that was robert e lee. scott never forgot the service that robert e lee had got during mexican war and the years between that war and the civil war, scott develops something of a surrogate father figure to robert lee. he assists in promoting members of the lee family, one of lee's sons really gets a commission in the u.s. army largely because winfield scott arranges it. he had a close relationship this way but nothing, nothing more cruelly disappointed for scott than when lee came to visit him in april of 1861 to tell him that he was going to turn down the offer of command and that he would resign his commission in the united states army. it was said that winfield scott took to his sofa weeping saying, i never want to hear the name of robert e lee again, well, that probably is somewhat but does give you a sense first of all the relationship between the two but secondly the disappointment that scott experienced when lee decided in fact, not to take up the command but in other circumstances scott might have wa

>> robert e lee was best known for two things. one was the fact that he was the son of a famous revolutionary war hero, that was the famed calvary commander, harry lee. he served under washington and pointed that wonderful first in war, first in peace,, that was light horse harry. the other things people would have known him for what be his service on the mexican border especially on the staff of general scott, scott's fabulous amphibious invasion moving inland in mexico city in 47. lee served in many respects as scott eyes and ears performing feats of reconnaissance for scott so much for "afterwards" scott made the confession that for all the honors he had one in that campaign in mexico city almost all the credit formed to robert e lee so those would have been with robert e lee to be noted for before thehe civil war which taken together don't really do a whole lot to explain what we know about robert delete once the civil war begins. >> we will get into the end minute but henry harry the was not necessarily a good father, is that

the other thing that people would have known robert e. lee for would have been his service in the mexican war and especially on the staff general winfield scott, during scott's invasion, beginning in veracruz and moving inland to mexico city in 1847 and lee served in many respects as scott's eyes and ears performing over and over feats of reconnaissance and so much so scott made the confession for all the honors he had won in that great campaign to mexico city almost all the credit really belong today robert e. lee. .. .. we will get into that in just a minute. willie was not necessarily a good father, is that correct? [laughter] he was a splendid calvary commander. especially light horse caring out calvary raids during all ykinds of small jobs like that. he was really very good at that. but as soon as the revolution was over any move back into civilian life, everything went from bad to worse. he made investments in western virginia land, that were the equivalent of buying ski resorts in bangladesh. they all went to nothing. it bankrupted him

ah, the statue of my ancestor, robert e. lee is one to 5 confederate statues on monument avenue, the grand street in richmond. it stands 18 meters tall and dominates the cities landscape. for over a 100 years, richmond has honored lee as one of its greatest heroes. until recently. in 2015, 9 black churchgoers and south carolina were shot by a white supremacist. the killer was photographed with a confederate flag, a symbol for races of white supremacy. soon after the city council in new orleans voted for their confederate statutes to be removed. the state of louisiana was once a major center for the slave trade in richmond, many of the public consultations took place in virginia, which once had the largest and slave population and america in richmond, the debate over the monument avenue statues was heated. now is the time for us to tear down participation trophies for the losing side of a war. you lost. all right, all ready? now with let's remember, kid, after the war league, it all, he could to help reconcile and rebuild relatio

a battle lost by robert e. lee in 18. 63. it was arguably the turning point in the war. heavy casualties around 50000 soldiers from both sides died in that battle. there are a lot of people that feel that those statues need to come down. when you look at these monuments just on a pure abstract view, they're beautiful works of art. beautiful works aboard and then you've got the military brilliance of robert e lee, which is still studied by military theory today. the passion for this issue, we as the sins of confederate ancestors. they are our family we revere the sac that we feel in our opinion, they fought for a noble cause to over throw it overbearing federal government. would you want any body to talk badly about your family? just the notion of family, you know, brings up a lot of emotions in me. but at the same time, if there's a member of one's family, that is doing something that you don't agree with. you have a responsibility, i'm for them. sure. and we're responsible for the legacy of our ancestors as far as telling th

. >> robert e. lee and all the others.and no elected official should strike or cancel historical or living figures with whom they disagree. this is why people are polarized, debate, disagree or argue. you can't use raw political force to outlaw ideas or hold people that you oppose politically. that is a threat to democracy. we just heard it. >> laura: how is it going to making any better when you tell a whole group of people if you are not human. they dehumanize you if you have chosen not to get vaccinated. they dehumanize you if you have a traditional view against pornography or drugs, you north really human or evolved enough. robert e. lee, there was nothing good about him. he has to go. it goes on and on. finally, ray, we have a positively boosted update. ♪♪ >> the boosted and covid positive club grew this week. whoopi goldburg was positively boosted, jimmy fallon and seth meyers admitted they were positively boosted. do you remember this big broadway style number from the late, late show? ♪♪ ♪ no lockdowns anymore ♪ ♪

