*Includes pictures of the generals and important people, places, and events in their lives.
*Includes a Bibliography on each general for further reading.
*Includes discussion of each general's legacy, and an explanation of Civil War historiography and its effects on perception of Nathan Bedford Forrest.
*Includes a Table of Contents.
Despite the fact that the Civil War began over 150 years ago, Americans continue to be fascinated by the Civil War icons who made the difference between victory and defeat in the war's great battles. Within the pantheon of Civil War greats who fought for the South were Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, JEB Stuart, and Nathan Bedford Forrest, widely considered the two best commanders and two best cavaliers of the Confederacy.
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.
Nobody personified the virtuous Christian soldier of the Lost Cause quite like Thomas Jonathan Jackson, who became one of the most famous generals of the Civil War, even if many of the people he continues to fascinate probably don’t remember his whole name. That’s because Jackson earned his famous “Stonewall” moniker at the First Battle of Manassas or Bull Run, when Brigadier-General Bee told his brigade to rally behind Jackson, whose men were standing like a stone wall.
Alongside Lee, no one epitomized the chivalry and heroism celebrated by the Lost Cause more than JEB Stuart (1833-1864), the most famous cavalry officer of the Civil War. Stuart was equal parts great and grandiose, leading the cavalry for the Confederacy in Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia until his death at the Battle of Yellow Tavern in May 1864. As the eyes and ears of Robert E. Lee's army, none were better, despite the fact that he was only in his late 20s and early 30s during the Civil War, far younger than most men of senior rank.
A self-made man with no formal military training, Forrest spent the entire war fighting in the Western theater, becoming the only individual in the war to rise from the rank of Private to Lieutenant General. By the end of the war, Forrest was known throughout the South as the “Wizard of the Saddle,” and anecdotes of his prowess in battle were legendary. In addition to being injured multiple times in battle, Forrest has been credited with having killed 30 Union soldiers in combat and having 29 horses shot out from under him.
The Greatest Generals of the Confederacy examines the lives and legacies of the four generals. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in their lives, you will learn about the Confederacy's Greatest Generals like you never have before, in no time at all
