Letters to the Editor

To the Editor: I have just received your October 2006 edition and find it lacking in balance as usual. Your book review section always contains slams at the South and southern history. Attention is especially called to the review of The Myth of Nathan Bedford Forrest. First of all the very title of the book is in a way scurrilous enough, but then your reviewer goes far beyond in suggesting there is a great debate as to whether any celebration of the Confederacy is appropriate. Let me tell you, we in the Confederate community will decide what is appropriate regarding our history and heritage. General Forrest was one of the most significant figures and yes heroes of the War for Southern Independence. No denigration of the man will ever diminish his status in history. By the way, the claptrap about a massacre at Fort Pillow is utter nonsense . All of Lincoln’s war could be so categorized, but it is a false charge against Forrest to say that he conducted a massacre when in fact he took numerous black prisoners at the fort. It seems to me that The Alabama Review should say good things about our state and the South. LEONARD WILSON Commander, Alabama Division Sons of Confederate Veterans To the Editor: I appreciate The Alabama Review giving me the opportunity to respond to Mr. Wilson’s letter. Let me start off by saying that I have no control over the title of the books I am asked to review. One would have to contact the authors for their reasoning in the naming the volume. However, The Myth of Nathan Bedford Forrest is an apt title since the book is a history not of Forrest himself but of the legends, myths, and popular images of the man over the years. Letters to the Editor T H E A L A B A M A R E V I E W 160 As for Confederate memorialization and celebration, a close reading of my actual words and the book in question will reveal that I am not suggesting that the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, or any southern heritage group cannot or should not celebrate the Confederate past. I am instead pointing out the obvious truth that there is a regional and indeed nationwide debate concerning the appropriateness of such celebrations. Mr. Wilson has surely noticed that all across the South there are challenges to the display of Confederate battle flags, Confederate holidays, and Confederate monuments . I agree with him that southern heritage groups have the right to advocate their position on how the Confederacy is to be remembered. However, other groups such as the NAACP have an equal right to advocate their position as well. Finally, in regard to the Fort Pillow affair, a careful examination of the facts leads virtually every scholar of the Civil War to the obvious conclusion that, although Forrest may not have ordered his men to refuse to take black prisoners, many of them did indeed execute black soldiers attempting to surrender. To say otherwise is to ignore the huge body of evidence which is available to anyone interested enough to sift through it. In conclusion, I would like to add that I applaud Mr. Wilson for his love of the South. I, too, am a southerner, and I am very proud of my region and sensitive to unfair portrayals often found in the media. However, I am open to honest and constructive criticism of my home, its past, and the Confederacy’s place in that past, especially if it aids in a better understanding of our history. John D. Fowler Kennesaw State University Editorial note: Except for corrections of spelling and other purely formal matters, letters to the editor are printed as received. ...