President Trump Presents American Civil War History Lesson

[David Lockmiller]

Donald Trump presented his ‘revisionist American Civil War history’ lesson to a political rally in Lebanon, Ohio on Friday, October 12, 2018. The Washington Post reported on this phenomena in its October 13, 2018 edition in a story titled “Trump calls on blacks to ‘honor’ Republicans with votes, then praises Confederate general Robert E. Lee.”

A video of his American history lesson accompanied the story. It’s well worth watching. President Trump corrected so many commonly-believed “fake facts” regarding the relationship between President Lincoln and General Grant and American Civil War history in general.

The Washington Post reporter wrote: President Trump praised the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee while asking African American voters to “honor us” by voting Republican at an Ohio rally that featured an unexpected and provocative monologue on America’s Civil War history.

Addressing an open-air rally of around 4,000 supporters, Trump appeared buoyant as he declared that Lee was a “true great fighter” and “great general.” He also said President Abraham Lincoln once had a “phobia” of the Southern general, whose support of slavery has made his legacy a heavily contested and divisive issue.

The provocative comments came during President Trump’s recitation of an anecdote about Ohio-born President Ulysses S. Grant’s alleged drinking problems. “So Robert E. Lee was a great general. And Abraham Lincoln developed a phobia. He couldn’t beat Robert E. Lee,” Trump said. “Robert E. Lee was winning battle after battle after battle.”

President Trump began his history lesson with these words: “I don’t know if you know this story.”

“Abraham Lincoln came home and he said ‘I can’t beat Robert E. Lee.’ And, he had all of these generals. They looked great. They were the top of their class at West Point. They were the greatest people. There was only one problem. They didn’t know how-to-hell to win. They didn’t know how to fight. They didn’t know how.

One day, it was looking really bad. And, Lincoln said: “You,” (with President Trump pointing his right hand index finger out to the audience.) [President Lincoln] hardly knew his name. And, they said “don’t take him; he has got a drinking problem. [Laughter from the audience] And, Lincoln said: “I don’t care what problem he has; you guys aren’t winning. And, his name was Grant . . . General Grant. [Extended cheers and applause from the audience.] And, he went in and knocked the hell out of everyone. . . . He’s finally being recognized as a great general.”

Apparently, according to President Trump, I was under the erroneous impression that Ulysses S. Grant had been elected President of the United States because long ago he had been recognized as a great general in the American Civil War.

And, as I recall American Civil War history, it was General McClellan who defeated General Lee at Antietam, Maryland in 1862 and it was this event that permitted President Lincoln to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. And, I believe that it was General Meade who commanded the Union forces that defeated General Lee’s forces at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the most important, pivotal battle of the American Civil War on July 1, 2, and 3 of 1863. Five months later, on November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made a short, famous speech at this same location – the Gettysburg Address. Both of these important battles took place before President Lincoln appointed Lieutenant General U. S. Grant in command of all Union armies.