New way of thinking

This summer I visited Washington, D.C. with a team of Social Studies teacher.  When we read a book on many famous people in United States history, you do not always get a feel for the real person.  For example, when I teach my students about the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse VA, I teach Lee surrender that ended the war.  In fact, Lee's army was trying to avoid any confrontation with Grant's army.  I could imagine the agony Lee went through when he made his decision to surrender.  He thought about his men, the nation, and effects of the war on his country.  So his decision did not come with anguish but much loss.  He lost his wife's beautiful estate in Arlington, Virginia and perhaps the respect of many citizens in the nation.  In my opinion, his decision, help to unite a country that had been torn by war.  Like Lincoln, I believed he wanted to "bind up the nation's wounds" "with malice toward none and charity toward all".