““The much talked of surrendering of Lee’s sword and my handing it back, this and much more that has been said about it is the purest romance. The word sword or side arms was not mentioned by either of us until I wrote it in the terms.””
Grant reflects on the mythic narrative surrounding the symbolic return of Lee’s sword, noting that the romance was constructed after the fact, not by the participants themselves.
In simple terms: Historical mythmaking
Romanticizing post‑war gestures
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