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Respecting an Enemy

Respecting an Enemy

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what is to be gained?

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In a war the enemy isn't the soldiers it's the one giving the orders. In this context it's much easier for soldiers from opposing sides to honor each other rather than for the countries they're fighting for to do the same.

It's a nice story though.

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Of course. I was just pointing out that the values of the rulers of nations who wage war aren't necessarily the same as those of the soldiers under their command.

In the USA, there are (or were) many white Southerners who bitterly resent losing the Civil War.

That's not quite the same either. Southern resentment is aimed more toward black freedom and integration than being forced to remain in the Union. There may still be southerners who hate "Yankees" but their ire is more about racial prejudice than losing to the north.

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@Duchess64

I recall a story of ex Civil War generals that certainly upholds the title of your thread.

When William Sherman (Union general) died, one of his pall bearers was Joe Johnston (Confederate, who I believed directly opposed Sheridan in the war)

Johnston refused to wear a hat in carrying out his duty, despite it being a cold/rainy day, in respect for his old adversary.

Johnston died a few weeks later from pneumonia.

Edit...Union general's name corrected!

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@Duchess64

I am not a student of ACW, and perhaps should have googled it first.

Sorry, just a story I remember from way back, and seem to have got my generals mixed up.

Still a nice story though

Edit...corrected it now. For anyone reading later, was my mistake

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That's irrelevant to the fact that there's no real animosity from southerners toward the north *today*. Trump, a life-long and famous New Yorker, is immensely popular in the south.

We're getting away from your original point which is an important one: differing sides of a war should be able to move on and forget, generally speaking. Forgiveness is far more important than harboring hate.