guelzo recently talked about his book robert e. lee a life on american history tv when lee could not ignore. however in 1861 were two factors first light horse harry lee for all of his revolutionary fame had been a hard luck husband and father. and left his family for the west indies. when robert was only six years old. the shadow that light horse harry cast over the lee name. was one that robert struggled to redeem. hence that broad streak of perfectionism and his behavior. but robert also yearned to breathe free of his father's reputation in other ways. he wanted independence. he wanted to be his own man. and in one sense his marriage to married costas was an attempt to stake out a realm for himself. but he also yearned for security. the security his father had denied him. so while most of lee's contemporaries at west point left the army as soon as they had received their taxpayer provided college degree and could decently resign and go into private engineering practice or some other profession. lee stays with the army as the one cer

talk about the intellectual history in the united states reconstruction era, abraham lincoln, robert e lee et cetera and he will be taking your calls as well. in february, georgetown university will be our guest. finally, here on about books, here's a look at the best-selling nonfiction books according to the los angeles times. topping the list is pulitzer prize winning reporter and creator of the 1619 project, a look at american history and slavery and its legacy. that's followed by these precious days a collection of essays by novelist. after that, musician dave grohl the storyteller and the best-selling nonfiction books are two more memoirs, paul mccartney the lyrics and stanley, wife through food. that's the latest nonfiction books. thanks for joining us on about books, available as a podcast wherever you get your podcast were on the >> welcome to the free library on line. my name is jason freeman and i'm pleased to talk to today's guest rebecca donner. she's referred to by "the baltimore sun" of her marketable woman of -- or the burr concludes the graphic novel as well as essays revie

let's begin our conversation today with your latest book, robert e lee, a l

mid-1863 robert e. lee recognized gettysburg as a defeat in the short term. he pouted at the thought that some newspapers criticized him. he even very theatrically tendered his resignation to jefferson davis who did what lee wanted he lavish is only and said he could not accept the resignation and then there's okay. i feel better said lee and they and they went forward. on further reflection lee pronounced the logistical dimension of the campaign which was crucial in his whole formulation of the campaign a success of some importance as for the longer term impact. he argued that the heavy loss it gettysburg did not exceed quote what it would have been from the series of battles. i would have been compelled to fight had i remained in virginia. adding we did whip them at gettysburg and it will be seen for the next six months that that army the army the potomac will be as quiet as a sucking dove. in fact, it would be 10 months. before the next big battle in the eastern theater at the wilderness saunders field on may 5th 1864 is the next real collision in the easte

one of my yeah, i mean it seems it seems likely and you know, of course we're talking about robert e lee who is one of trump's favorite generals and who i recently learned via whatever trump's little message. app or whatever it is what he publishes those sort of paragraphs or he talks about was actually very good general though, of course, he wasn't but no. i mean and he would have kicked -- in afghanistan. apparently the guy is like but a friend of mine called me yesterday and was like trump is going to win trump is gonna run run again and he's gonna win. what do you think? i mean, it's like the anxiety that all of us have even the words for years away. i think it depends on a few things. i'm much less sanguine about it than i was in november december of last year because at the time there was no way to know how far although i suppose. i should have i swear. i feel like charlie brown in the football far too often because i'm a democrat, but there was no way to know how far they were going to take it in terms of allowing him to spread the big lie that the election was stolen from him to

much of the conversation reinvolved around the civil war and his most recent book about robert e. lee's a portion of that program. >> guest: armies and are armies, and since the days of the babylonians and nebuchadnezzar, armies descend upon the areas they're invading like locusts. and they simply eat up, take up, steal. that is what army as do. when an army comes into your neighborhood, all law is set aside. and this is one of horrors of war. and i use the world horrors deliberately. i'm the son of an army officer, i'm the father of another army officer. and i want to tell you frankly, i have in my lifetime known many army officers. and the army officers who are most dedicateed, the most serious about their calling are also the ones who i can call the most sincere and dedicated pacifists because they're the ones who really understand what war costs. >> host: and that was historian allen guelzo who appeared on booktv's "in depth" program. and a reminder that "in depth" is live the first sunday of the month at noon. next month we'll be joined by georgetown university law professor cher

by robert e. lee's army of northern virginia. here is a map. let's see kind of it's a civil war trust map great map not knocking it, but it's at a weird angle, but nonetheless here is porter's core on the north side of the chickahomy. i love what what doug had said last night about the chickahomy that it is a it's not a river at all. it's it's really a just a joke of a river, but nonetheless it's enough to divide porter and separate porter's core from the rest of the army of the potomac ultimately porter is going to fight and win a defensive battle. battle of beaver, dam creek or mechanicsville on june 26th of 1862 the next day he will fend off one of the largest attacks of the entire american civil war at gaines's mill. ultimately porter's line is going to be broken. he's driven back across the chickahominy river to the south side. and of course george mcclellan is going to begin his change of base to the james river and looking for a new supply base at harrison's landing. porter is going to perhaps his finest hour. is going to be the leading

