. >> author phillip greenwalt talks about how at the end of the civil war, southerners grappled with the question of why the confederacy lost. he argues that many of their writings serve as a foundation for the lost cause. this event is about 50 minutes. >>

ladies and gentlemen, phillip greenwalt. [applause] phillip: good morning. the good thing about the lost or remembering southern confederate history is that has not been in the public eye at all for the last few weeks, months. [laughter] i think i had to turn off my own social media account because i had to rewrite my introduction and conclusion 15, 20 times -- since yesterday. [laughter] cause, for me, the lost is an amazing cultural ouromenon that shaped collective memory of one of the big turning point in american military, political, economic da, history. but it started right here, april 9, 1865. i did not pay him to introduce my subject, but he did a great job. after robert e. lee meets here in the parlor of the mclean house, he issues his farewell address, a tidbit of what would become one of the mantras of the lost cause. he said "the army of northern virginia has been compelled to yield by overwhelming numbers and resources." later on, he commented and he both valor and -- these are tidbits that explain what happened, why they got to 1861 to 1865, th