During the Civil War; approximately 56;000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in enemy military prison camps. Even in the midst of the war's shocking violence; the intensity of the prisoners' suffering and the brutal manner of their deaths provoked outrage; and both the Lincoln and Davis administrations manipulated the prison controversy to serve the exigencies of war. As both sides distributed propaganda designed to convince citizens of each section of the relative virtue of their own prison system -- in contrast to the cruel inhumanity of the opponent -- they etched hardened and divisive memories of the prison controversy into the American psyche; memories that would prove difficult to uproot. In Haunted by Atrocity; Benjamin G. Cloyd deftly analyzes how Americans have remembered the military prisons of the Civil War from the war itself to the present; making a strong case for the continued importance of the great conflict in contemporary America.Throughout Reconstruction and well into the twentieth century; Cloyd shows; competing sectional memories of the prisons prolonged the process of national reconciliation. Events such as the trial and execution of CSA Captain Henry Wirz -- commander of the notorious Andersonville prison -- along with political campaigns; the publication of prison memoirs; and even the construction of monuments to the prison dead all revived the painful accusations of deliberate cruelty. As northerners; white southerners; and African Americans contested the meaning of the war; these divisive memories tore at the scars of the conflict and ensured that the subject of Civil War prisons remained controversial.By the 1920s; the death of the Civil War generation removed much of the emotional connection to the war; and the devastation of the first two world wars provided new contexts in which to reassess the meaning of atrocity. As a result; Cloyd explains; a more objective opinion of Civil War prisons emerged -- one that condemned both the Union and the Confederacy for their callous handling of captives while it deemed the mistreatment of prisoners an inevitable consequence of modern war. But; Cloyd argues; these seductive arguments also deflected a closer examination of the precise responsibility for the tragedy of Civil War prisons and allowed Americans to believe in a comforting but ahistorical memory of the controversy. Both the recasting of the town of Andersonville as a Civil War village in the 1970s and the 1998 opening of the National Prisoner of War Museum at Andersonville National Historic Site reveal the continued American preference for myth over history -- a preference; Cloyd asserts; that inhibits a candid assessment of the evils committed during the Civil War.The first study of Civil War memory to focus exclusively on the military prison camps; Haunted by Atrocity offers a cautionary tale of how Americans; for generations; have unconsciously constructed their recollections of painful events in ways that protect cherished ideals of myth; meaning; identity; and; ultimately; a deeply rooted faith in American exceptionalism.
#2631132 in Books Louisiana State Univ Pr 2004-02-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.96 x .61 x 6.44l; .81 #File Name: 0807129593272 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Key to LeeBy Kevin M. DerbyJust when you think there is nothing more to say about a major figure in history; a biographer comes along and proves you wrong. After the likes of D.S.Freeman; Thomas Connelly and Emory Thomas amongst several others tackled Robert E. Lee; Richard McCaslin add a valuable contribution to our understanding of the general. Emory Thomas argues that "history needs Lee whole" and there are several reasons for this. Besides being the leading general of the CSA; Lee also served as the beau ideal for at least a century of white Southerners. McCaslin traces Lee's admiration for George Washington and how this hero worship affected Lee's life and persona. McCaslin shows how Lee's regard for Washington shaped his domestic life; his choice of accepting the presidency of Washington College and even his military career. While a bit dry and not particularly accessible to the average reader; the book should be recommended to anyone trying to understand Lee and his role in American history.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating look at Lee from a different perspectiveBy David W. NicholasThis is an unusual book. The title is somewhat misleading; or it was to me anyway. This isn't; in any real sense; a book about Washington. Instead; it's a short biography of Robert E. Lee; which highlights his focus on emulating his idol; George Washington. This is especially interesting in that Lee wound up being; in some ways; the Southern embodiment of Washington's legacy; though of course he didn't win his country's freedom; as Washington did. That contrast in success; and other differences between the two men; is the focus of this brief biography; really almost more of a monograph that studies its subject almost exclusively through this one lens.Lee apparently revered Washington; almost to the point of worshiping him; from an early age. Lee's father was one of Washington's more prominent subordinate generals; in fame if not rank and prominence in the war. Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee was a cavalry general (really the only cavalry leader of any prominence) who led Patriot forces in the South in the latter part of the war. He was a failure in civilian life; being removed as governor of Virginia; spending time in a debtor's prison; and having the distinction of being so much a spendthrift that his wife's family put their property in trust to keep Light-Horse Harry from getting his hands on it. When he died his son Robert was very young; and had only met his father a few times.Robert E. Lee's family rarely spoke much about Light-Horse Harry's disgrace. Instead; they focused on Washington's glory and the reverence that everyone felt must be directed towards his memory. The younger Lee was raised to emulate Washington as closely as he could; and spent most of his life aspiring to a position in society equal to Washington's. This book outlines; in some detail; all of the references the author can find to Washington in things Lee wrote; and discusses in considerable detail his efforts to preserve the physical aspects of Washington's life that fell into Lee's hands through his wife; who was Martha Custis Washington's great-granddaughter by her previous marriage.This is an interesting book that outlines; as I said in considerable detail; an aspect of Robert E. Lee's life and character that has been touched on briefly by other biographers; but not studied with perhaps the attention to detail that it deserves. I think this book is a considerable addition to the scholarship on Robert E. Lee; and think it should be in the library of anyone considering themselves a serious Lee scholar.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Key to LeeBy Kevin M. DerbyJust when you think there is nothing more to say about a major figure in history; a biographer comes along and proves you wrong. After the likes of D.S.Freeman; Thomas Connelly and Emory Thomas amongst several others tackled Robert E. Lee; Richard McCaslin add a valuable contribution to our understanding of the general. Emory Thomas argues that "history needs Lee whole" and there are several reasons for this. Besides being the leading general of the CSA; Lee also served as the beau ideal for at least a century of white Southerners. McCaslin traces Lee's admiration for George Washington and how this hero worship affected Lee's life and persona. McCaslin shows how Lee's regard for Washington shaped his domestic life; his choice of accepting the presidency of Washington College and even his military career. While a bit dry and not particularly accessible to the average reader; the book should be recommended to anyone trying to understand Lee and his role in American history.
