The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee: A Novel

by Douglas Savage

On the first day of July 1863, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia accidentally crossed swords with George Gordon Meade's Federal Army of the Potomac. They clashed at a tiny Pennsylvania crossroads called Gettysburg. Three days later, at least 22,000 Confederate men and boys were dead, wounded or captured, and the Yankees held the field when the river of bloodshed finally stopped. Gettysburg was General Lee's worst defeat on an open field of battle.

In The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee, a discouraged Confederate Congress summons General Lee to Richmond in December 1863, to face a board of inquiry on the Battle of Gettysburg. Through this speculative board of inquiry, the reader is drawn into the true history of the Army of Northern Virginia and the real political personalities and true political intrigue of Richmond in 1863. Will General Lee be relieved of command? Perhaps sent into retirement borne of catastrophic failure, leaving behind forever his beloved Army of Northern Virginia?

The reader feels his pain and the anguish of a defeated general who wrote four months after Gettysburg that, "My heart and thoughts will always be with this army."

Genres: Fiction, Civil War, American History, Historical Fiction, American Civil War

480 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 1993

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel reminds me a bit of Douglas Jones's "Court Martial of George Armstrong Custer," for obvious reasons. It attempts to examine a key engagement by means of an event that never happened; i.e., the court martial. It is even more deeply researched than Jones's book, though not quite as well written. It captures the internal battles of the Confederacy, the complexities of Gettysburg, and the deep regard with which Lee was held by his men, even after Gettysburg and defeat.

[Frank Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good read. Even if you know a good deal about the Civil War, I think you'll enjoy this one. It poses a number of questions about leadership -- without really answering them. Nevertheless, the discussion of tactics in the various battles in MD, VA, and PA does add insight about Lee, and Jackson, et al. Give it a go.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but the rehash of every battle grew tedious after a time

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, Savage's "what if?" in which Robert E. Lee is called before the Confederate congress as to his command performance at Gettysburg is all right, but it is also somewhat stagy, as all "trial" stories seem to be by default (with a few exceptions). "Breaker Morant" or "The Killer Angels" this isn't, even though Savage's writing style is superb.

[Mark Luongo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific "what if" story!

[Debra Gaskill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful "what if" story! Great for those civil war buffs in your life!