The Long Road to Reconciliation - Veterans and the Record of War (Lecture)

Following the conclusion of the Civil War, surviving Union and Confederate veterans returned home to face an unknown future. United by the shared experience of war, these former soldiers bonded through veterans organizations. In 1866, Union veterans established the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1889 former Confederates banded together to create the United Confederate Veterans.Both groups endeavored to "right the record" of the conflict. Park Historian John Heiser examines how these two groups, through their newspapers, regimental histories, and reunions helped to shape our interpretation of the war