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Author Topic: The Man who began and ended the Civil War  (Read 5099 times)

Offline Coop Trawlaine

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The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« on: November 25, 2005, 08:19:06 PM »
This is a bit of trivia that is little known.

A man by the name of Wilmer McLean was a business man and southern sympathizer who was very vocal in his support of the southern cause.  Being a wealthy man he had built a beautiful home near Manassas, Virginia that he was very proud of.  Oddly enough that was the sight of the first major battle of the Civil War, Manassas.  Confederate General Beauregard commandeered this man's home as his headquarters.  

The house was hit many times by Union artillery fire and the damage was extensive and what was not destroyed by cannon shot was left in ruins by members of the Confederate Army, they looted just about everything they could get their hands on, not to mention the constant trampling of soldiers coming and going during the battle with orders from and messages to General Beauregard.

After the battle of Manassas Wilmer was determined to get away to some place safe and as far from any potential battle site as he humanly could.

He was relatively safe and so was his new property from the ravages of the war until early April of 1865.  This time Union General U.S. Grant commandeered his new home at Appomattox Court House for the Union Headquarters.  It was at Wilmer McLean's home that Lee surrendered to Grant and at this ending of the War between the States, the remaining Union troops once again looted poor Wilmer's possessions.

But he did have his moments of fame, The War began and ended at his home.
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Coop Trawlaine SASS #63617, SCORRS, WartHog, SUDDS #188, IPSAC #47
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Offline Forty Rod

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2005, 08:38:03 PM »
Coop, this don't belong in Tall tales...this is fact.

I first heard it in about in about 1957 or '58 in a high school American history class.
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Offline Coop Trawlaine

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2005, 08:56:18 PM »
Oops!  Sorry, I knew it was fact, just didn't realize that this was restricted to fiction...my error.

Thanks Rod
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Coop Trawlaine SASS #63617, SCORRS, WartHog, SUDDS #188, IPSAC #47
Aka: Walt Lange
"Trawlaine" ISBN 1-4137-7738-4
"Trawlaine's Land" ISBN -09479379-0-8
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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #3 on: Today at 04:15:36 AM »
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Offline Four-Eyed Buck

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2005, 10:07:00 PM »
Shoulda went in the History section, Coop, but it is a fact. He just couldn't get away from the war.........Buck 8) ::) ;)
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Offline Delmonico

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2005, 10:11:33 AM »
Leave it here long enough and it could turn into one.   ;D ;D

We're OK any way our "mean"  ;D moderator won't be back till Monday. ::)  I have a couple books on oddies of the Civil War.  Lots of interestin' little bits.
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Offline Cherokee Jem

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2005, 10:18:31 AM »
Darn, wish id known that before!!! I love the Civil War history! Go cavalry...
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Offline Joyce (AnnieLee)

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2005, 02:45:47 PM »
That's pretty derned cool. I didn't know it, thanks, Coop! Was McLean, Virginia named after him?

AnnieLee
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Offline Lucky Irish Tom

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2005, 02:51:07 PM »
If it was Annie we better keep tha yankees out of it! ;D
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Offline Coop Trawlaine

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2005, 03:14:34 PM »
Annie, I really don't know, this was just a tidbit of trivia that I came across during some research for one of my upcoming books.
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Coop Trawlaine SASS #63617, SCORRS, WartHog, SUDDS #188, IPSAC #47
Aka: Walt Lange
"Trawlaine" ISBN 1-4137-7738-4
"Trawlaine's Land" ISBN -09479379-0-8
Western Writers of America
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www.waltlange.com

Offline LazyK Pejay

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Re: The Man who began and ended the Civil War
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2005, 02:15:02 PM »
It was the opening scene in "Ken Burn's Civil War."

LazyK Pejay
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