Appomattox
Appomattox Court House Grave
Yesterday I drove to Appomattox for a quick walkabout. This was my first outing in months and the weather was perfect. The light was a bit “harsh” because midday is, well, middle of the day…not at all the “golden hour.” But in spite of the noon sky, the light was wonderful…large, puffy clouds flying rapidly through the sky while their shadows raced with one another along the ground. I’ll have a more detailed post in a few days but wanted to highlight this unusual cedar tree next to the grave of a 19-year-old soldier who died of typhoid without ever seeing combat. The unusual lighting highlighted the orphan like quality of the tree and grave in the middle of a meadow.
The drive to the Park was just over an hour, mostly on two lane roads running through farmlands dotted with large confederate flags. Few people were visiting the park, I assume because it’s March and a Monday. The Park is a semi-reconstruction of the village, called a Court House, at Appomattox, some of the buildings are original, some are reconstructions, some are gone. The surrender was signed in the McClean House which is a reconstruction. I tried to imagine the tensions, the emotions, and the personalities at the surrender, all taking place in a relatively small room.
The tree and grave were fascinating. I’ve included a color version of the B&W and another angle of the scene. Just another example of what hate can do in an “Us versus Them” kinda world.
Appomattox Court House Grave
Appomattox Court House Grave