Having lived in Virginia for several years back in the early 1990’s, I was struck upon first seeing Appomattox Court House in how small and unassuming it was, particularly because this was the place where the culmination of our nation’s bloody atonement was concluded for our pernicious sin of slavery.
Many other nations at the time of our Civil War engaged in slavery, and indeed many still do today, but America purged its soul and finally made the first monumental step in keeping the promise of our Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal”. More than 700,000 people died in the cause of our Civil War accordingly.
Sadly, the sesquicentennial anniversary of this event that saved our nation and its soul will probably not even be mentioned in most media outlets today. As Americans, most of us will ignorantly go about our daily lives and not stop to thank God and pray for those men who 150 years ago today ended our Civil War where they fought, bled, and died to save the union and make amends for a great evil.
