Lee's Miserables

Dr. J. Tracy Power talked about his book Lee’s Miserables: Life in the Army of Northern Virginia from the Wilderness to Appomattox, published by the University of North Carolina Press. The book is based on a study of the correspondence of hundreds of officers and enlisted men, many of whom did not survive the hardships Lee’s army suffered. The letters indicate the continued devotion of so many Confederates to their increasingly doomed cause, and they are frank about the extent to which declining morale, straggling, and outright desertion set in toward the end of 1864. Dr. Power’s talk focused on the impact of the 1864 election on the Confederate soldiers. After his presentation he answered questions from members of the audience. close