statues of confederate "heroes" like robert e lee have come down.tal in montgomery, as i said — one of the centres of the confederacy — of establishing a new legacy museum. you've created memorials to the thousands of black people lynched in that period from the late 19th century through to the end of segregation. you and others have been responsible for changing the narrative in the united states. why don't you actually focus on some of the positive stuff? take some credit, rather than sounding so bleak? well, i appreciate that, but we have this long history in america of celebrating too soon. we thought that after the north won the civil war, that we were in some new era and we could put that behind us. and the truth is, the north won the civil war but the south won the narrative war and we had 100 years of racial apartheid and exclusion, lynching and lawlessness. we ended mob violence in the 19505, to a large extent, but we didn't end the thinking that generated that. we passed these civil rights laws in the 19605 but we didn't overcome these pre

books include redeeming the emancipator, gettysburg and latest robert e lee, a biography of the confederateeral of the civil war. former georgia republican congressman doug collins reflects on the events leading up to the first impeachment of former president donald trump. the clock in the counter, concessions with donald trump interviewed by colorado republican congressman. march book tv every sunday on c-span2 and find a full schedule on your program guide or watch online anytime at booktv.org. ♪♪ >> weekends on c-span2 are an intellectual piece. every saturday, american history tv documents american stories. sundays, book tv brings the latest in nonfiction books and authors. funding for c-span2 comes from these television companies and more including comcast. >> you think it's just a community center? it's way more than that. >> comcast partners with 1000 community centers to create wi-fi enabled areas so students can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. comcast along with these television companies support c-span2 is a public service. ♪♪ c-span offers a variety of podcasts

this is general robert e. lee, probably the greatest man that ever walked the face of this earth.is the soldier flag, our ancestors. that's why we so proud of it. to you, sons of confederate veterans, it is your duty to see that the true history of the south is presented to future generations. and that's what we try to do. and it's a tough job. here's a picture of maurice. we were down there when we had the flag selling confederate stuff. >> i'm maurice bessenjer. the south shall rise again. >> maurice was a member of this camp. he owned and operated nine barbecue restaurants in south cala. >> after almost four decades and a bitter debate -- >> after 38 years the flag began its descent down the flagpole. >> i protested the taking down of our heritage flag. it went up in orangeburg that same day. >> mr. maurice call me one day and asked me if we'd like to have the piece of property where the flag is. that was one less thing he needed to worry about. after the incident in charleston, the whole emphasis changed to the flag. i said if the flag is going to be under attack, the bigger t

tell us, he and his codefendants almost toppled our democracy, they cam closer than anyone since robert e leeat's what they've been telling us for the last year. it's absurd, only the factly of aheard it so often prevents us from recognizing how absurd it is. nothing that happened on januar threatening our constitutional order.ry for the record, because reality still matters or it should matter, here was the scene inside the capital on january 6. >> willing to work with us and cooperate peacefully. gather more americans under the that they will come and gather peacefully to the capital. >> remain calm. >> everybody, this must be peaceful. this has to be peaceful. we have the right to peacefully assemble. this must be peaceful, we have the right to peacefully assemble . it turns out no we don't. the man you just heard say that's got more than four years bars his crime, walking into what we used to call it non- ironically the people's house. that was the end his sentencing he looked shocked. most of these january 6 protesters have been shocked. this was an insurrection they had no idea whatsoev

tell us, he and his codefendants almost toppled our democracy, they came closer than anyone since robert e. leeat's what they have been telling us for the last year. it's absurd. only the fact we have heard it so often prevents us from recognizing how absurd it is. nothing that happened on januaro threatening our constitutional order for preventing joe biden from taking office. anyone who claims otherwise is lying and should be forced to explain specifically how the mechanics of democracy were imperiled that day. but they never explain, they just yell louder and issue more indictments. for the record because reality still matters or should matter, here was the scene inside the capital on january 6th. >> the police here are willing to work with us and cooperate peacefully. gather more americans under the condition they will gather peacefully to discuss what needs to be done to save our country. [shouting] >> remained calm. we are going to be heard. this must be peaceful. >> we have the right to peacefully assemble! >> tucker: this must be peaceful, we have the right to peacefully assemble. turns

guelzo recently talked about his book robert e. lee a life on american history tv would lee could not ignore. however in 1861. were two factors first light horse harry lee for all of his revolutionary fame had been a hard luck husband and father. and left is family for the west indies. when robert was only six years old. the shadow that light horse harry cast over the lee name. was one that robert struggled to redeem. hence that broad streak of perfectionism and his behavior. but robert also yearned to breathe free of his father's reputation in other ways. he wanted independence. he wanted to be his own man. and in one sense his marriage to married costas was an attempt to stake out a realm for himself. but he also yearned for security. the security his father had denied him. so while most of lee's contemporaries at west point left the army as soon as they had received their taxpayer provided college degree and could decently resign and go into private engineering practice or some other profession. lee stays with the army as the one ce

. >> host: allen guelzo let's begin with your latest book, robert e lee a life, who was he before thecivil war, what was his reputation? >> guest: he was best known for two things, son of a famous revolutionary war hero and that was the famed cavalry commander light horse harry lee, the one who served under washington and

. >> host: allen guelzo let's begin with your latest book, robert e lee a life, who was he before thecivil war, what was his