A Rebel's Recollections - George Eggleston

George Cary Eggleston's Civil War memoir begins with a separate essay on the living conditions and political opinions of Virginia’s citizenry before secession. The body of the work contains vivid descriptions and accounts of the men and women of the South during the time of the Confederacy. Eggleston praises its war heroes, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jeb Stuart, but is highly critical of Jefferson Davis and of his government’s inefficiencies, red-tape, and favoritism. The book concludes with the war's end and a tribute to the character of the newly freed slaves. This informative and engaging work, much of which appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, enjoyed great popularity throughout the country. Originally published in 1874, it went through four editions by 1905. ( Lee Smalley)