Lee and His Cause, or, The Why and How of the War between the States - Softcover

Deering, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 150236199X ISBN 13: 9781502361998

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014

Synopsis

“It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.” –Robert E. Lee With the exception of George Washington, perhaps the most famous general in American history is Robert E. Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870), despite the fact he led the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia against the Union in the Civil War. As the son of U.S. Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III, and a relative of Martha Custis Washington, Lee was imbued with a strong sense of honor and duty from the beginning. And as a top graduate of West Point, Lee had distinguished himself so well before the Civil War that President Lincoln asked him to command the entire Union Army. Lee famously declined, serving his home state of Virginia instead after it seceded. Lee is remembered today for constantly defeating the Union’s Army of the Potomac in the Eastern theater from 1862-1865, considerably frustrating Lincoln and his generals. His leadership of his army led to him being deified after the war by some of his former subordinates, especially Virginians, and he came to personify the Lost Cause’s ideal Southern soldier. His reputation was secured in the decades after the war as a general who brilliantly led his men to amazing victories against all odds. Despite his successes and his legacy, Lee wasn’t perfect. And of all the battles Lee fought in, he was most criticized for Gettysburg, particularly his order of Pickett’s Charge on the third and final day of the war. Despite the fact his principle subordinate and corps leader, General James Longstreet, advised against the charge, Lee went ahead with it, ending the army’s defeat at Gettysburg with a violent climax that left half of the men who charged killed or wounded. Although the Civil War came to define Lee’s legacy, he was involved in some of American history’s other turning points, including the Mexican-American War and the capture of John Brown.

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About the Author

Rev. John Richard Deering was born at Lexington, Ky., July 2, 1842, and was pursuing his education at the Louisville University when the war came on in 1861. Leaving school, he went to Virginia and at Manas-sas became a member of Company E, Claiborne Guards, of the 12th Mississippi, which was recruited at Port Gibson. He served with the company as a private, taking part in its every engagement from York-town to Fredericksburg. In December 1862, he was transferred to John Morgan's scouts, with whom he served until the battle of Snow's Hill, Tenn., where he was desperately wounded, and he was honorably dis-charged from further service on November 13, 1863. His religious history begins with his joining the Methodist Church in 1858. He was licensed to preach on November 16, 1863, joined the Georgia Conference, and was appointed to his first circuit on December 3, 1863. Since then he had been in the active service of his Church in Kentucky, having been in the Kentucky Conference for over fifty years, never having missed a roll call, and having received the highest honors his Church could bestow. He was superannuated in September, 1915. In the United Confederate Veterans organization, he was known prominently, serving as Chaplain of the Fourth Kentucky Brigade, as Chaplain of the Kentucky State Division under Commander Bennett H. Young, and as Chaplain General of the Army of Tennessee Department commanded then by Gen. George P. Harrison. (Confederate Veteran Magazine, Volume 26, page 33.)

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 150236199X
• ISBN 13: 9781502361998
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 48