Hi Jim,

I respect your position on McPherson's comments regarding the UDC. I remember how much controversy that stirred up, but if I remember correctly, I think he tried to clarify his position; nevertheless, I find it hard to completely dismiss _The Battle Cry of Freedom_ or _For Cause and Commrades_.

As for the term "neo-Confederate," I certainly agree that it can be used as a political epithet, but I think we need to acknowledge how often it is used incorrectly. I do not think a person who celebrates their Southern heritage or an ancestor who served in the Confederacy is a "neo-Confederate." If anyone tries to level that charge against those folks, I think they reveal themselves as a misinformed arm-chair historian.

It seems like we have a tendency to get angry by things that should not really anger us. If someone called me a "neo-Confederate," I would tell them what the term means and explain that I have no overriding political agenda to excise slavery from historical memory.

Best,
Sam.