Excellent biography of R. E. Lee

[VaTom]

Recently a friend from Florida brought me a copy of this biography of Robert E. Lee. Published in 2021. Being a native Virginian and military history guy I have read numerous books on Lee. This is a great book and goes into detail of his military and personal life before during and after the war. I recommend.

 

[decuerno]

I’m a southern-boy with a history degree… and hold the opinion that Lee was a poor strategist trapped by family-ties and property that burdened him with mis-placed loyalties.
J. Longstreet holds greater respect from my perspective.

 

[Delta Expatriate]

I am also a southern boy, and consider myself an amateur historian in the best sense. If I had any sense back then I would have majored in it, instead of remaining in school of business and industry at Mississippi State. I read history and biography extensively. I tried reading Guelzo's book on Gettysburg, but found it hard to follow. I will try to check out this biography of Lee he has written.

I am not sure I would exactly agree that Lee was a poor strategist, but I do think he suffered from hubris and let his pride lead to overconfidence. The decision to assault Cemetery Ridge on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg was a poor one. He should have listened to Longstreet who argued against it. Like decuerno, I hold Longstreet in high regard. Wasn't he also a Virginian?

Another Virginian I hold in high regard is George Thomas, who stayed with the Union and is generally credited as having performed well.

Over time, despite being a southern boy, I have come to respect Grant, particularly in his role in the Civil War. He had a job to do, stuck to it, and saw that it got done.

Like all men, these men had their flaws.

 

[decuerno]

Certain advantages accrue to being on the Defense…and that is where Lee had his great successes. He was defending his home-turf…where he knew the “lay of the land” and he had every citizen and neighbor acting as a “spy” and informant and commissary.
Antietam (where McClelland and Burnside were shockingly inept and timid) and Gettysburg where Lee needed to demonstrate tactical brilliance, yet ignored obvious better tactical advice from his lieutenants…and yet that is where he became stubborn and failed so miserably …except in retreat, where he had no challenge from a timid and reluctant opponent.
Nowhere did Lee show talents on advance against the enemy. Only on easier defense on his “home turf” did he win accolades from the neighbors and friends amongst whom he parleyed.
Yes, he was a “Gentleman”…but gentlemanly behavior does not win battles.
Those points are often prejudicially ignored by his admirers.
He is a sad and nostalgic figure of that “lost cause”, itself a misnomer.
Without Lee on the opposing side, the Union might have had a much longer war, if not an eventual forced compromise of the secession-issue. A coalition of Joseph Johnston and James Longstreet might have enjoyed greater success in obtaining recognition of the Southern-secession and the eventual establishment of the “Knights of the Golden Circle”.

In fact, there is good argument that had southern states not seceded …Had they remained in the Union and continued with political and legislative measures such as the Compromise of 1850, the runaway slave acts, etc…. that the United States might have the institution of slavery even Today.
It was the acts of secession which forced the issue.

 

[Hoosierville IRN]

Don't ya'll go talkin' bad about Bobby Lee, now, ya'hear?

 

[WardenRoss]

My Great-Great Grandfather. Killed in the battle of the Wilderness.


,

 

[decuerno]

The incredible numbers of young men and innocent civilians who were killed and lives ruined in the continuing pursuit of more money by the wealthy…

 

[creeksidewilly]

I'm going to put this in here although it's not quite on topic. Years ago I read "Traveler" by Richard Adams. It's a novel of Traveler, R.E. Lee's horse relating the story of the hostilities to Tom the barn cat after the war. It was a pretty interesting read, sad, whimsical and entertaining.

 

[decuerno]

…I hold Longstreet in high regard. Wasn't he also a Virginian?

Another Virginian I hold in high regard is George Thomas, who stayed with the Union and is generally credited as having performed well.

Over time, despite being a southern boy, I have come to respect Grant, particularly in his role in the Civil War. He had a job to do, stuck to it, and saw that it got done.

Like all men, these men had their flaws.

Longstreet was born in S. C. but lived mostly in N. Ga. However he entered West Point from AL.
(He also graduated second-from-last in his class… beating Geo. Pickett who graduated dead-last in his class. His roommate at W.P. was, of all people, Wm Rosecrans, whom he faced at Chickamauga.)

