Six Days in September: A Novel of Lee's Army in Maryland, 1862

by Alexander Rossino

Alex Rossino's Six Days in September is a gripping, fast-paced account of Robert E. Lee's 1862 campaign to win Southern independence by carrying the war north into Maryland. The thrust across the Potomac River triggered a determined Federal response when Gen. George McClellan led the reorganized and often defeated Army of the Potomac out of Washington's defenses in pursuit of a victory on Union soil. The resulting battles of South Mountain and Sharpsburg (Antietam) wreaked havoc on both armies, witnessed the bloodiest day in American history, and changed the course of the entire Civil War.

Deeply researched and written with close attention to the actual events, Rossino's seamless weaving of history and fiction transports readers into the minds of the Southern generals, the torn hearts of beleaguered civilians, and the ranks of Lee's long-suffering soldiers who endured the agonizing horrors of Civil War combat. Six Days in September is a panoramic, sweeping account of the complex and decisive Maryland Campaign that altered the destiny of our nation.

Genres: Fiction

318 pages, Paperback

Published September 11, 2017

Reviews

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six Days In September

On September 17, 1862, the Army of the Potomac commanded by General George B. McClellan met the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee in the fields near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The result was the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history and a pivotal moment of the Civil War. The battle ended the Confederacy's first invasion of the North and gave President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

The National Park Service administers the Antietam Battlefield and every year hosts an Independence Day celebration in commemoration of the battle. As a former employee of the Department of the Interior, I was able for some years to help organize a visit to the celebration for my colleagues. (The NPS provided us with parking passes.) I was fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know the battle and the dedicated individuals who work at the Park. The NPS also sponsors a Battlefield Illumination every September 17 to commemorate the battle.

There are many historical accounts of the Antietam Campaign but relatively few novels. Alexander Rossino's "Six Days in September: A Novel of Lee's Army in Maryland" (2017) is being released in mid-September to coincide with the anniversary of the Antietam Campaign. The author is a historian who specializes in WW II. He wrote a book "Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology, and Atrocity" (2003) and worked at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. for ten years. Rossino has had a lifelong interest in the Civil War. He has put his skills as a historian and his passion for the Civil War to excellent account in this novel.

The novel offers a history of the Antietam Campaign from the Army of Northern Virginia side of the line. The voices in the story are Confederate, both from the Army and from civilian sympathizers to the Confederacy in the town of Sharpsburg. Although probably not intended, this approach offers a timely and to a degree contrarian perspective on the battle in view of current events and interest in the Civil War. The book gives a great deal of attention to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, two leading Confederate generals at Antietam. Lee and Jackson are receiving a great deal of negative attention as many communities and organizations are removing monuments or other commemorations in their memory. The situations are not parallel; but, still, this novel seems to run headlong into these efforts. Rossino's novel shows slavery as driving force behind the War and does not adopt the "Lost Cause" view that arose after the conflict. It does, however, offer a look at the Confederate soldiers and their leadership that emphasizes their commitment to their cause and to what they deemed as freedom and independence, and their fortitude, bravery, and resourcefulness against a larger, better-equipped foe. It is valuable to understand historical events from the perspective of the participants in these events in addition to considering and judging by present-day values.

Rossino's book is effective both as a history and as a novel. The novel begins on September 13, 1862 and continues through September 18, the day after the battle. After a brief stage-setting, Rossino shows how Lee became aware that McClellan and the Union Army had discovered the Confederate battle plans (the "lost order"). Lee had dangerously divided his Army. The Confederates had to rush to unite the widely dispersed portions of their Army to prevent possible annihilation. The book covers the Battle of South Mountain and the Battle of Antietam. More than that, the book shows a great deal of the Confederate leadership, including Lee, Longstreet, Jackson, Stuart, D.H. Hill, and A.P. Hill, their aides, and the fighting men, in addition to Lee's slaves.

