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Lee's Lieutenants #3
Lees Lieutenants Volume 3: A Study in Command, Gettysburg to Appomattox
An unquestioned masterpiece of the historian's art, and a towering landmark in the literature of the American Civil War.
In Gettysburg to Appomattox, Douglas Southall Freeman concludes his monumental three-volume study of Lee's command of the Confederacy, a dramatic history that brings to vivid life the men in that command and the part each played in this country's most tragic struggle.
Volume three continues the stirring account of Lee's army, from the costly battle at Gettysburg, through the deepening twilight of the South's declining military might, to the tragic inward collapse of Lee's command and his formal surrender in 1865. To his unparalleled descriptions of Lee's subordinates and the operations in which they participated, Dr. Freeman adds an insightful analysis of the lessons that were to be learned from the story of the Army of Northern Virginia and their bearing upon the future military development of the nation.
As in the first two volumes, portrait photographs, military maps, several appendixes, and a bibliography add to the clarity and richness of the book. The complete three-volume study, Lee's Lieutenants, is a classic touchstone in the literature of American biography, and in all the literature of war.
In Gettysburg to Appomattox, Douglas Southall Freeman concludes his monumental three-volume study of Lee's command of the Confederacy, a dramatic history that brings to vivid life the men in that command and the part each played in this country's most tragic struggle.
Volume three continues the stirring account of Lee's army, from the costly battle at Gettysburg, through the deepening twilight of the South's declining military might, to the tragic inward collapse of Lee's command and his formal surrender in 1865. To his unparalleled descriptions of Lee's subordinates and the operations in which they participated, Dr. Freeman adds an insightful analysis of the lessons that were to be learned from the story of the Army of Northern Virginia and their bearing upon the future military development of the nation.
As in the first two volumes, portrait photographs, military maps, several appendixes, and a bibliography add to the clarity and richness of the book. The complete three-volume study, Lee's Lieutenants, is a classic touchstone in the literature of American biography, and in all the literature of war.
912 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
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292 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Southall Freeman
231 books87 followersThe son of a Confederate veteran, Douglas Southall Freeman was long interested in the Civil War. A man of intense work ethic, he earned his PhD at 22, then balanced a journalist's demanding schedule with a historian's, as he churned out Lee's Dispatches (1915), the Pulitzer-Prize-winning four-volume R. E. Lee: A Biography (1934-35), Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command (1942-44), and finally, the multi-volume George Washington (1948-54). A respected historian, renown for his research, he garnered fame in his native Virginia and the friendship of major military figures.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 28, 2021
The Classic Study Of The Confederate War Effort
Douglas S. Freeman's (1886-1953) "Lee's Lieutenant's: A Study in Command, vol. 3 (first published in 1944) is the final volume of his great study of the Army of Northern Virginia. It covers the Army from the Gettysburg Campaign, (June -- July, 1863) through the surrender at Appomattox in April, 1865.
This book is lengthy, (over 700 pages plus appendices) and I initially planned to read only the opening material on Gettysburg (about the first 200 pages) in which I have a special interest. I became fascinated with Freeman's writing and with his approach to the subject and had to finish the volume.
This book complements Freeman's earlier biography of Robert E. Lee, but its focus is on Lee's subordinates. Thus the long section on Gettysburg which opens the book considers in detail the actions and motivations of "Jeb" Stuart, Richard Ewell, and James Longstreet, three of Lee's chief Lieutenants. (A.P. Hill at Gettysburg gets less attention.) I had read materials critical of Freeman's account of Gettysburg before turning to his own writing. Even accepting much of the criticism, I was moved by Freeman's account of the Battle and I think I learned a great deal. Freeman is indeed critical of Longstreet but, in this late work, is much more measured and balanced than I had anticipated.
The book continues with excellent treatments of the War in the Eastern theater following Gettysburg. Freeman offers eloquent and judicious comments on the importance of this Battle to the Confederate cause. He treats well the Mine Run campaign in the winter of 1863 and the campaign from the Wilderness to Appomattox under General Grant which doomed the Confederacy. Freeman also examines the detachment of James Longstreet's Corps from the Army of Northern Virginia following Gettysburg, and he is critical of Longstreet's leadership while serving in Tennessee.
