The Revolutionary War Memoirs of General Henry Lee
At age twenty-two, General Henry Lee commanded the elite Lee's Legion and earned an enviable record: capturing the fort at Paulus Hook; distinguishing himself in the battles at Haw River, Guilford Courthouse, Eutaw Springs, and others; and helping in the siege of Yorktown. But by 1809 Lee's fortunes had tragically altered: He wrote these memoirs while jailed in a debtor's prison. Originally published in 1812 in two volumes as Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States, this third 1869 edition includes Robert E. Lee's biographical essay on his father, the only substantial piece of writing by the celebrated Confederate general. From Grant and Sherman to Eisenhower and De Gaulle, classic military accounts have emerged from the carnage of nearly every war; Lee's Memoirs are unique in that they are unrivaled in the history of the American Revolution.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0306808412
ISBN13:9780306808418
Release Date:March 1998
Publisher:Da Capo
Length:652 Pages
Weight:1.65 lbs.
Dimensions:1.6" x 5.4" x 8.7"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Stirring, Thrilling, You Are There
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Anyone with a sobriquet of "Lighthorse Harry" sets up some expectations with his memoirs, but this book delivers on them. Not only does the book take you into the thick of battle in the Revolutionary War's "Southern Campaign", it also takes you to deliberations about how the Colonists reacted to British Rule and what kind of government America should have and how it should solve practical issues of the day. Henry Lee was there for all of it as one of the "Lees of Virginia". This book has a zest and pacing that gently draws the reader in for the next installment.
a "must" for the student of the Revolution in the South
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Lee's work is well written and, in some cases, provides the only description of the legion of battles and skirmishes that characterized the Southern Campaign. The reader needs to keep in mind that Lee wrote in the 18th century tradition of exagerating one's own triumphs and glossing over any shortcomings. Lee likewise writes in a seemingly authoritative manner about events where he wasn't present. For example his condemnation of the NC militia at the battle of Guilford CH has influenced most subsequent accounts although Lee wasn't aware that their orders allowed them to leave the field after delivering up two rounds. In contrast he fails to mention the flight of the Virginia militia in the right wing. Given these faults, Lee's work is still the best of it's kind. Any Rev War library should have a copy.
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