Rossino knows the battle well. He uses the license of a novelist to get inside the minds and hearts of the characters in a way that casts light on the historical record. The characters and situations are well-developed and the book flows well and eloquently. It works to a climax with the sheer ferocity and blood-letting of the Battle of Antietam itself. The reader can reflect upon the audacity, if not foolhardiness, of Lee's decision to stay and fight at Antietam, with the attendant risks to the Army and the large loss of life, notwithstanding the courage and tactical brilliance of much of the defense.

I was moved by this novel which encouraged me to think about Antietam again.. Readers with a good background in the Civil War will see many parallels between Antietam and the Gettysburg Campaign of the following year. This book is published by Savas Beatie which publishes history. with a focus on the Civil War, but little fiction. Savas Beatie kindly sent me this book in Galley Proof format to review. The book is an outstanding work of Civil War fiction on a specific battle in the tradition of Sharaa's novel "The Killer Angels" and Shelby Foote's novel, "Shiloh".

Robin Friedman

[Matthew Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first heard that publisher Savas Beatie was publishing a novel, I was intrigued. For my own memory, they were always a publishing house of excellent non fiction works spanning most of American History. But when I read the synopsis of Six Days in September, I was even more interested. The Battle of Antietam, and the campaign which surrounds it, is a subject that lends itself to fiction quite well. The subtitle, A novel of Lee’s Army in Maryland, 1862, made me even more intrigued that we would be getting a Confederate view of the battle as the main focus. Alexander B. Rossino is an award winning historian who has written such works like Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology, and Atrocity. He spent a great deal of time working at the United States Holocaust Museum while writing articles and reviews. His fascination with the Civil War peaked again when he moved to Boonsboro, Maryland close to South Mountain. There, he began the writing of this book with extensive research on the subject. The Battle of Antietam has been written about many times before, but there was something about this novel which seemed to ring true with me. Overall, I felt that the author’s perspective of the Confederate commanders was interesting and yet refreshing. The story followed the Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland where Lee is looking for that final victory which would bring about the end of the war. The narrative which flows from this simple idea for the plot makes Six Days in September something to recommend to all. The Lee we get in this novel is exhausted by the string of mistakes and disappointments he faces. With the refusal to evacuate at Harper’s Ferry, to the lost plans which fell into the hands of General McClellan, Lee is painted in a different light than I have seen in other novels. But it is not just commanders who get the treatment in the novel. The soldiers are written about for their hardships during the war and even the civilians in Sharpsburg are written as well. Sometimes when writing a novel about the Civil War, one can focus on the commanders too often. I was glad to see the soldier life and the civilian life presented here in this work. Six Days in September not only shows the hardship of command, but also shows the humanity of the war itself by bringing those previously mentioned viewpoints. At the same time, this novel seeks to inform and entertain. Those who have little knowledge on the battle will find suitable information in this binding. I highly recommend this novel. I was pleased to see that even though this is a work of fiction, the information within the binding of this volume is incredible for all. Rossino’s grasp of the narrative is captivating and often gives the viewpoint of the human side of the war from all those who fought during this campaign. The tragedy which was taken on those Maryland fields is wholly felt in this book. Highly recommended.

Matthew Bartlett

[Courtney Odor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great historical tale.
Overall 5 out of 5 stars Performance 5 out of 5 stars Story 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 05-21-19

First, I have to start off by stating that I got this book free of charge in exchange for a review, but as I always state, this does not in any way impact my review. My reviews are always honest and my own.

Those who have little knowledge of the battle will find suitable information in this binding. I highly recommend this novel. I was pleased to see that even though this is a work of fiction, the information within the binding of this volume is incredible for all. Rossino’s grasp of the narrative is captivating and often gives the viewpoint of the human side of the war from all those who fought during this campaign.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I was disappointed at times by the focus on characters that really weren't central to the story. It seemed to take a long time to get the story moving, and then the action from the sunken road through the end of the book was covered very quickly. It almost felt like the author had just run out of interest and wanted to finish the book. The editing was terrible.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a less robust and polished version of Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels," but it takes place at Antietam rather than Gettysburg . The text is full of grammatical and proofreading errors which seem to increase as the narrative goes on. It's a decent story but the civilian characters are not well developed and the technical errors in the text distract from the flow of the plot.