Warrior in Gray: General Robert Rodes of Lee's Army

by James K. Swisher

Robert E. Rodes personifies the best of those brave men, north and south, who gave the full measure of their life to their cause. Rodes' accomplishments in brigade command were legendary. His divisional leadership earned him ranking with the elite of the Confederacy's generals and officers.
Born in 1829 in Lynchburg, Virginia, Rodes attended the Virginia Military Institute and worked as a civil engineer before the outbreak of the Civil War. In May 1861, he fought in First Manassas and quickly rose to brigadier general. His fighting leadership at Seven Days, South Mountain, and Antietam added to his reputation. Rodes was given divisional command just in time to attack in the opening offensives of the Battle of Gettysburg.
One of Robert E. Lee's strongest fighting generals, he fought in the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Campaigns. There his respect and popularity continued to grow.
Rodes was killed fighting near Winchester, Virginia during Jubal Early's 1864 Shenandoah Valley

Genres: American Civil War, Biography, Civil War

310 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid work that sheds some light on one of the more elusive commanders in Lee's army. Rodes fought in most major battles in the east but he is always a shadowy figure. In many ways he remains so, since he left no diary, letters, or autobiography. However, we gleam from this book that Rodes was aggressive, brave, exacting, and constantly learning his trade. He would have been made a corps commander if not for his death at Third Winchester. I took a star off for some clunky prose and a lack of analysis of Rodes' social position and situation. I feel the latter is a must when dealing with a figure who left few personal records.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine biography of Robert Rodes, while not going into a lot of detail about the combat operations of his commands (both brigade and division). However, the book could have used a far better job of copy-editing; for example, Jefferson Davis was elected as "provincial" president in 1861 and a few places have Rodes' troops placed at a 45 "percent" angle.