General U.S. Grant, 3rd, chairman of the U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission, acknowledged today a change of mind about statements he disseminated defaming Jews in connection with the Civil War.
The controversial material was published by Gen. Grant in the bulletin of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, a patriotic group of which he is Commander-in-Chief. It caused considerable reaction among American Jews.
Today Gen. Grant wrote Joseph F. Barr, national executive director of the Jewish War Veterans, that he had learned the material had been “contradicted,” He said “Intent as I am upon ascertaining the truth, I have made such research as has been possible into the statements contained in the article and find that it contains several allegations and implications that are unsupported by sound historical authorities and so are probably false. You may be sure that, had I suspected this, I would not have distributed copies of the article to our membership.”
General Grant also made known that he would question the integrity of the article in his formal report as Commander-in-Chief at the annual meeting of his group on October 8.
Mr. Barr praised the General’s “courage” in changing his mind and urged that the incident be closed, It was Mr. Barr’s hope that the incident would not minimize the participation of American Jewry in the coming Civil War centennial.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
