Jack Kingston: “it has been said that friction between nations and people and different philosophies can often be brought down by a…”

“it has been said that friction between nations and people and different philosophies can often be brought down by a dialogue, getting over things. There is a very touching story that happened as a consequence of the Civil War. Atlanta was the site of probably the turning point in the Civil War when the North invaded the South and Sherman's troops were victorious and basically burned Atlanta to the ground. The highest commanding general under Sherman was a man named McPherson. He died in Atlanta, and there is a monument built to him in Atlanta, GA, that is respected by the sons of Confederates and the sons of the northern soldiers. The story I want to tell, though, has to do with Gen. Joseph Johnston, who was defeated in Atlanta. Now years after the war, he and William Tecumseh Sherman were not buddies, but they were friends. They reconciled their differences. When General Sherman died, his funeral was in New York. As his casket was going down the street, Gen. Joseph Johnston, southern Confederate general, took his hat off to honor his dead comrade, although on a different side of the fence. Because he did that, he later caught a cold, subsequently pneumonia, and died. On his deathbed, people said, ``Why did you take your hat off for General Sherman, our arch enemy?'' And he said, ``Because he would have taken it off for me. The war is over.''”