One of the most important sections of this book is the introduction. In it Freeman gives a statement of his conclusions about the War and about the lessons he believes should be drawn from his study. There is also an excellent biographical prelude covering briefly each of the chief actors in Freeman's story. I found it useful to read the introduction first and return to it upon completing the book to focus on points Freeman was trying to make.
In addition to the treatment of Gettysburg, I found Freeman's treatment of the death of "Jeb" Stuart and his story of the final retreat to Appomattox particularly moving and well done.
Throughout the book, Freeman emphasizes the toll combat took on the officer Corps of the Army. Stonewall Jackson's death at Chancellorsville was only the most severe blow to the leadership pool available to the Army. At Gettysburg and throughout the Wilderness Campaign beginning in 1864, the Confederacy lost heavily in gifted and able leaders that it could not adequately replace. The loss of command material, Freeman maintains, was a critical factor in the Confederate defeat.
The book is told almost entirely from the Confederate side of the line with little detailed consideration of the actions of the Union Army. Freeman obviously had a deep devotion to the South and to its cause in the Civil War. His book is still much more a work of history than of apologetics. His judgments of commanders and battles are fair and well stated. Freeman's study remains an indispensable source for understanding our country's greatest conflict.
Robin Friedman
Douglas S. Freeman's (1886-1953) "Lee's Lieutenant's: A Study in Command, vol. 3 (first published in 1944) is the final volume of his great study of the Army of Northern Virginia. It covers the Army from the Gettysburg Campaign, (June -- July, 1863) through the surrender at Appomattox in April, 1865.
This book is lengthy, (over 700 pages plus appendices) and I initially planned to read only the opening material on Gettysburg (about the first 200 pages) in which I have a special interest. I became fascinated with Freeman's writing and with his approach to the subject and had to finish the volume.
This book complements Freeman's earlier biography of Robert E. Lee, but its focus is on Lee's subordinates. Thus the long section on Gettysburg which opens the book considers in detail the actions and motivations of "Jeb" Stuart, Richard Ewell, and James Longstreet, three of Lee's chief Lieutenants. (A.P. Hill at Gettysburg gets less attention.) I had read materials critical of Freeman's account of Gettysburg before turning to his own writing. Even accepting much of the criticism, I was moved by Freeman's account of the Battle and I think I learned a great deal. Freeman is indeed critical of Longstreet but, in this late work, is much more measured and balanced than I had anticipated.
The book continues with excellent treatments of the War in the Eastern theater following Gettysburg. Freeman offers eloquent and judicious comments on the importance of this Battle to the Confederate cause. He treats well the Mine Run campaign in the winter of 1863 and the campaign from the Wilderness to Appomattox under General Grant which doomed the Confederacy. Freeman also examines the detachment of James Longstreet's Corps from the Army of Northern Virginia following Gettysburg, and he is critical of Longstreet's leadership while serving in Tennessee.
One of the most important sections of this book is the introduction. In it Freeman gives a statement of his conclusions about the War and about the lessons he believes should be drawn from his study. There is also an excellent biographical prelude covering briefly each of the chief actors in Freeman's story. I found it useful to read the introduction first and return to it upon completing the book to focus on points Freeman was trying to make.
In addition to the treatment of Gettysburg, I found Freeman's treatment of the death of "Jeb" Stuart and his story of the final retreat to Appomattox particularly moving and well done.
Throughout the book, Freeman emphasizes the toll combat took on the officer Corps of the Army. Stonewall Jackson's death at Chancellorsville was only the most severe blow to the leadership pool available to the Army. At Gettysburg and throughout the Wilderness Campaign beginning in 1864, the Confederacy lost heavily in gifted and able leaders that it could not adequately replace. The loss of command material, Freeman maintains, was a critical factor in the Confederate defeat.
