Lee's Lieutenants, Vol. II: Cedar Mountain to Chancellorsville

Lee's Lieutenants #2

by Douglas Southall Freeman

Jackson carries through as the central figure of this volume. The history of the Army from Cedar Mountain to Sharpsburg and back again to Rappahannock is, in its finest lines, his military biography. By the Spring of 1863, "Old Jack" personifies the mobility, the resolution and the offensive daring of the Army, and his death is a defeat that cancels all the gains at Chancellorsville.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War, Military History, American History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

760 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

The 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.

Reviews

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Douglas Freeman's book, "Lee's Lieutenants Volume 2" covers the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Spring 1862 to the death of Stonewall Jackson in May1863. My edition was published in 1943 and the writing as well as research is exceptional. I was mesmerized by the descriptions of Sharpsburg and Chancellorsville battles. This book is a classic and a "must read" for military history fans.

[Mike Thiac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without question, one of the greatest books on military command ever written. George Patton received the set during World War II and referred to it often. The lessons learned never change.

Not trying to put spoilers in this review, but it shows again the critical need to integrate multiple functions of a large organization, in this case an army. Communications, simple and understandable, are an asset you cannot live without. Ike is quoted as saying, "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." The actions of the Army of Northern Virginia (and its subordinate units) showed how essential planning is, and the need to have an adequate staff to handled the planning mission. Also, you must have a functioning personnel system to field good people as the organization goes. Commanders (or other chief executive officers, presidents of companies, etc.) must train their subordinates and have them ready to take over then needed. You also see how ego works in the process, and how superiors must manage it. Enough to keep the men working to achieve, not enough for them to believe they are the mission, as opposed to the mission.

I said it with Volume I, this is not weekend at the beach reading, this is akin to a serious history book. But the issues, and the lessons learned, require such. I generally don't take over two months to read a 700-page book, but this requires it. It can be a bit of a tedious read, but it is well worth it for any military history student or scholar of the art of command.

[Joe Sharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy cow! Do you want unbelievable detail about the civil war from the South’s leadership perspective? This is it (along with volume #1 and probably volume #3).

When I could focus, this was fascinating. When I couldn’t focus, it was tedious.

General “Stonewall” Jackson is killed by his own troops at the end of this volume; the beginning of the end for the south.

[Jdb · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my comments on Volume I....Douglas Freeman is an American literary treasure in the biography genre.

[Garry · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/8/2020

[Alex Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Style. This is a great book, although I suspect its revolutionary writing style has lost a certain something.

Freeman wrote using the "Fog of War" technique -- he presents you with all the data the commanding general knew at the time, and reviewed the possible actions that made sense given the training they'd received and lessons experienced.

This has become copied all too frequently...because it's a great technique for military history. Coddington's The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command uses the same style, with great success...but Freeman uses footnotes (for far easier reference) whereas Coddington clumsily writes two books in one: the endnotes worth studying, and the text itself.

Substance. The book is well written, focusing on tactical matters as well as logistical concerns. I felt Freeman doesn't give logistics its due focus.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'd estimate 95% of the books analysis is tactical, 4.999% strategic, and the remaining negligible amount logistical.

Allow me to defend this: the fog-of-war technique is used exclusively for tactical problems in the middle of a battle...or more seldom when deciding how to manoeuvre the troops, with the underlying aim for tactical concerns.

As far as supplying the troops, food, munition concerns, and so on (you know, the actual "meat and potatoes" of military theory)...well, here Freeman comes up short.

[H.h. Viens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not actually reading this particular edition. I have a copy of the 1946 edition, in the original slipcase from my father's library. It is fascinating, although the language is a little formal, its a good read. What's sort of interesting is that when this book was written in 1936 the Civil War had ended only 71 years prior. About the same amount of time has passed since the book was written. Still very contemporary, but it does say something about the perspective my Dad had on the Civil War, somewhat similar I guess to my take on WW2.

[David Antis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-thirds of the way through my winter reading project, "Lee's Lieutenants" by Douglas Southall Freeman. Terrific details and language. Even after more than 40 years of studying the Civil War, there was much to learn of the relationships and disagreements between Confederate leaders. Hope to finish Volume III by the start of the new year.

[Jonnie Enloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is far more interesting to me probably due to the war having developed and munitions and war materiel amassed. The slaughter just goes on though as it turns into a nightmare that no one can ever wake up from

[William P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An introduction my James McPherson abridged by another great civil war author Stephen Sears.
Sears took the three volume original publication and combined it into one. I do not know if there is any value to read the three volumes.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

See Lee's Lieutenants, Vol. I