More Ignorance Of History

The Saturday Clarion-Ledger featured a letter from Matthew Stuart of Clinton, who identifies himself as a history major at the University of Mississippi. Stuart chides a previous letter writer for a misstatement regarding General J. E. B. Stuart.

"Perhaps, as the letter suggests, Jeb Bush was named after the infamous Confederate cavalry general, J.E.B. Stuart. However, JEB Stuart had nothing to do with the founding of the Ku Klux Klan..."

The first name of the former Florida governor and brother of the president comes from the initials of his full name, John Ellis Bush.

Matthew Stuart is evidently not related to J. E. B. Stuart, since he calls the general "infamous." I wonder if Matthew considers all Confederate generals-- and, indeed, all Confederate soldiers-- to be "infamous." If so, does that mean that Matthew would refuse to defend his home soil if it were invaded by a hostile army bent on destruction?

"Perhaps the letter writer was thinking about Nathan Bedford Forrest, another fine cavalryman and founding member who was the first Grand Wizard of the group. Perhaps every man named Nathan should be scolded for his name!"

If memory serves, General Forrest later broke with the Klan. And I wonder if Matthew thinks every resident of Forrest County, Mississippi, should also be scolded for living in a place named for this man.

It's worth noting, too, that William Forrest Winter, Mississippi's governor from 1980 to 1984, was named for General Forrest, with whom Winter's ancestor rode in the Civil War. Governor Winter probably needs a good scolding for not changing his name.

Matthew or anyone else who wants to know what the Civil War-- the War Between the States-- was really about should start by reading the letters which Lord Acton and General Robert E. Lee exchanged following the war.

Whenever I hear J. E. B. Stuart mentioned, I think of North Carolina senator Sam Ervin, chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee, which convened in 1973. Jeb Magruder, one of President Richard Nixon's aides, was involved in the Watergate scandal, and Ervin repeatedly referred to Magruder by his full name-- Jeb Stuart Magruder.