Graduating near the bottom of class at the Academy was no real disgrace. Many excellent officers scored such.

(I sometimes tell friends and acquaintances that I myself …graduated in the “Top One-Percent… of the Bottom-Third of my Class.)

 

[lawandorder]

Became interested in the War Between the States at the start of the Centennial in 1961. That interest had been sparked by a Televison show in the fall of 1957,titled "The Gray Ghost" based on Colonel John Singleton Mosby, the Commander of a Confederate Partisan Ranger unit.
Thanks to parents who indulged my interest when we happened to be traveling somewhere I got to visit some the battlefields that I read about , including Shiloh and Vicksburg.
A bit later got hooked on the history of crime and law enforcement and left the war behind for many years.

Then I found out that I had numerous ancestors that were in the Confederate Army and my interest was rekindled. One great grandfather served in an Arkansas Infantry Regiment in the Western Theater of Operations. Several other relations served from Misissippi, mostly in Wade Hampton's Cavalry. Others from South Carolina, including several who gave their lives in service, wore the gray. One served on the South Carolina convention of 169 citizens that voted for and drafted the ordinance of Seccession and was the first signature after the President of the convention. The order of signing was due to the alphabetical order of the community that the delegates represented.
It still remains a favorite area of history for me and always will. The study of history can prevent mistakes if you learn from those made in the past.

 

[decuerno]

Became interested in the War Between the States at the start of the Centennial in 1861. That interest had been sparked by a Televison show in the fall of 1957,titled "The Gray Ghost" based on Colonel John Singleton Mosby, the Commander of a Confederate Partisan Ranger unit.
Thanks to parents who indulged my interest when we happened to be traveling somewhere I got to visit some the battlefields that I read about , including Shiloh and Vicksburg.
A bit later got hooked on the history of crime and law enforcement and left the war behind for many years.

Then I found out that I had numerous ancestors that were in the Confederate Army and my interest was rekindled. One great grandfather served in an Arkansas Infantry Regiment in the Western Theater of Operations. Several other relations served from Misissippi, mostly in Wade Hampton's Cavalry. Others from South Carolina, including several who gave their lives in service, wore the gray. One served on the South Carolina convention of 169 citizens that voted for and drafted the ordinance of Seccession and was the first signature after the President of the convention. The order of signing was due to the alphabetical order of the community that the delegates represented.
It still remains a favorite area of history for me and always will. The study of history can prevent mistakes if you learn from those made in the past.

I fondly recall watching the “Grey Ghost” on B&W television on Sat mornings as a 7 year old.
As an adult with a degree in history I found his real-life to be just as fascinating.

There are “intersections” (airway navigation waypoints) in the DC area which are named after exploits. One of the humorous and true ones involve a raid he
made in March of 1863, inside Union lines at Fairfax County Courthouse, when he captured Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton. Slicing thru the rear of Stoughton’s tent at night, he found the general asleep. He raised the general’s blanket and found him sleeping nude…and slapped Stoughton on the bare butt. Stoughton awoke and demanded “Who is disturging my sleep?”
Mosby asked "Do you know Mosby, General?" The General replied "Yes! Have you got the rascal?" "No," said Mosby. "He's got you!"

He traded Stoughton for some of his own men captured in a prisoner exchange.

On another occasion Mosby came upon some of his men who had been executed and left hanging with a sign threatening to do this to all “rebels and partisans”.
Mosby hanged a similar number of union men and left a sign saying, “We’ll stop this when you do.” The practice ended.

Ulysses Grant had offered a reward for anyone who killed the “rat, Mosby”
After the war, Mosby was castigated by his neighbors for campaigning for Grant for president. But Grant gave Mosby a pardon and appointed him Ambassador to Hong Kong.

Pic of Mosby and his men (Mosby with feather “cockade” in his hat.

 

[cmansguns]

I also love chasing history, especially the Civil War as living here in Richmond, Virginia so much history is local and easy to roam the battlefields, and sites. The original house still stands where Stonewall Jackson lost his arm (and his life), and we have now visited the Wilderness battlefield so many times since learning years ago that my wife's great great grandfather, Nicholas Finn from Massachusetts was killed there on the morning of May 6, 1864. We have chased his history from his enlistment until his death and what a trail. Written family lore on my wife's side had him killed at Gettysburg, however that was July 1863 well before he enlisted in Jan 1864, leaving a wife and two daughters.

