President Lincoln Visits Richmond VA

April 4th was the anniversary of Lincoln's visit of Richmond in 1865,
2 days after the Confederate troops withdrew.
When word spread that he was in the city, former black slaves ran to meet him.
"As far as the eye could see, the streets were alive with negroes..
The crowds increased so fast,I had to surround the president with sailors with fixed bayonets.."
According to NPS(National Park Service),
those were the words of admiral David Porter who landed with Lincoln.
Since the former slaves were grateful to Lincoln for freeing them,
it was only natural for them to want to shake his hand, or even bow down before him.
Lincoln told them, "You must not do that. Please get up !!"
Yes, it must have been quite a sight!!
 How the people wanted to embrace their hero !!
But in the recent movie, "Lincoln," directed by Steven Spielberg,
that scene was omitted.
Spielberg must have felt that portraying hundreds of black people kneeling
before Lincoln was something he would be pilloried for by the media !!
Chickening out like that cost Spielberg considerable stature in my eyes.