Dear Sir,

As, fittingly, Confederate flags are lowered in some American states, it is worth recalling what Abraham Lincoln said on April 10, 1865 as the Union Flag was raised at Fort Sumter, ending the Civil War.

He said, in part, “You have a band with you. There is one piece of music I have always liked. For the last years it has not been popular in the North.

“But now, by virtue of my prerogative as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I declare it contraband of war and our lawful prize. I ask the band to play Dixie.”

Dixie was written by Daniel Decatur Emmett. His words were perverted to suit the Southern cause. Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 in Washington, DC.

Thanking you,

ROGER SNAPE