Lee and His Army in Confederate History Book

"Lee & His Army in Confederate History" is another example of why Gary W. Gallagher is the preeminent scholar of this topic. Like many of Gallagher's books, this work is a gathering of several articles about Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia - many of which have been previously published. However, some of the material is original to this book, and previously published material has been updated for this work.

Gallagher convincingly argues that the General and his army were at the center of the Confederacy's hopes for success in the conflict. Among other points, the author demonstrates that the Battle of Fredericksburg, while a victory for the Confederacy, was not as dramatic a victory as many believe, since Lee was not able to capture any significant portion of the Union Army of the Potomac. The truth of this claim, recognized by many contemporaries, lies in the fact that the same army again attacked the Army of Northern Virginia less than five months later. Gallagher also demonstrates that Gettysburg, while a significant victory in Union eyes, did not dispirit the Confederacy in the way often portrayed. It was a set-back, certainly, but not decisive in any significant way. Other essays focus on the Army of Northern Virginia in the Maryland Campaign of 1862, the army in the early Spring of 1864, whether Lee was an "old fashioned soldier in a modern war," how he managed his commanders, and Lee and his army in lost cause mythology. While the author is quick to point out that Lost Cause mythologists consciously attempted to manipulate and control the history and collective memory of the conflict, and he certainly faults them for trying to cover up the central role slavery played in causing the war, he also asserts that much of what they argued in terms of the vital role of superior Union numbers, technology, and material is rooted in truth.

While nobody ever has the last word on such significant historical topics, it is difficult to argue with Gallahger's assessments and the conclusions arrived at in this book. I recommend this book highly for readers who already have a working knowledge of General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. On this topic, no historian can match Gary W. Gallagher!