Lee's Last Major General: Bryan Grimes Of North Carolina

by T. Harrell Allen

Bryan Grimes served under Robert E. Lee and led troops during most of the Civil War's greatest battles from Seven Pines to the final attacks at Appomattox. The last major-general appointed by Lee, this biography of Grimes draws on previously unpublished accounts and personal letters.

Genres: Civil War

3471 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 1998

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the biography of Stephen Dodson Ramseur and Bryan Grimes served in the same Brigade and Division as Ramseur. So, Grimes was in many of the same battles as Ramseur.
A lot of this will be familiar to those who read the great biography by Gary W. Gallagher. Grimes particular claim to fame is that he was the last person promoted to Major General in the Army of Northern Virginia. This book covers Grimes life and story very well through many of his letters that have survived history. There are some blindspots as Grimes would routinely destroy letters he received so they weren't captured by the enemy. That said, it is an interesting well told story about a non-West Pointer in the Army of Northern Virginia.
The most interesting part of the story and nothing I knew of, was that Grimes was murdered in 1880. It was a surprise as Grimes never got involved in politics and rarely spoke of politics in his letters. He also did not seek public office, preferring to remain a gentlemen farmer. While one person was tried and found not guilty, the author does name those most likely involved in the murder through informed research of the dispute the led to the murder.