Myths of the American Civil War It's Time to Put to Bed

20. Southern leaders were not punished for their treason after the war

Officially, the policy of the victorious United States was leniency. Robert E. Lee was not charged with violating his oath to defend the Constitution. During the Lost Cause, he became mythologized for his sense of honor, among other character traits. But he never regained the right to vote, and his Arlington home was confiscated. Jefferson Davis spent two years imprisoned, often in chains in Fortress Monroe, awaiting trial. Indicted for treason, he was never tried. In 1868 President Andrew Johnson granted him clemency as part of a general pardon to “every person who directly or indirectly participated in the late insurrection”. Davis opposed Reconstruction, including the presence of United States troops in the former Confederacy. He experienced financial difficulties, marital difficulties, and ridicule in the press, North and South. In his memoirs, Davis argued slavery was not a root cause of the war, blaming instead Northern aggression.

Confederate Vice-President Alexander Stephens was held prisoner until October 1865. In 1866 the newly established Georgia legislature elected Stephens to the United States Senate. That body refused to seat him. In 1873 he ran for the House of Representatives in Georgia and won. The House was more accommodating, and Stephens held his seat until 1882, when he became Governor of Georgia. One southerner did receive punishment for his actions against the United States. Henry Wirz, who commanded the infamous prisoner of war camp at Andersonville, Georgia, was tried and convicted of war crimes. He petitioned President Johnson for clemency, but Johnson never responded. Wirz was executed by hanging on November 10, 1865, having been found guilty of murder and conspiracy in the deaths of prisoners under his charge during the later months of the war.

Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:

“Myths & Misunderstandings: What Caused the Civil War”. John Coski, American Civil War Museum. July 24, 2017. Online

“How Did Slaves Support the Confederacy?” Article, Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Online

“Civil War Conscription Laws”. Margaret Wood, Law Library, Library of Congress. November 15, 2012

“Battle of Fort Sumter, April 1861”. Article, National Park Service. Online

“The Life of a Prisoner at Camp Sumter During the Civil War”. Article. History Collectio. Online

“West Virginia Statehood, June 20, 1863”. Article, National Archives. Online

“Lee’s Invasion of Pennsylvania”. Mackubin T. Owens, Ashbrook. July 1, 2007. Online

“James B. Eads”. Article, The Civil War in Missouri. Online

“The Myth of the Kindly General Lee”. Adam Serwer, The Atlantic. June 4, 2017

“Did Ulysses S. Grant Really Have a Drinking Problem?” Stephen Bitsoli, History is Now Magazine. April 3, 2017

“Honest Abe Wasn’t Honest About Drinking: Lincoln’s Alcohol-Fueled Diplomacy”. Noah Rothbaum, The Daily Beast. November 6, 2017