The Washington Free Beacon met with retired Lt. Col. Ralph Peters at Gettysburg National Military Park to discuss Civil War history and American civic culture.
In the final installment of the three-part series, Peters talks about what lessons the Battle of Gettysburg holds for Americans today.
"As immortal lessons go, the world is not as we wish it to be," Peters said. "I wish we lived in a world where I could be a Quaker. We don't live in that world. We have New Testament aspirations in an Old Testament world. "
Peters emphasized how important it is to view wars from the macro level of strategy and the micro level of the human beings who fight and die in the wars.
"Wars may be caused by grand strategic considerations, but they're about human beings in mortal conflict. So I'm trying to de-romanticize the conflict but also humanize it," Peters said.
Ralph Peters is a Fox News strategic analyst and best-selling author. His most recent book is The Damned of Petersburg.
If you liked this video, be sure to watch parts one and two of the interview series.