We have obtained many documents and ledgers and found his commanding officer Col Bartlett was also killed the same morning at the Wilderness. Very friendly park rangers have helped us obtain order of march, or of battle alignments of the regiments and companies and we have placed about 90-95% accuracy that he died advancing during the morning (around 9:00 to 9:30 am) the morning of May 6, 1864. Place of death as near as we can place it is Orange Plank Road, right near where Longstreet was wounded while flanking the Union troops.

If you google 10845 Orange Plank Road, Spotsylvania VA 22551, you see a pretty accurate depiction of the area under early morning sunlight.

I have so many books with old Civil War maps, etc, that I had to look again today after seeing Warden Ross' post above and his great great grandad getting killed the same day at the same battle.

Guess what.......... my wife's relative, Nicholas Finn of Company C, 57th Massachusetts Regiment of Volunteers under Col Bartlett was opposed by the 10 Georgia Infantry under Col. John B Weems who was evidently wounded same day in same battle as he was retired to the Invalid Corp on May 19, 1864.

It could indeed be possible that Warden Ross' great great grandad and my wife's great great grandad faced each other across those miserable killing fields so many years ago.........................May they ALL rest in peace!!

 

[WardenRoss]

Here's more to the story of May 6th...

William "Big Bill" enlisted in Co F, 49th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment "The Irwin Volunteers"in 1862. He was 3rd Corporal, March 4, 1862 and wounded at Fredericksburg, VA in battle December 13, 1862. He was promoted to 1st Corporal January 1863 and to 1st Sergeant in August 1863, but reduced to 4th position Sergeant September 1, 1863. Wounded again at Wilderness, VA on May 6, 1864, he was promoted to 3rd Sergeant in February 1865. On May 22, 1865, he was listed as a prisoner paroled at Albany, GA. William was honorably discharged and came home to his plantation near the present town of Chula, GA.He was wounded in the right arm and permanently disabled on May 6, 1864 at Wilderness, VA. Pension records show he was at home on wounded furlough at the close of war.

William served Irwin County in the Georgia Legislature 1880-1881. He was one of Tifton's first merchants and owned the first mule-powered cotton gins in Tifton. William "Big Bill" Branch died November 31, 1909 and is buried at Hickory Springs Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Tift County. His wife Louisa Jane died Nov 9, 1937.

Lott and Bill were best friends before and during the war.

And later, Lott's son's father-in-law was Big Bill Branch. So Big Bill was my grandfather's, mother's father.

 

[VaTom]

Nice responses. My great-great grandfather served in the 45 NC Inf. Co. H. Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse ( wounded in hand), Shenandoah Valley with Jubal Early, captured September 1864 at Fishers Hill, Va. POW at Point Lookout, Maryland until June 1865. “In the hands of the enemy” as the per muster roll for October 1864. Picture of him with my great-great grandmother in May 1863 while on leave before Gettysburg Campaign. . Passed in 1903 at age 70.

 

[WCCPHD]

Four of my eight great-great grandfathers served in the Confederate Army. Two were at Gettysburg. One spent the last years of the war at Point Lookout POW camp. The fourth was wounded at Petersburg. I have seen his CSA pension application where it was listed that he was unable to work due to his wounds.

An interesting fact about the G-G-Grandfather who was wounded is that he could neither read nor write. He had three cousins. One was President of Wake Forest College. One was President of Furman and the third, a female, was a Professor at Meredith College. One illiterate and three with Ph.D.s in the same extended family.

 

[decuerno]

Four of my eight great-great grandfathers served in the Confederate Army. Two were at Gettysburg. One spent the last years of the war at Point Lookout POW camp. The fourth was wounded at Petersburg. I have seen his CSA pension application where it was listed that he was unable to work due to his wounds.

An interesting fact about the G-G-Grandfather who was wounded is that he could neither read nor write. He had three cousins. One was President of Wake Forest College. One was President of Furman and the third, a female, was a Professor at Meredith College. One illiterate and three with Ph.D.s in the same extended family.

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Thanks for caring…and sharing.