came to the east
     from Mannasas to Petersburg
     And they sent their boys to die
     600,000 and more we heard
     While we lived a peaceful life


My name is Hannah Reynolds
My husband he lives with me
I clean he does the hard work
We are both slaves

My master Dr. Coleman
Heard the guns firing
He left with his wife and daughter
But not with his slaves

      And the war came to our town
      At night they fought with bayonets and horses
      At dawn on the ridge across the field
      The soldiers fired cannons
      On that final surrender day

      And the war came to our house
      Men running round with shouts and commands
      The shot went through the door
      It hit me and I faltered
      there as I lay

My name is Hannah Reynolds
The soldiers could not heal me
Doctors treated me so kindly
Was I still a slave?

My name is Hannah Reynolds
I lived near Appomattox
Three days upon this earth
I was no slave

To those I met along the way in mourning

Remembrance Day Gettysburg Nov 2014

Manassass

Gettysburg

Appomattox surrender

Farmville VA

People I met along the way in joy

Gettysburg

Ft. McHenry Baltimore

Meade and Lee

Raising the flag

200th Anniversary 

Star Spangled Banner Celebration

 Sept 2014

 April 7 2015

Antietam                                                             Battle of High Bridges

Pennypacker June 2015

Pennypacker Park June 2014

Bob Pifflin, educator, John

Bob Pifflen, educator and John High Bridges Va April 7 2015

High Bridges April 7, 2015

Realtimers under the bridge                                                                  

Appomattox Va April 8, 2015

With 

General Chamberlain

Appomattox Va April 8 2015

(Private)
John Griffiths

General Grant's great great grandson (son of daughter of Grant's son )

Sharp Top Peaks of Otter VA 3500 ft
April 11, 2015

Climbed to the top of Sharp Top mountain with old friend
David Scheim, west of Lynchburg

Mike and Lorane Brown
from Alabama, April 8-12, 2015
April 12 after Stacking of the Arms

Appomattox VA April 12, 2015

Appomattox McLean House April 9, n2015

                                                   General Grant aka Curt Fields 

Photographers 1865, 2015 

Museum of the Confederacy Appomattox April 10, 2015

Mclean House Appomattox NPS photographer, April 9, 2015
Lee meets with Grant

Sailors Creek Union camp April 7 2015

Met Albert and Jacob while lost on the trail at Sailors Creek Battlefield Park

 Chamberlain's assistant

April 7-12 2015

A special shout out to Phil 

from Arkansas

General Grant 

photo bombing 

General Lee

Officers encampment Appomattox April 12, 2015

     

         

Artifacts of the war

Do you want to see bones of soldiers who died in the Civil War? Or medical instruments used to amputate gangrenous limbs? Or the logs of surgeons and doctors that show the seasonal incidences of the diseases that killed over 400,000 men during the war, twice as many as the 200,000 who died on the battlefield?

No?

How about THE bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln?




Or the cuffs of the surgeon who held him while he died?

It's all at the National Museum of Medicine in Silver Spring Maryland. On display now.

The final Stacking of the Arms

Throughout Appomattox park starting last Friday, many reenactments of the final stacking of the arms were scheduled. This brings me full circle to the reason I spent the last year of my life in this pursuit. It was the story of this event that sounded so poignant
in the telling that I had to, was compelled to see in person.

On April 12, 1865 General Chamberlain walked down the road in dress uniform followed by the military band in full colors. Flags flying, the sound of Battle Cry of Freedom filled the air. The Union troops followed, soon to line up on either side of the road.



In 1865, some 20,000 Confederate soldiers marched on the Stage (coach) Road with rifles, bayonets, musical instruments, ammunition belts. What was extraordinary was that the Union soldiers  saluted as this bedraggled depleted army marched in front of them. And as the Confederates took off their belts and stacked the guns and regimental colors in the center of the road, the Union soldiers stood at  attention in silence. A band played Battle Cry of Freedom, Dixie, and a variety of hymns that would have been familiar and brought some solace to both sides.

So it was on this day 150  years later that about 50 people stood among the 200 or so Union soldiers and watched as the 100 Confederate troops passed by with many civilians among them as well.  As they stacked their arms, one of the civilians was handed the regimental flag, carrying it down the line for all to touch.  I could not imagine his feelings, but saw him hold back tears even as mine were flowing.

What were the tears about? Reaching a personal goal?  Being part of the Union cause?  Stepping into this military guise to experience the pain and sorrow and even pride? Acknowledging the deep felt devotion on either side and wondering if the war is really over even today?


Believe me, when it was over, those of us who had spent the week there could not leave each other or this park that was the most significant battlefield at the end of a long a brutal war. 

Ode to Appomattox

A simple village
With simple lives as you may know
Here in Virginia we've lived since my great grandfather was a boy
And now they've come the blue and gray to battle one last time
Here on the peaceful roads of Appomattox
Here on the fields of Appomattox

The blades of grass here
Are as green as in the north
The trees bloom in spring
As they do for you
So when you march here
Remember that our children play like yours
Here on the roads of Appomattox
Here on the fields of Appomattox

We didn't vote for Lincoln
Not a one in this county
We sent our boys to war
To defend our homes and quiet life
We have lawyers, shops and sheriffs
The county clerk lives  down the road
Just down this road in Appomattox
Just by the fields of Appomattox

Send them home in peace
Let us live now as we did
Before these men decided we should hate
And go to war

Send them back to where they came from
From the farms and cities near and far
Send them far from these roads of Appomattox

You fought on this road
You fought over this road
Lee was surrounded on this road
This old road brought em here
And this old road will take them on the first leg of their journey home
This old road of Appomattox
This old road of Appomattox

To cheer or to cry

The final terms of the surrender between two generals

The final battle

County Court House now the visitors center

The morning of April 9, 1865 the fog settled into the fields of Appomattox Court House. The 100 residents  had been waiting for the railroad boon to come their way, but the rolling landscape did not make for the best place to lay track, so it had been run south of them. Their claim on the economy was simply as the county seat. Mr. Peers, the county clerk lived to the east, the Clover Hill tavern lay to to the north and the Mclean House to the west of the Central Courthouse.

It was a simple village that had not seen any of the war come to their front yards for the 4 devastating years. But the previous night, they could hear the cannon and gunfire 3 miles away as the armies fought at Appomattox Station.  Another part of Lee's army was also now stationed to the east of their town. His desperate aim: to break through the Union cavalry to join up with Johnston in North Carolina.

And so, what was to be the final real battle of this war, the battle of Appomattox Court House, began around 7:30 am.

On the ridge to the west was Custer's cavalry, the the east Lee's artillery and infantry.  Lee's men were charged to attack with all their might which drove back the horses for a time. What Lee did not know was that Grant's army had now arrived after marching without stopping from all directions, surrounding any escape route. The 70,000 men of the Army of the Potomac, the Army of the Shenandoah, and now from the south the great Army of the James were about to stage their final blow to the 22,000 men of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Back and forth they fought and on this day 150 years later, the fog settled in again after a ferocious early morning  thunderstorm that left the old stagecoach road muddy. But to the 100 or so of us who arrived to watch, did not mind the mud or the fog knowing this added to our witnessing of history.

The reenactment lasted two and a half hours until the final and inevitable end.

A rider arrives with the truce flag