The Revolutionary War Memoirs of General Henry Lee

by Henry Lee and Henry Lee

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306808412
• ISBN13: 9780306808418
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 652 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.4" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Stirring, Thrilling, You Are There

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

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.