Offers insight into the lesser-known complexities of the general's personality, in a biography based on his unpublished personal correspondence and covering such topics as his early years, relationships with family and slaves, and thoughts on military str
To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War, Diversion Books is publishing seminal works of the era: stories told by the men and women who led, who fought, and who lived in an America that had come apart at the seams. The commander of the Confederacy, “Light Horse Harry” remains one of the most fascinating figures of the American Civil War. These are his letters, the personal thoughts and insights from the great military mind and icon of the era.
With the exception of George Washington, perhaps the most famous general in American history is Robert E. Lee (January 19, 1807 - October 12, 1870), despite the fact he led the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia against the Union in the Civil War. As the son of U.S. Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III, and a relative of Martha Custis Washington, Lee was imbued with a strong sense of honor and duty from the beginning. And as a top graduate of West Point, Lee had distinguished himself so well before the Civil War that President Lincoln asked him to command the entire Union Army. Lee famously declined, serving his home state of Virginia instead after it seceded. Lee is remembered today for constantly defeating the Union's Army of the Potomac in the Eastern theater from 1862-1865, considerably frustrating Lincoln and his generals. His leadership of his army led to him being deified after the war by some of his former subordinates, especially Virginians, and he came to personify the Lost Cause's ideal Southern soldier. His reputation was secured in the decades after the war as a general who brilliantly led his men to amazing victories against all odds. Despite his successes and his legacy, Lee wasn't perfect. And of all the battles Lee fought in, he was most criticized for Gettysburg, particularly his order of Pickett's Charge on the third and final day of the war. Despite the fact his principle subordinate and corps leader, General James Longstreet, advised against the charge, Lee went ahead with it, ending the army's defeat at Gettysburg with a violent climax that left half of the men who charged killed or wounded. Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee was compiled by his son, Captain Robert E. Lee, Jr. It remains the best source about Robert E. Lee and his non-military life.
Revered in his lifetime, Robert E. Lee achieved legendary status after his death. This memoir by Lee's son gathers a wealth of material written by the General, offering rare glimpses of the man behind the uniform, with scenes from family life and touching letters from a loving husband and father.
Captain Robert E. Lee, the son of the famous General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), has offers his recollections of his father, including letters from General Lee to his family.
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Just as its subject, General Robert E. Lee, was no ordinary man, The Recollections and Letters is no ordinary book. In defeat, the formal Confederate general became the personification of the South. This was a remarkable evolution for a man who in 1861 took up arms against the nation of his birth and subsequently led an army to a devastating end. Lee's transformation from defeated general to American hero was due in part to Robert E. Lee, Jr.'s, dedication to his father's memory. In 1904 the younger Lee produced The Recollections and Letters, a book made up primarily of the general's personal correspondence, much of which was written to his wife and children. The book provided touching insights into the general's family life, allowing readers to connect with him on a more human level. Any study of Robert E. Lee, the South, the Civil War, or American history is incomplete without The Recollections and Letters.
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