Obituary: Shelby Foote | World news | The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,1518624,00.html

Shelby Foote died last week. I’m gutted, but consoling myself by rewatching all 11 hours of the PBS “Civil War” It’s good medicine :):

“When asked about the American civil war, Foote resorted to an anecdote. Early in the conflict, he used to say, a squad of Union soldiers closed in on a ragged Johnny Reb. Figuring that he did not own slaves, nor had much interest in the constitutional question of secession, they asked him: “What are you fighting for, anyhow?” The Confederate replied: “I’m fighting because you’re down here.” Foote regarded that as “a pretty satisfactory answer”.”

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