monuments and memories

April 9th, 1865. The last major battle of the Civil War. Where was it fought? By whom? On that day on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, several brigades of Union soldiers overwhelmed the Confederate defenders of Fort Blakeley. Among the people who fought were over five thousand volunteers who had been slaves until January 1st 1863. Now free they choose to fight for the freedom of others. People they would never know. 

I wonder what they would have made of the early twentieth-century Americans who erected monuments to their opponents. And the early twenty-first century Americans who insist on holding on to those monuments as their legacy. When in actuality the efforts of those soldiers of African descent, and their comrades, have passed on to us something much more precious. What have we chosen to do with their legacy?

Although this, “the last major battle of the Civil War,” largely fought on the Union side by emancipated slaves, was concluded the same day Grant accepted Lee’s surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, I do not recall a comparable commemorative stamp in the series printed from 2011 to 2015 nor one in Black History Month collections.

Recently The New Yorker has published articles on siblings sorting through memories of their mother, and a husband and wife sorting through their extraneous possessions, the latter in lieu of leaving the task to their heirs. Instead that couple chose to make an intentional and living legacy. Seems like a good model to emulate. 

But the orderly and thoughtful disposition of their worldly goods probably grew not out of a momentary decision - inspired by Marie Kondo and “The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning” - but a lifelong development of patterns of behavior.

Monks, it is said, practice coming to terms with their death, early in their vocational careers. Perhaps, it is further said, all of us should. 

My guess is that holding on to memories, or possessions, comes harder for some than others. This in part because possessions are tied to memories, and memories to emotions. It is hard to let go of either. And it is partly practice.

• Fort Blakeley, April 9th 1865 

The 2nd Brigade, including the 47th US Colored Troops, originally the 8th Louisiana regiment of volunteers of African descent, was commanded by Col. Hiram B. Scofield, a volunteer soldier himself, who originally enlisted with the 2nd Iowa. Here is a link to his report of the battle. (http://lestweforget.hamptonu.edu/page.cfm?uuid=9FEC3609-D984-38F8-26B056ECC48B3BAF) 

SOURCE: United States War Department. THE WAR OF THE REBELLION: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.

“The Battle of Fort Blakeley was the largest Civil War battle fought in Alabama and one of the last of the entire war. Fought on April 9, 1865 after a siege of more than a week on the very day Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox, the battle resulted in a Union victory which paved the way for the capture of the city of Mobile by Federal forces. Approximately 20,000 men fought in the combined-forces affair, including one of the largest contingents of African-American troops assembled for any battle during the Civil War.” (https://www.blakeleypark.com/About-Us)(http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3718)