I agree that a person could be viewed a hero by one, and a villian by another. However, I think an unbiased person would have to squint awfully hard to see Lane as a hero. He was a scoundrel in so many ways, but his biggest sin in my opinion was the unhealthy influence he was able to exert, by virtue of his political power, on the overall conduct of the war along the border. The total war he championed didn't shorten the conflict by a single day, but certainly increased the suffering along the way. The only moral compass he had was his sense of the way to the top.

Any news on that Lane biography you had in the works?