The book is told almost entirely from the Confederate side of the line with little detailed consideration of the actions of the Union Army. Freeman obviously had a deep devotion to the South and to its cause in the Civil War. His book is still much more a work of history than of apologetics. His judgments of commanders and battles are fair and well stated. Freeman's study remains an indispensable source for understanding our country's greatest conflict.
Robin Friedman
November 6, 2020
Final volume in Freeman's series on the Civil War. While I think the confederate leadership should be branded as criminals there is utility in reading about their interaction and juxtapose it to today's concept of mission command.
April 3, 2022
The three volumes were an incredible, epic read. The detail and documentation are astonishing. The lessons learned for command and leadership (e.g., training subordinates to take over, the critical necessity of logistics and intelligence) make this a required read for anyone in a leadership position.
This is not a weekend at the beach book. This series takes time, bot just for the size (well over 2,000 pages between the three books), but it’s something to be read, contemplated, and lessons are to be drawn from them.
The three volumes were published during WW II (1942, 1943, and 1944), and General Patton read them during the war. After the war, Mrs Patton met up with Douglas Freeman and showed him the generals copies. He was very impressed by the folded pages, underlined script, and notes written in the book. This is a book to be read and absorbed. I wish I could have done that (My copy of General James Mattis “Call Sign CHAOS: Learning to lead” is written all over it), but my volume is an original set from the 40s. Can’t desecrate a 80 year old book like that! :)
Patton and Mattis consider this series a classic. Don’t get a better recommendation than that!
This is not a weekend at the beach book. This series takes time, bot just for the size (well over 2,000 pages between the three books), but it’s something to be read, contemplated, and lessons are to be drawn from them.
The three volumes were published during WW II (1942, 1943, and 1944), and General Patton read them during the war. After the war, Mrs Patton met up with Douglas Freeman and showed him the generals copies. He was very impressed by the folded pages, underlined script, and notes written in the book. This is a book to be read and absorbed. I wish I could have done that (My copy of General James Mattis “Call Sign CHAOS: Learning to lead” is written all over it), but my volume is an original set from the 40s. Can’t desecrate a 80 year old book like that! :)
Patton and Mattis consider this series a classic. Don’t get a better recommendation than that!
September 21, 2020
This a review of all three volumes of "Lee's Lieutenants". It has been a long time since I enjoyed a book as much as I did "Lee's Lieutenants". The author developed the personalities of all the Lieutenants to such great depth that by the time I finished reading the books, I felt that I actually knew these men. The degree of detail in the battles was amazing and I found myself not wanting to put the book(s) down. When Stonewall Jackson and JEB Stuart lost their lives I felt as though someone I knew had passed. These books also bring into great clarity how awful war is and toll it takes on everyone.
June 21, 2020
6/21/2020
October 22, 2009
(All three volumes) This is just a great read, that's all there is to it. The first part of the story, told in the first volume and a half, is the reason why so many white Southerners my age get all sentimental about The War and feel compelled to tell Yankee jokes. The second half of the story makes us pay for all that initial enthusiasm. It's three volumes, by the way. There is an abridged version out there too, advertised as "skillful" and "thoughtful." Don't believe it. Do NOT read the abridgment or you will never be taken seriously by anyone. Read the real thing, please.
March 27, 2015
Douglas Freeman's "Lee's Lieutenants Volume 3" was published in 1944 and covers General Robert E. Lee's Civil War command experiences from July 1863 (Gettysburg) to April 1865 (Appomattox). It is an outstanding history with exceptional primary source documentation. The book is rich in detail, well written, with great maps. It is the best reference I have read on the Civil War.
August 22, 2009
Freeman's writing is a bit stilted and florid for my taste but he captures the drama of the battlefield scenes with storytelling skill.
December 8, 2013
See Lee's Lieutenants, Vol. I
February 27, 2014
Winter reading project completed. Lee's Lieutenants, Volumes 1-3. This last volume was the toughest.
October 9, 2011
Good read of what we began to expect of Freeman. This never ending story is just that never ending.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews