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Three Months in the Southern States: April-June 1863
The American Civil War was at a turning point in 1863 when Lt. Col. Arthur J. L. Fremantle of the British Coldstream Guards toured the Confederacy. Mildly predisposed toward the Union side because of his dislike of slavery, he was soon awakened to the gallantry of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and his generals, ordinary Johnny Rebs, and the women left at home. From April to early July 1863—the critical period of campaigns at Vicksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg—Fremantle traveled from the Texas frontier to northern Virginia, recording in a diary his experience of the war. Three Months in the Southern States, published upon his return to England later in the year, has long been considered a classic of wartime writing, especially in its description of the Battle of Gettysburg. Filled with biographical vignettes of Lee, Davis, Stonewall Jackson, Sam Houston, and others, this book offers a kaleidoscopic view of the Confederacy at floodtide.
330 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1863
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Arthur James Lyon Fremantle
13 books6 followersGeneral Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, GCMG, CB
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September 29, 2025
When historians look at a primary source, it is often to cut and run. You go to the part of the source that deals with your subject, and that is it. In the case of Arthur Fremantle's Three Months in the Southern States, I decided to read the whole thing. I logged which passages I found interesting or useful for later books.
Fremantle was an officer in the British army. His service was long but generally uneventful outside of a stint in Sudan during the Mahdist War. He is mostly known for being a tourist in the midst of the American Civil War. He did this in the summer of 1863, moving from Brownsville to New York City, witnessing the turn of the tide against the Confederates, and seeing part of every Confederate state save Arkansas and Florida.
Fremantle was in Mississippi when Ulysses Grant surrounded Vicksburg. He was with the Army of Tennessee right before the Tullahoma Campaign and at Charleston a few weeks before the main Union offensive began. Most of all, he was at Gettysburg and saw the New York City Draft Riots. His passage on the aftermath of Pickett's Charge is superb both as prose and as a source for Confederate actions after the doomed attack on Cemetery Ridge. In those moments, one can see why Robert E. Lee was so venerated by his men during and after the war.
Along the way Fremantle met leading Confederates such as Jefferson Davis, Judah P. Benjamin, Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, P.G.T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, and a host of others. With most meetings he included his personal observations. He was rarely critical, and even humorous, such as noting that Beauregard's hair was going white due to a lack of hair dye or Lee's amiability, which he described as "excessive." Davis, unsurprisingly, mused over the quality of despair while talking with Fremantle and Benjamin. Of all the Confederates he met, he left the strongest and most positive impressions of Longstreet. In particular, one sees Longstreet's sarcasm. When some Pennsylvania women complained that their hogs were being seized, Longstreet replied, " Yes, madam, it's very sad very sad; and this sort of thing has been going on in Virginia more than two years—very sad."
As a travel log, the diary is not a page-turner. Yet, there is a lot of variation. In Texas he often wrote of lynching and lawlessness. In Mississippi he witnessed devastation and cruelty and was himself nearly killed in Jackson. In Tennessee he was treated with hospitality by Bragg and his officers. Leonidas Polk in particular won him over, and Polk's assertion, "How can you subjugate such a people as this?" becomes the book's thesis. Namely that the Confederates, whatever their flaws and military weaknesses, are a determined people fighting against "a war of aggression, ambition, and conquest."
Fremantle's assertion that the South is right is, for him, an about-face. He mentioned that in 1861 he backed the Union due to the Confederacy's embrace of slavery. On his travels, Fremantle constantly commented on the condition of slaves, attended a slave market, and included many anecdotes. In particular, he wrote of two slaves who were not interested in emancipation: John the barber and Nelson the stagecoach driver. What each had in common was a master who gave them wide latitude, allowing them to work for money, which meant they were well dressed. They represented a kind of slave professional class that might lose their status in a world without slavery. One can find evidence of similar attitudes among large sections of the free people of color of New Orleans during the era and in other oppressed groups in history, whether that be the Irish middle class of the 1800s or the black middle class of Apartheid South Africa.
To be fair, Fremantle did not come away from his encounter with slavery without negative comments. He noted that the Confederates were unlikely to free their slaves for combat due to the economic cost and general racist fears of armed ex-slaves. More tellingly, amid his comments on well-dressed slave women and a slave guarding a Union prisoner, there is an incident in Louisiana that is arresting. As he approached the Mississippi River, two Rebel soldiers fooled a slave into thinking they were Union men. The slave then asked to join them and offered to steal his master's horse. The slave was beaten with rods. John and Nelson might be doing better than most, but the unnamed slave certainly was not.
What partially converted Fremantle to the Southern cause was the zeal of the people for independence and his own encounters with the North. Fremantle was impressed with Confederate leaders and soldiers, who he described as having "a sort of devil-may-care, reckless, self-confident look, which is decidedly taking." More importantly, Fremantle was an elite Englishman hanging around elite Southerners. He was happy to report that Southerners imitated English accents, words, and manners. They declare themselves to be Anglophiles, with the only exception being their veneration for Napoleon. As such, Fremantle is flattered by men of the same class.
By contrast, when Fremantle reached Union lines, he was threatened with hanging. Although he was well received by Benjamin Franklin Kelley and other Union officers, he found their soldiers unimpressive. He mocks the Pennsylvania militia. He found the North a land of plenty, and many of its elite men were unwilling to sacrifice life or even money in the war. While conceding the North had the advantage of numbers and resources, Fremantle believed they were lacking in spirit and, to a lesser degree, generalship.
Fremantle's final days in America also did nothing to encourage a change of heart. In New York City he witnessed the draft riots and men screaming "Kill all niggers!" In that moment, Fremantle confronted popular anger, which he despised, and racism. For his time, Fremantle certainly was not a racist. He thought blacks would make great soldiers, and he was constantly impressed by the slaves he met. Although he thought slavery was less cruel than he expected, it remained the part of Southern society he found most wanting. Indeed, as befitting an Englishman of his time, he has meaner things to say about the Irish than any other ethnic group, mentioning "American ideas of Ireland's wrongs, and all that sort of trash."
Fremantle believed the right of national self-determination outweighed the evil of slavery, but he was not a deep or philosophical thinker, more a curious traveler with a knack for anecdotes and personal observation. The diary works on many levels. In the end, the diary is not a great read but is engaging, and far less dry than most. It contains a wealth of incidents and observations, both personal and social. Anyone writing about Vicksburg, Gettysburg, or the New York City Draft Riots must read it. Lastly, it offers the musings of an elite Englishman as he observes two of mankind's most persistent evils: war and slavery. In Fremantle's case, he found war, at least in 1863, to be the greater evil of the two.
Fremantle was an officer in the British army. His service was long but generally uneventful outside of a stint in Sudan during the Mahdist War. He is mostly known for being a tourist in the midst of the American Civil War. He did this in the summer of 1863, moving from Brownsville to New York City, witnessing the turn of the tide against the Confederates, and seeing part of every Confederate state save Arkansas and Florida.
Fremantle was in Mississippi when Ulysses Grant surrounded Vicksburg. He was with the Army of Tennessee right before the Tullahoma Campaign and at Charleston a few weeks before the main Union offensive began. Most of all, he was at Gettysburg and saw the New York City Draft Riots. His passage on the aftermath of Pickett's Charge is superb both as prose and as a source for Confederate actions after the doomed attack on Cemetery Ridge. In those moments, one can see why Robert E. Lee was so venerated by his men during and after the war.
Along the way Fremantle met leading Confederates such as Jefferson Davis, Judah P. Benjamin, Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, P.G.T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, and a host of others. With most meetings he included his personal observations. He was rarely critical, and even humorous, such as noting that Beauregard's hair was going white due to a lack of hair dye or Lee's amiability, which he described as "excessive." Davis, unsurprisingly, mused over the quality of despair while talking with Fremantle and Benjamin. Of all the Confederates he met, he left the strongest and most positive impressions of Longstreet. In particular, one sees Longstreet's sarcasm. When some Pennsylvania women complained that their hogs were being seized, Longstreet replied, " Yes, madam, it's very sad very sad; and this sort of thing has been going on in Virginia more than two years—very sad."
As a travel log, the diary is not a page-turner. Yet, there is a lot of variation. In Texas he often wrote of lynching and lawlessness. In Mississippi he witnessed devastation and cruelty and was himself nearly killed in Jackson. In Tennessee he was treated with hospitality by Bragg and his officers. Leonidas Polk in particular won him over, and Polk's assertion, "How can you subjugate such a people as this?" becomes the book's thesis. Namely that the Confederates, whatever their flaws and military weaknesses, are a determined people fighting against "a war of aggression, ambition, and conquest."
Fremantle's assertion that the South is right is, for him, an about-face. He mentioned that in 1861 he backed the Union due to the Confederacy's embrace of slavery. On his travels, Fremantle constantly commented on the condition of slaves, attended a slave market, and included many anecdotes. In particular, he wrote of two slaves who were not interested in emancipation: John the barber and Nelson the stagecoach driver. What each had in common was a master who gave them wide latitude, allowing them to work for money, which meant they were well dressed. They represented a kind of slave professional class that might lose their status in a world without slavery. One can find evidence of similar attitudes among large sections of the free people of color of New Orleans during the era and in other oppressed groups in history, whether that be the Irish middle class of the 1800s or the black middle class of Apartheid South Africa.
To be fair, Fremantle did not come away from his encounter with slavery without negative comments. He noted that the Confederates were unlikely to free their slaves for combat due to the economic cost and general racist fears of armed ex-slaves. More tellingly, amid his comments on well-dressed slave women and a slave guarding a Union prisoner, there is an incident in Louisiana that is arresting. As he approached the Mississippi River, two Rebel soldiers fooled a slave into thinking they were Union men. The slave then asked to join them and offered to steal his master's horse. The slave was beaten with rods. John and Nelson might be doing better than most, but the unnamed slave certainly was not.
What partially converted Fremantle to the Southern cause was the zeal of the people for independence and his own encounters with the North. Fremantle was impressed with Confederate leaders and soldiers, who he described as having "a sort of devil-may-care, reckless, self-confident look, which is decidedly taking." More importantly, Fremantle was an elite Englishman hanging around elite Southerners. He was happy to report that Southerners imitated English accents, words, and manners. They declare themselves to be Anglophiles, with the only exception being their veneration for Napoleon. As such, Fremantle is flattered by men of the same class.
By contrast, when Fremantle reached Union lines, he was threatened with hanging. Although he was well received by Benjamin Franklin Kelley and other Union officers, he found their soldiers unimpressive. He mocks the Pennsylvania militia. He found the North a land of plenty, and many of its elite men were unwilling to sacrifice life or even money in the war. While conceding the North had the advantage of numbers and resources, Fremantle believed they were lacking in spirit and, to a lesser degree, generalship.
Fremantle's final days in America also did nothing to encourage a change of heart. In New York City he witnessed the draft riots and men screaming "Kill all niggers!" In that moment, Fremantle confronted popular anger, which he despised, and racism. For his time, Fremantle certainly was not a racist. He thought blacks would make great soldiers, and he was constantly impressed by the slaves he met. Although he thought slavery was less cruel than he expected, it remained the part of Southern society he found most wanting. Indeed, as befitting an Englishman of his time, he has meaner things to say about the Irish than any other ethnic group, mentioning "American ideas of Ireland's wrongs, and all that sort of trash."
Fremantle believed the right of national self-determination outweighed the evil of slavery, but he was not a deep or philosophical thinker, more a curious traveler with a knack for anecdotes and personal observation. The diary works on many levels. In the end, the diary is not a great read but is engaging, and far less dry than most. It contains a wealth of incidents and observations, both personal and social. Anyone writing about Vicksburg, Gettysburg, or the New York City Draft Riots must read it. Lastly, it offers the musings of an elite Englishman as he observes two of mankind's most persistent evils: war and slavery. In Fremantle's case, he found war, at least in 1863, to be the greater evil of the two.
March 16, 2023
“Nowhere is the ignorance of what is passing in the South more profound than it is in the Northern States.” Fremantle 1864
A fascinating primary document from the height of the Civil War: An English officer traverses the Confederacy, interviewing the leaders and soldiers. His assessment: even after Gettysburg the South could have won. Granted, by that time he had Stockholm Syndrome symptoms. His northern contacts didn’t enlighten him otherwise.
“All these [sectional] interests disappeared when the war ended. People wanted only to forget, and the diary was buried with the past. Today, the national mood has changed. Sectional bitterness has given way to a common pride in the glory and courage of both sides.” Walter Lord, 1954
On the other hand, as the preceding quote indicates the 1954 editor missed the mark entirely.
“A people in which all ranks and both sexes display a unanimity and a heroism which can never have been surpassed in the history of the world is destined, sooner or later, to become a great and independent nation.” Fremantle
Fremantle’s journey and journal were equally amazing. Landing in Mexico, he traveled across the south, sharing public transportation and accommodations with common travelers, connecting with Confederate leaders whenever possible, who usually welcomed him into their confidences and occasionally their staff, all the time understanding he had no official standing (but perhaps still hoping England might save them). To return home, he traversed the North as far as New York City and shared passage to England with Northern partisans.
“But the mass of respectable Northerners, although they may be willing to pay, do not very naturally feel themselves called upon to give their blood in a war of aggression, ambition, and conquest.” Fremantle
A fascinating primary document from the height of the Civil War: An English officer traverses the Confederacy, interviewing the leaders and soldiers. His assessment: even after Gettysburg the South could have won. Granted, by that time he had Stockholm Syndrome symptoms. His northern contacts didn’t enlighten him otherwise.
“All these [sectional] interests disappeared when the war ended. People wanted only to forget, and the diary was buried with the past. Today, the national mood has changed. Sectional bitterness has given way to a common pride in the glory and courage of both sides.” Walter Lord, 1954
On the other hand, as the preceding quote indicates the 1954 editor missed the mark entirely.
“A people in which all ranks and both sexes display a unanimity and a heroism which can never have been surpassed in the history of the world is destined, sooner or later, to become a great and independent nation.” Fremantle
Fremantle’s journey and journal were equally amazing. Landing in Mexico, he traveled across the south, sharing public transportation and accommodations with common travelers, connecting with Confederate leaders whenever possible, who usually welcomed him into their confidences and occasionally their staff, all the time understanding he had no official standing (but perhaps still hoping England might save them). To return home, he traversed the North as far as New York City and shared passage to England with Northern partisans.
“But the mass of respectable Northerners, although they may be willing to pay, do not very naturally feel themselves called upon to give their blood in a war of aggression, ambition, and conquest.” Fremantle
May 20, 2018
An outstanding travelogue. The detail of the people and places are awesome. The author may be a good soldier but he is a terrible judge of battles and the Confederacy. How he got his high rank is a mystery. I would think that such an officer from a professional army would not be so easily hoodwinked.
September 4, 2020
I'm fairly impressed with how much this man accomplished in three months. Seeing so much of the South and meeting so many top Confederate generals. I wonder if much of why they were so gracious to him was in hopes that he would solidify support for Great Britain entering the war on the side of the Confederacy.
I found the portions devoted to particular issues very enlightening (I wont get into specifics to avoid spoilers):
Strategically - Speaking with Longstreet right after the battle of Gettysburg (to get his initial thoughts on why Picketts charge failed), and why Lee chose to retreat to Virginia after that battle.
Tactically- How both sides cavalries battled one another. What the artillerists tending to the artillery horses did during battle.
This book has a pro Southern slant to it, at least in comparison to how the author described both sides (although he only spent a few days in the North).
The firsthand description of the New York Draft riots seems very accurate from what I've read of them, as was his views on the battle of Gettysburg. If the rest of his memoir is as honest and truthful as these portions then this addition to the historical record certainly helps make up for the fact that he was a Southern sympathizer.
I found the portions devoted to particular issues very enlightening (I wont get into specifics to avoid spoilers):
Strategically - Speaking with Longstreet right after the battle of Gettysburg (to get his initial thoughts on why Picketts charge failed), and why Lee chose to retreat to Virginia after that battle.
Tactically- How both sides cavalries battled one another. What the artillerists tending to the artillery horses did during battle.
This book has a pro Southern slant to it, at least in comparison to how the author described both sides (although he only spent a few days in the North).
The firsthand description of the New York Draft riots seems very accurate from what I've read of them, as was his views on the battle of Gettysburg. If the rest of his memoir is as honest and truthful as these portions then this addition to the historical record certainly helps make up for the fact that he was a Southern sympathizer.
July 9, 2014
A short, interesting, and very readable account of Fremantle's travels throughout the Confederacy during the year 1863. I like books written by first hand eyewitnesses to the Civil War, and this one is even more interesting due to the fact that it was published while the war was still going on. Fremantle ends the work predicting a Confederate victory, so one would be hard pressed to accuse him of revisionism or hindsight.
A nice feature of his excursion is that he traveled to so many different parts of the Confederacy. We get tales from the wilds of Texas, rattlesnakes and Yankee gunboats on the Mississippi, a decent account of Bragg's army in Tennessee, Charleston and its defenses, Richmond life, the Army of Northern Virginia during the Gettysburg Campaign, and to top it off, the race riots in New York. The hardships of war life are portrayed admirably, as is the stiff upper lip put on by the victims in the South. He runs into nearly every big name of the South alive at the time: Bragg, Beauregard, Polk, Hardee, Joe Johnson, Magruder, the fire-eater Rhetts, Judah Benjamin, Jefferson Davis, Longstreet, Ewell, Hill, and of course General Lee, who Fremantle describes not unreasonably as the pinnacle of human perfection.
Fremantle is an exception for his time in that he is a British aristocrat who looks favorably upon the Confederacy and is not particularly bothered by the South's "peculiar institution." He goes out of his way to show slavery in a positive light, with masters treating their beloved negroes with respect and earning their love in return. How much of this is driven by fear of the whip, propaganda against what the Yankees would do to them, or genuine affection for people they have known their entire lives, is hard to tell. Fremantle does show some degree of revulsion to a slave trade auction and is sure to mention all decent Southerners deplore it as a necessary evil. While I'm more than certain he overstates the case, Fremantle does provide a counterweight to Northern propaganda, which wasn't exactly dedicated to the straight and unquestionable truth, either.
Militarily, the great event is the Battle of Gettysburg, which Fremantle was on hand to witness as a guest of Lee and Longstreet. While certainly recognizable as Gettysburg, his account is sufficiently different to raise eyebrows among anyone who has studied the battle in depth. That shouldn't be a great surprise, as he didn't have anything other than his own perspective to report. In times of crises, all sorts of rumors fly; I still remember CNN reporting the White House had been struck during 9/11. There are some certain points one should get out of his account. For starters, Lee was still creating plans with Longstreet on the morning of the 2nd; there was no "dawn attack" plan, regardless of what Early had to say. Secondly, Lee was surprisingly hands off once the battle got going. Fremantle states that Lee sat on a stump for the second day's battle, receiving and sending off a total of one report. Perhaps the most surprising thing I read in this book was how Longstreet responded to the repulse of Pickett's Charge (which Fremantle missed, having gone off looking for a better vantage point). Longstreet is busy trying to build up a defense, but once it is clear the Yankees are not going to launch a counter attack, he's surprisingly cheerful for a man who personally knew a great number of the people who had literally just died violent deaths in front of him. By the 4th, he's making jokes with a Federal messenger who came under a flag of truce to report Longstreet had been wounded and captured but would be treated well. Granted, if somebody told me I had been wounded and captured when I was safe and sound in my own lines, I might laugh, too.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book. For someone new to the Civil War, I would recommend something more perspective in hindsight to start you out, but for anyone familiar I would absolutely recommend it (I found it for free on Kindle). It's definitely an interesting at the time account and a reminder of what kind of evidence we are dealing with as historians.
A nice feature of his excursion is that he traveled to so many different parts of the Confederacy. We get tales from the wilds of Texas, rattlesnakes and Yankee gunboats on the Mississippi, a decent account of Bragg's army in Tennessee, Charleston and its defenses, Richmond life, the Army of Northern Virginia during the Gettysburg Campaign, and to top it off, the race riots in New York. The hardships of war life are portrayed admirably, as is the stiff upper lip put on by the victims in the South. He runs into nearly every big name of the South alive at the time: Bragg, Beauregard, Polk, Hardee, Joe Johnson, Magruder, the fire-eater Rhetts, Judah Benjamin, Jefferson Davis, Longstreet, Ewell, Hill, and of course General Lee, who Fremantle describes not unreasonably as the pinnacle of human perfection.
Fremantle is an exception for his time in that he is a British aristocrat who looks favorably upon the Confederacy and is not particularly bothered by the South's "peculiar institution." He goes out of his way to show slavery in a positive light, with masters treating their beloved negroes with respect and earning their love in return. How much of this is driven by fear of the whip, propaganda against what the Yankees would do to them, or genuine affection for people they have known their entire lives, is hard to tell. Fremantle does show some degree of revulsion to a slave trade auction and is sure to mention all decent Southerners deplore it as a necessary evil. While I'm more than certain he overstates the case, Fremantle does provide a counterweight to Northern propaganda, which wasn't exactly dedicated to the straight and unquestionable truth, either.
Militarily, the great event is the Battle of Gettysburg, which Fremantle was on hand to witness as a guest of Lee and Longstreet. While certainly recognizable as Gettysburg, his account is sufficiently different to raise eyebrows among anyone who has studied the battle in depth. That shouldn't be a great surprise, as he didn't have anything other than his own perspective to report. In times of crises, all sorts of rumors fly; I still remember CNN reporting the White House had been struck during 9/11. There are some certain points one should get out of his account. For starters, Lee was still creating plans with Longstreet on the morning of the 2nd; there was no "dawn attack" plan, regardless of what Early had to say. Secondly, Lee was surprisingly hands off once the battle got going. Fremantle states that Lee sat on a stump for the second day's battle, receiving and sending off a total of one report. Perhaps the most surprising thing I read in this book was how Longstreet responded to the repulse of Pickett's Charge (which Fremantle missed, having gone off looking for a better vantage point). Longstreet is busy trying to build up a defense, but once it is clear the Yankees are not going to launch a counter attack, he's surprisingly cheerful for a man who personally knew a great number of the people who had literally just died violent deaths in front of him. By the 4th, he's making jokes with a Federal messenger who came under a flag of truce to report Longstreet had been wounded and captured but would be treated well. Granted, if somebody told me I had been wounded and captured when I was safe and sound in my own lines, I might laugh, too.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book. For someone new to the Civil War, I would recommend something more perspective in hindsight to start you out, but for anyone familiar I would absolutely recommend it (I found it for free on Kindle). It's definitely an interesting at the time account and a reminder of what kind of evidence we are dealing with as historians.
December 23, 2019
In the 1993 movie Gettysburg there is a a character played by James Lancaster called Lieut. Col. Arthur Fremantle. That's the first I'd ever heard of this real world soldier and traveler. This book (in slightly mangled form) was available free on the Project Gutenburg website so I decided to give it a read.
It's interesting in that it gives us a picture of the American south very different from what gets in Gone with the Wind or Uncle Tom's Cabin. The observer is British, sees nothing inherently evil in slavery (or at least doesn't seem to given his journal entries) and is very much reporting on what he sees day to day.
Freemantle was very much a "Joe Friday" sort of diarist with most of his entries being pithy and very fact based with no involved commentary about what he's observing. He's smart and observant but not much of a deep thinker. What makes it especially interesting is how his cultural and historical biases slip in anyway. In addition this was not initially intended for publication but more as a record that he could use when preparing a report to those to whom he reported.
I found it interesting on several levels. It was fun to see some additional backstory on a character that I'd first met in a movie. It was interesting to see what aspects of this book made it into the film. I'm STILL curious and a bit unclear about just how much of the "Darwin discussion" that occurs in the film was created by the screen writers and how much was based on this and other source material.
Overall, an interesting read for fans of the film and for civil war history buffs. And no one can call this revisionist history. It was actually published before the end of the war with Freemantle predicting that the south would win due their more firmly held beliefs, the general unrest in the North(He'd observed the NYC Draft Riots) and the influence of the "typical" Irish.
It's interesting in that it gives us a picture of the American south very different from what gets in Gone with the Wind or Uncle Tom's Cabin. The observer is British, sees nothing inherently evil in slavery (or at least doesn't seem to given his journal entries) and is very much reporting on what he sees day to day.
Freemantle was very much a "Joe Friday" sort of diarist with most of his entries being pithy and very fact based with no involved commentary about what he's observing. He's smart and observant but not much of a deep thinker. What makes it especially interesting is how his cultural and historical biases slip in anyway. In addition this was not initially intended for publication but more as a record that he could use when preparing a report to those to whom he reported.
I found it interesting on several levels. It was fun to see some additional backstory on a character that I'd first met in a movie. It was interesting to see what aspects of this book made it into the film. I'm STILL curious and a bit unclear about just how much of the "Darwin discussion" that occurs in the film was created by the screen writers and how much was based on this and other source material.
Overall, an interesting read for fans of the film and for civil war history buffs. And no one can call this revisionist history. It was actually published before the end of the war with Freemantle predicting that the south would win due their more firmly held beliefs, the general unrest in the North(He'd observed the NYC Draft Riots) and the influence of the "typical" Irish.
May 18, 2020
I’m fascinated by old travelogues and I consider this Victorian diary to be among the top! Although it’s certainly not for everyone - if you want to enjoy it to fullest, you need to know some historical background.
So, the main protagonist decides to make an adventurous trip. Privately (absolutely no business reasons), traveling alone and using his regular holidays. Where? To the Confederate States of America. His goal? To watch and personally experience the American Civil War! And a reason for such a voyage? Well, the author took part in several small-talks about politics in London's salons and found out, that due to military blockade, there was scarce and limited information about what was really going on in the deep American South… So he simply packed his suitcase and went to check it out in person!
Not only did he manage to make this trip and survive. In fact, he completely over-achieved his original goal. In three months, the author crossed the whole South – starting from Texas and ending by crossing the frontline in Pennsylvania. But what is really astonishing, he managed to meet perhaps all the top people who meant something in the South: Lee, Davis, Benjamin, Longstreet… hell, Fremantle shook hands and talked to all the celebrities! And thanks to a stroke of luck but also his personal charm, they all wrote him letters of recommendation. So he basically ended up with having all doors wide-open everywhere. Fremantle traveled both VIP trains and rode old, lame horses. He shared tents with soldiers and slept in luxurious residences of the southern aristocracy. The very top generals shared with him their campaign plans, but he also witnessed deep troubles of ordinary war refugees.
To put it in the contemporary context: what Fremantle really achieved, is similar to me deciding to make a road trip in USA during the current pandemic crisis. And just as side-effect, on my way I happen to personally meet Donald Trump, Obama, chief hygienist, Beyoncé, Brad Pitt, but also Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. And I take a selfie with each of them. Well, much more than selfie: I would sleep in their houses, have long thoughtful debates about their future plans, and on departure, they would provide me with their car and a driver so I can move to another destination…
Colonel Fremantle resembles a comic strip character or a fictional hero from adventure novels of Jules Verne. Except that Fremantle really did exist! A Victorian officer and gentleman, sometimes comically old-fashioned, full of contemporary and cultural prejudices, but at the same time curious, witty, great observer with an open mind. If you know some running jokes about a "typical British character" Frematle is their perfect embodiment. With some exaggeration, Fremantle actually resembles Marco Polo of the 19th century.
Certainly, some of Fremantle's information needs to be put into context. I bet that some dumb white supremacists will certainly underline his remarks about contented and well-dressed black slaves. But it would be a great mistake to condemn a book or an author only because those superficial conclusions. This book is not a comprehensive analysis of the South, it is a raw, biased, personal diary of the traveler who, despite personal sympathies for the South, repeatedly expressed resentment to slavery and clearly exposes the southern hypocrisy: „I have often told these planters that I thought the word “slave” was the most repulsive part of the institution, and I have always observed they invariably shirk using it themselves. They speak of their servant, their boy, or their Negroes, but never of their slaves. They address a Negro as boy or girl, or uncle or aunty.“
Fremantle’s diary is literally packed with unique insights about how people lived during probably the most turbulent period in the entire history of the United States. Examples:
- About the troubles with travelling and why some stagecoaches arrived with their curtains shut down:
„It is a common thing in Mexico for the diligence to arrive at its destination with the blinds down. This is a sure sign that the travelers, both male and female, have been stripped by robbers nearly to the skin. A certain quantity of clothing is then, as a matter of course, thrown in at the window, to enable them to descend.“
- How wide-spread vice to carry a gun in fact contributes to polite conversation in the South:
„The universal practice of carrying arms in the South is undoubtedly the cause of occasional loss of life, and is much to be regretted. On the other hand, this custom renders altercations and quarrels of very rare occurrence, for people are naturally careful what they say when a bullet may be the probable reply.“
- Why southern ladies living close to the frontline are much less aggressive than ladies living in the safe up-country:
„To my surprise, these ladies spoke of the enemy with less violence and rancor than almost any other ladies I had met with during my travels through the whole Southern Confederacy. When I told them so, they replied that they who had seen many men shot down in the streets before their own eyes knew what they were talking about, which other and more excited Southern women did not.“
As I said, it is a truly engaging, firsthand testimony. A top class within its genre.
So, the main protagonist decides to make an adventurous trip. Privately (absolutely no business reasons), traveling alone and using his regular holidays. Where? To the Confederate States of America. His goal? To watch and personally experience the American Civil War! And a reason for such a voyage? Well, the author took part in several small-talks about politics in London's salons and found out, that due to military blockade, there was scarce and limited information about what was really going on in the deep American South… So he simply packed his suitcase and went to check it out in person!
Not only did he manage to make this trip and survive. In fact, he completely over-achieved his original goal. In three months, the author crossed the whole South – starting from Texas and ending by crossing the frontline in Pennsylvania. But what is really astonishing, he managed to meet perhaps all the top people who meant something in the South: Lee, Davis, Benjamin, Longstreet… hell, Fremantle shook hands and talked to all the celebrities! And thanks to a stroke of luck but also his personal charm, they all wrote him letters of recommendation. So he basically ended up with having all doors wide-open everywhere. Fremantle traveled both VIP trains and rode old, lame horses. He shared tents with soldiers and slept in luxurious residences of the southern aristocracy. The very top generals shared with him their campaign plans, but he also witnessed deep troubles of ordinary war refugees.
To put it in the contemporary context: what Fremantle really achieved, is similar to me deciding to make a road trip in USA during the current pandemic crisis. And just as side-effect, on my way I happen to personally meet Donald Trump, Obama, chief hygienist, Beyoncé, Brad Pitt, but also Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. And I take a selfie with each of them. Well, much more than selfie: I would sleep in their houses, have long thoughtful debates about their future plans, and on departure, they would provide me with their car and a driver so I can move to another destination…
Colonel Fremantle resembles a comic strip character or a fictional hero from adventure novels of Jules Verne. Except that Fremantle really did exist! A Victorian officer and gentleman, sometimes comically old-fashioned, full of contemporary and cultural prejudices, but at the same time curious, witty, great observer with an open mind. If you know some running jokes about a "typical British character" Frematle is their perfect embodiment. With some exaggeration, Fremantle actually resembles Marco Polo of the 19th century.
Certainly, some of Fremantle's information needs to be put into context. I bet that some dumb white supremacists will certainly underline his remarks about contented and well-dressed black slaves. But it would be a great mistake to condemn a book or an author only because those superficial conclusions. This book is not a comprehensive analysis of the South, it is a raw, biased, personal diary of the traveler who, despite personal sympathies for the South, repeatedly expressed resentment to slavery and clearly exposes the southern hypocrisy: „I have often told these planters that I thought the word “slave” was the most repulsive part of the institution, and I have always observed they invariably shirk using it themselves. They speak of their servant, their boy, or their Negroes, but never of their slaves. They address a Negro as boy or girl, or uncle or aunty.“
Fremantle’s diary is literally packed with unique insights about how people lived during probably the most turbulent period in the entire history of the United States. Examples:
- About the troubles with travelling and why some stagecoaches arrived with their curtains shut down:
„It is a common thing in Mexico for the diligence to arrive at its destination with the blinds down. This is a sure sign that the travelers, both male and female, have been stripped by robbers nearly to the skin. A certain quantity of clothing is then, as a matter of course, thrown in at the window, to enable them to descend.“
- How wide-spread vice to carry a gun in fact contributes to polite conversation in the South:
„The universal practice of carrying arms in the South is undoubtedly the cause of occasional loss of life, and is much to be regretted. On the other hand, this custom renders altercations and quarrels of very rare occurrence, for people are naturally careful what they say when a bullet may be the probable reply.“
- Why southern ladies living close to the frontline are much less aggressive than ladies living in the safe up-country:
„To my surprise, these ladies spoke of the enemy with less violence and rancor than almost any other ladies I had met with during my travels through the whole Southern Confederacy. When I told them so, they replied that they who had seen many men shot down in the streets before their own eyes knew what they were talking about, which other and more excited Southern women did not.“
As I said, it is a truly engaging, firsthand testimony. A top class within its genre.
October 20, 2022
Fascinating view of the Civil War
I knew of the character of Arthur Fremantle from the movie Gettysburg, but I never realized he published his memoirs of his travels, until now. He really gives you the full experience of travel and southern life during wartime. It's a fascinating view of the Civil War from an outside perspective - even if the concept of "war tourist" is a bit distasteful by modern standards.
I knew of the character of Arthur Fremantle from the movie Gettysburg, but I never realized he published his memoirs of his travels, until now. He really gives you the full experience of travel and southern life during wartime. It's a fascinating view of the Civil War from an outside perspective - even if the concept of "war tourist" is a bit distasteful by modern standards.
July 3, 2019
Great book
This book is about a British officer traveling alone through the South during the middle portion of the War Between the States. His journal or diary tells an intimate story about the officers and soldiers he encounters. He is able to visit and speak to many of the generals of the Confederacy. I recommend this book.
This book is about a British officer traveling alone through the South during the middle portion of the War Between the States. His journal or diary tells an intimate story about the officers and soldiers he encounters. He is able to visit and speak to many of the generals of the Confederacy. I recommend this book.
April 26, 2024
Feels like public relations document for the Confederacy. The more interesting moments are when it works as a witness account. When it gives you a concrete sense of what life was like in that region.
June 26, 2025
Just a generally interesting and unique account of the civil war of an English officer visiting the US and hanging around with all the notable confederates and being present at Gettysburg. I totally buy that a stuck up aristocrat of a country that lost the war to American rebels would romanticize another stuck up aristocracy that would lose their war as well :)
October 4, 2017
Remarkable first-person account of the Civil War in 1863 from behind the Confederate lines by a 28-year-old English officer, who enjoyed "roughing it" in traveling from Mexico to New York (by stagecoach, train, horse, boat, and foot) and managed to meet almost everyone, including Lee, Longstreet, Pickett, A.P. Hill, Jeb Stuart, and Jeff Davis, and see almost everything, including being present at the Battle of Gettysburg – which unfolds in real time – and the violent New York draft riots. He got himself out of many scrapes, including being taken for a spy more than once, and fending off wild hogs in Texas. His diary is still one of the primary sources for an impartial view of life in the South during the war – although it is not completely impartial, because he fell under the spell of the gracious and brave Southern ladies and gentlemen, despite his abhorrence of slavery. The Colonel Fremantle character in the movie "Gettysburg," with his bright red uniform and cups of tea, is such a caricature that I thought he was merely a plot device. However, his diary shows him to be savvy, curious, smart, and a jolly good sport.
February 12, 2018
"Three months in the Southern States," by British Colonel Fremantle, was written in 1863 and based on the diary he kept during his sojourns in the same year. Fremantle travels through nearly all the States of the Confederacy and on his way meets general, soldiers and civilians alike. His descriptions of the places he sees are brief but ever fascinating, with highlights such as Mobile, AL, and Charleston, SC, eventually culminating at the battle of Gettysburg and his presence in New York during the draft riots of mid-july.
He remained optimistic as to the chances of Southern victory, because the Confederate army did not seem dispirited at all, and he concluded: "I never can believe that in the nineteenth century the civilised world will be condemned to witness the destruction of such a gallant race."
As an aside, which I cannot dig into too deeply here: his observations on the benevolence of slavery, and it being transplanted Yankees who are the ones who mistreat slaves (cf pages 79, 84, 88), while simultaneously witnessing a couple of Southerners beating up a slave (p.92), is fascinating and bordering on (if not outright) Propaganda.
He remained optimistic as to the chances of Southern victory, because the Confederate army did not seem dispirited at all, and he concluded: "I never can believe that in the nineteenth century the civilised world will be condemned to witness the destruction of such a gallant race."
As an aside, which I cannot dig into too deeply here: his observations on the benevolence of slavery, and it being transplanted Yankees who are the ones who mistreat slaves (cf pages 79, 84, 88), while simultaneously witnessing a couple of Southerners beating up a slave (p.92), is fascinating and bordering on (if not outright) Propaganda.
October 22, 2009
Written in a witty, engaging style, Three Months in the Southern States came out of the diary kept by British Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Freemantle as he traveled across the Confederacy from April-mid July 1863, culminating in his presence at the battle of Gettysburg. Along the way he has many keen insights to offer on the cruelty of slavery, the character of the southern foot soldier and officer corps, tactics used by both armies, and the hardships faced by the ordinary southern citizen. Three Months in the Southern States is a wonderful time capsule, and an invaluable resource for those studying the Civil War.
September 11, 2019
One of my favourite Civil War films is 'Gettysburg '. I was always slightly put out by the portrayal of Fremantle as a buffoon. I now realize that his screen image is far too generous. Had they shown him as he really was we would have seen a racist snob, an apologist for slavery, and an advocate of Confederate propaganda. As a self-described observer, his description of the monumental battle of Gettysburg is pathetic and minimal. Was he asleep for three days? A load of drivel and I am glad I got it free.
November 19, 2018
Quite interesting!
Quite interesting to read a first-hand account of the South and it's army by an outsider. I don't buy into Fremantle's rather romanticized view of the South, though. He was obviously very prejudiced towards the South and against the North before he ever arrived. It seems to me that he saw only what he wanted to see.
Quite interesting to read a first-hand account of the South and it's army by an outsider. I don't buy into Fremantle's rather romanticized view of the South, though. He was obviously very prejudiced towards the South and against the North before he ever arrived. It seems to me that he saw only what he wanted to see.
October 18, 2019
Lieut. -Col. Arthur Fremantle has not given us in this work a tired and boring look at strategy and tactics. He has also not told us anything new about the leading men of the Confederacy. What the reader will get is an excellent look at day to day life in the Confederate army and in the southern nation itself.
The lack of tactical detail could result from the fact that Fremantle, although a career military man had never seen combat until Gettysburg. It could also result from his desire to avoid aiding the north by giving away secrets while the war was still in progress. There are, after all, instances in the book where Fremantle makes it clear that he is not writing about all he saw for that very reason. Whatever the reason, I'm happy he left out the tactics for it would have only slowed down a marvelous account of Fremantle's trip through the Confederacy.
It is obvious early on that Fremantle is very taken with the south and some of his stories about happy slaves might reflect a bit of propaganda. Overall however, his stories of individual behavior are more than credible and drive home the point that this war was affecting the lives of real people, not historical figures. The stories of hotel keepers in northern territory that were hesitant to let him have a room until he produced gold coin for payment, the slave of a Confederate officer leading a Yankee prisoner by a rope tied around the poor prisoner's neck, and the several stories of southern women being far more antagonistic toward the north than were the men, all help bring the human side of the civil war to life. Reading Fremantle's account of General Lee's behavior as his broken troops returned to Seminary Ridge after the disaster now called Pickett's charge almost makes the reader feel as if they were there.
Read this book with a small grain of salt, remembering that Fremantle is writing this book in England while the war is still in progress. His anti-Irish bias kept getting under my skin but as with the rest of the book, you must keep in mind who is writing the narrative and when it was written. Overall however, I think the reader will find that Fremantle's observations are both entertaining and enlightening.
The lack of tactical detail could result from the fact that Fremantle, although a career military man had never seen combat until Gettysburg. It could also result from his desire to avoid aiding the north by giving away secrets while the war was still in progress. There are, after all, instances in the book where Fremantle makes it clear that he is not writing about all he saw for that very reason. Whatever the reason, I'm happy he left out the tactics for it would have only slowed down a marvelous account of Fremantle's trip through the Confederacy.
It is obvious early on that Fremantle is very taken with the south and some of his stories about happy slaves might reflect a bit of propaganda. Overall however, his stories of individual behavior are more than credible and drive home the point that this war was affecting the lives of real people, not historical figures. The stories of hotel keepers in northern territory that were hesitant to let him have a room until he produced gold coin for payment, the slave of a Confederate officer leading a Yankee prisoner by a rope tied around the poor prisoner's neck, and the several stories of southern women being far more antagonistic toward the north than were the men, all help bring the human side of the civil war to life. Reading Fremantle's account of General Lee's behavior as his broken troops returned to Seminary Ridge after the disaster now called Pickett's charge almost makes the reader feel as if they were there.
Read this book with a small grain of salt, remembering that Fremantle is writing this book in England while the war is still in progress. His anti-Irish bias kept getting under my skin but as with the rest of the book, you must keep in mind who is writing the narrative and when it was written. Overall however, I think the reader will find that Fremantle's observations are both entertaining and enlightening.
April 10, 2025
This is a journal written by a British officer during his sojourn through the Confederate States, April-June 1863, and about a week's detour through Maryland into Pennsylvania during the first week of July 1863. We briefly meet Generals Lee and Longstreet while becoming more acquainted with Generals we probably never heard of.
We read this journal with 20-20 hindsight, accepting that we are seeing a sliver of the history of the Confederate States of America, the more hopeful, optimistic portion. We are brought back, metaphorically, to the barbecue at Tara in Margaret Mitchell's classic Civil War novel GONE WITH THE WIND, when the gentlemen of the South dreamed of glory on the battlefield, convinced that gentlemen fought better than rabble. Such an attitude would make a 21st Century reader believe that the rebel nation would be a perfect partner for our English-speaking cousins across the Pond. Such a bonding would never come to pass.
We do not envision the horrors of war through this journal, not even in the final pages from Gettysburg. What we do see are the realities. Many of us, I suspect, look at war through the eyes of a youngster playing with toy soldiers, as I did seventy years ago: they were placed on a table or floor and then tossed aside as the casualties mounted.
How did the flesh and blood and bone soldiers arrive at the designated field? What did they eat and how did they get their food? How did they go to the bathroom? Where's the glory in all this?
Gettysburg was the turning point of the War but not of this book. The author leaves for home shortly after Lee's retreat, optimism ebbing a bit but reality setting in. Vicksburg falls on July 4; the Mississippi River belongs to the Union. Sherman has not marched through Georgia yet. The War becomes one of attrition. The end does not come in one decisive battle; the Confederacy dies a slow, painful death. We do not read of this here.
Three stars fading
We read this journal with 20-20 hindsight, accepting that we are seeing a sliver of the history of the Confederate States of America, the more hopeful, optimistic portion. We are brought back, metaphorically, to the barbecue at Tara in Margaret Mitchell's classic Civil War novel GONE WITH THE WIND, when the gentlemen of the South dreamed of glory on the battlefield, convinced that gentlemen fought better than rabble. Such an attitude would make a 21st Century reader believe that the rebel nation would be a perfect partner for our English-speaking cousins across the Pond. Such a bonding would never come to pass.
We do not envision the horrors of war through this journal, not even in the final pages from Gettysburg. What we do see are the realities. Many of us, I suspect, look at war through the eyes of a youngster playing with toy soldiers, as I did seventy years ago: they were placed on a table or floor and then tossed aside as the casualties mounted.
How did the flesh and blood and bone soldiers arrive at the designated field? What did they eat and how did they get their food? How did they go to the bathroom? Where's the glory in all this?
Gettysburg was the turning point of the War but not of this book. The author leaves for home shortly after Lee's retreat, optimism ebbing a bit but reality setting in. Vicksburg falls on July 4; the Mississippi River belongs to the Union. Sherman has not marched through Georgia yet. The War becomes one of attrition. The end does not come in one decisive battle; the Confederacy dies a slow, painful death. We do not read of this here.
Three stars fading
August 1, 2018
An interesting view of the Civil War that is little known about amongst the general public. Fremantle was an Englishman that had served in the Coldstream Guards and was on leave during May - July 1863. During this time, he chose to travel throughout the Confederate States of America to get a firsthand glimpse of what was happening there during the Civil War. He arrives via ship to Mexico and then crosses the Rio Grande (aka Rio Bravo del Norte) into Texas so that he can't be accused of running the blockade of southern ports. The diary or journal is an almost daily account of who he's encountered and what takes place as he travels, talks to leaders in various CSA units, what he eats, where he sleeps, how he travels, etc. While this is not really a story in terms of a plot and characters, anyone that is familiar with CSA leadership and military events during the Civil War will recognize these names and places. He provides a very detailed account of the events of the Battle of Gettysburg from a CSA perspective. He is clearly biased in favor of the CSA and believes they will be victorious in their pursuit of establishing a new nation and expresses this frequently throughout the diary. He does comment on slavery and what the southerners tell him about it, but again this is a very biased view that he shares. This is a good addition to any Civil War buff's or historian's library as it provides a different perspective.
September 3, 2020
A fascinating account by Lt. Colonel Fremantle who was an excellent observer and journalist with a fine tactical knowledge... But also a foppish martinet and an utter imbecile when it came to the assessment of strategy and character, but not atypical of Britishers who think breeding trumps all. To believe that the South was winning when the North was operating with near impunity in its deepest reaches, and to be deceived by the braggadocio of the Southern "gentlemen" was so absurdly naive that it's almost amusing. This is illustrated by his complete obliviousness to the arrogant stupidity of the Southern high command in its decision to invade Pennsylvania instead of relieving Vicksburg from Grant's siege. Go right into your far more powerful adversaries backyard while your most strategic city is about to be captured, very smart indeed. An onlooking Chambersburg woman presciently remarked, "Look at Pharaoh's army going to the Red Sea."—Pennsylvania was where the grapes of wrath were stored, and the vintage was blood.
March 20, 2017
What you have in this book is a guy from England that goes on a tour of the South during the Civil War. He favors the South over the North.
Landing in Texas he spends his time going through many of the Southern states, talking to a lot of the soldiers and officers. He also observes the effects the war has had on some areas of the South. The Confederates he meets in Texas have not done much fighting (except for the occasional scalping of a native American.)
He also visits Mexico. He notes some areas are 'infested with numbers of Jews whose industry spoils the trade of established merchants.' Now we know where he stands as far as Jewish people go.
He sees a soldier that has been hung for desertion. He also makes reference to the idea that some men could get out of a draft if they paid something like $300.
He's also not exactly pro-Black. He notes that a male black could go for $2500 in an auction whereas a female black could go for $3500, especially if she new sewing and like things.
He visits Atlanta, Augusta, Charleston, Fort Sumter and even sees some of the blockade runners. He also gets to meet Jefferson Davis, Longstreet, Pickett and Robert E. Lee. He notes that Vicksburg has fallen.
He also is at the battle of Gettysburg and writes some details about that. Eventually he has to return to England.
It's always interesting to read accounts of people who were living during the Civil War and this is better than the average book since he meets so many of the famous people and is at one of the most major battles of the entire war.
Landing in Texas he spends his time going through many of the Southern states, talking to a lot of the soldiers and officers. He also observes the effects the war has had on some areas of the South. The Confederates he meets in Texas have not done much fighting (except for the occasional scalping of a native American.)
He also visits Mexico. He notes some areas are 'infested with numbers of Jews whose industry spoils the trade of established merchants.' Now we know where he stands as far as Jewish people go.
He sees a soldier that has been hung for desertion. He also makes reference to the idea that some men could get out of a draft if they paid something like $300.
He's also not exactly pro-Black. He notes that a male black could go for $2500 in an auction whereas a female black could go for $3500, especially if she new sewing and like things.
He visits Atlanta, Augusta, Charleston, Fort Sumter and even sees some of the blockade runners. He also gets to meet Jefferson Davis, Longstreet, Pickett and Robert E. Lee. He notes that Vicksburg has fallen.
He also is at the battle of Gettysburg and writes some details about that. Eventually he has to return to England.
It's always interesting to read accounts of people who were living during the Civil War and this is better than the average book since he meets so many of the famous people and is at one of the most major battles of the entire war.
July 17, 2021
Take it for what it is
Col. Arthur Fremantle of the British Coldstream Guards took a leave of absence to tour the Confederacy in mid-1863. This is his by turns amusing, repellant, sardonic, observant account of his travels from Texas across the South to join Lee's army just as it marched north to Gettysburg. During his journey he spent time with the three principal rebel armies, met Joe Johnston, Bragg, Polk, Hardee, Beauregard, Jeff Davis himself, Longstreet, Ewell, and Lee. He's openly pro-Southern, buys completely the idea that the Blacks are happy with their enslaved status (can't understand what the Abolitionists are fussing about). Despite his bigotry, his account of his travels, the people he meets, and the quaint yet violent ways of the Americans is interesting as the perspective of an upper-class English soldier who openly sympathized with the Confederates and their slave-master ruling class.
Col. Arthur Fremantle of the British Coldstream Guards took a leave of absence to tour the Confederacy in mid-1863. This is his by turns amusing, repellant, sardonic, observant account of his travels from Texas across the South to join Lee's army just as it marched north to Gettysburg. During his journey he spent time with the three principal rebel armies, met Joe Johnston, Bragg, Polk, Hardee, Beauregard, Jeff Davis himself, Longstreet, Ewell, and Lee. He's openly pro-Southern, buys completely the idea that the Blacks are happy with their enslaved status (can't understand what the Abolitionists are fussing about). Despite his bigotry, his account of his travels, the people he meets, and the quaint yet violent ways of the Americans is interesting as the perspective of an upper-class English soldier who openly sympathized with the Confederates and their slave-master ruling class.
December 27, 2019
An engaging first-hand account of one Briton's wandering through the south during the height of the war, it suffers from a clearly expressed bias towards the class and race of southern leadership. Rather than calling into task mistakes made, the author venerates each with what appear to be distillations of commonly held southern views of their own effort. Of course, the author wrote before the Lost Cause was taken up in the American south, so perhaps Mr. Fremantle should be let of the hook a bit.
This is an excellent first-hand memoir of life behind the Southern lines, and should be on the bookshelf of any Civil War scholars library. My only qualms are with the unqualified admiration for Southern leadership, based primarily on the authors own similarity with them.
This is an excellent first-hand memoir of life behind the Southern lines, and should be on the bookshelf of any Civil War scholars library. My only qualms are with the unqualified admiration for Southern leadership, based primarily on the authors own similarity with them.
January 13, 2023
This is a rare and most extraordinary document. The. Language and descriptions employed are complelyely original to the time so it is a v tough read for some people. But in terms of a historical document it is utterly unique as as an unbiased description of life in ths Southern states during the civil war. And we haven’t even mantioned the fact that this is one of the very few first hand accounts of an observer of Gettysburg. As such is it utterly unique and used to this day by battlefield guides at Gettysburg. It is a very important document not without its challenges but incredibly rewarding to a historian.
December 26, 2023
This is an interesting primary source of a British “war tourist” who toured the South during the Civil War and witnessed the Battle of Gettysburg. Fremantle really got to the point with what he saw and didn’t drag it out. He makes everyone feel very human as they were and his descriptions of different regiments and cities were pretty intriguing. Another thing that made this unique that isn’t talked about so much was that he was a witness to the New York Draft Riots of 1863. Lastly, I do appreciate how he managed to establish different perspectives of the North and South from the various people he met. If you’re a Civil War buff, you’ll really enjoy this read.
April 10, 2020
Three Months in the South
A British officer on leave comes to America during the Civil War. He lands at Texas and travels across the south then goes to New York. He keeps a diary of daily occurrences and his impressions of the people he meets. He gives a very interesting illustration of life during that time that is candid and eye-opening. For those with an interest in Civil War times this is an excellent read.
A British officer on leave comes to America during the Civil War. He lands at Texas and travels across the south then goes to New York. He keeps a diary of daily occurrences and his impressions of the people he meets. He gives a very interesting illustration of life during that time that is candid and eye-opening. For those with an interest in Civil War times this is an excellent read.
March 18, 2018
Invaluable for understanding what life was like in the South during the Civil War. Details an amazing journey. I wish I could have an experience like his--going to a foreign country at a critical turning point in its history and observing one of the key battles of that turning point (Gettysburg).
October 28, 2018
Awesome account of the civil war and especially the of life in the southern states during 1863. While slavery was inhumane the accounts of many enslaved people show that they had more fondness for their masters than for the invading yankee soldiers and many in the north had no interest in fighting in order to just free the slaves.
March 31, 2019
A very fascinating diary that the author kept during his travels through Texas, the Deep South, and Mexico during the United States Civil War. He beautifully describes the towns and cities he visited, gave his frank opinion on people and sights, and gave the modern reader a first-hand look into the era from the eyes of an Englishman. Recommended.
January 25, 2022
This was a really good book. It was an easy read and read mainly as a journal entry in which Freemantle documented his time in the south with the confederate army. This man witnessed a lot during his short time in the states and got to meet some of the most vital and important figures in the confederate army. A+ read!
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