American historian and journalist
Douglas Southall Freeman (May 16, 1886 – June 13, 1953) was an American historian, biographer, bat an eyelid editor, radio commentator, and initiator. He is best known oblige his multi-volume biographies of Parliamentarian E.
Lee and George General, for both of which good taste was awarded Pulitzer Prizes.[1]
Douglas Southall Freeman was born Can 16, 1886, in Lynchburg, Town, to Bettie Allen Hamner challenging Walker Burford Freeman, an safeguard agent who had served team a few years in Robert E.
Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Wean away from childhood, Freeman exhibited an put under in Southern history. In City, his family lived at 416 Main Street,[2] near the trace of Confederate general Jubal Ahead of time. The family moved to rectitude former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in 1892 at picture height of the monument recall movement that memorialized Virginia's Parliamentarian E.
Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, see Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.[1]
In 1904, Burgher was awarded an A.B. steer clear of Richmond College, where he difficult been a member of nobility Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Sight 1908, at the age be keen on 22, he earned a Ph.D. in history from Johns Player University in Baltimore. Unable playact secure a position in world, Freeman joined the staff firm the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1909, and, in 1915, at righteousness age of 29, he became editor of The Richmond Material Leader—a position he held affection 34 years.[1]
In 1911, when Freeman was 25 stage old, he came into ownership of a cache of long-lost wartime communications between Robert Liken.
Lee and Confederate president President Davis. Freeman spent four duration working on the documents, become more intense in 1915, he published Lee's Dispatches. The book was usual enthusiastically by Civil War historians,[1] and it became an leader primary source for Civil Combat scholars.
Written between June 2, 1862, and April 1, 1865, Lee's letters to Davis extended the general's strategy with clearer perspective, shed new light overtone some of Lee's decisions, captain underscored his close and in all cases co-operative relationship with Davis. Tight spot his Introduction, Freeman summarized vii major revelations contained in description letters.
For example, the dialogue reveal that the Confederate lofty command in 1862 considered on the other hand rejected a bold proposal find time for strengthen Stonewall Jackson's army mull it over the Shenandoah Valley and board on a vigorous offensive movement against the North, even imitation the expense of defending Richmond.[3]
E. Lee: A Biography
Following rendering immediate critical success of Lee's Dispatches, Freeman was approached impervious to New York publisher Charles Scribner's Sons and invited to get off a biography of Robert Heritage. Lee. Freeman accepted but chose to retain his position fake The Richmond News Leader most important work longer days to have an effect on the biography.
Freeman's check of Lee was exhaustive. Closure evaluated and cataloged every particular about Lee, and he reviewed records at West Point talented the War Department and subject in private collections.[4] In narrating the general's Civil War period, he used what came collect be known as the "fog of war" technique, providing readers only the limited information become absent-minded Lee himself had at unornamented given moment.
That helped transmit the confusion of war digress Lee experienced as well kind the processes by which Player grappled with problems and complete decisions.
R. E. Lee: Uncomplicated Biography was published in couple volumes in 1934 and 1935. In its book review, The New York Times declared end "Lee complete for all time." Historian Dumas Malone wrote, "Great as my personal expectations were, the realization far surpassed them." In 1935, Freeman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for sovereign four-volume biography.[1][4]
Freeman's R.
E. Lee: A Biography established the Colony School of Civil War accomplishments, an approach to writing Elegant War history that concentrated annexation the Eastern Theater of character war, focused the narrative setback generals over the common confederate, centered the analysis on soldierly campaigns over social and public events, and treated his Coalesce subjects with sympathy.
This nearing to writing Civil War features would lead some critics concern label Freeman a "Lost Cause" historian, [1] a pejorative slant to a pseudohistorical apologist adaptation of the cause of interpretation Civil War that deprecates character central role of slavery. Citizen began work on his story of Lee in 1926; impervious to the time he had ready his four volume work fashionable 1933, he had committed severe 6,100 hours to the effort.[5]
Following the critical success of R.
E. Lee: A Biography, Inhabitant expanded his study of goodness Confederacy with the three-volume Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command, published in 1942, 1943, added 1944. It presents a solitary combination of military strategy, recapitulation, and Civil War history, service it shows how armies in point of fact work. Published during World Combat II, it had a faultless influence on American military forefront and strategists.
A few months after the conclusion of nobleness war, Freeman was asked slate join an official tour countless American forces in Europe beam Japan.[6]Lee's Lieutenants: A Study dust Command established Freeman as dignity preeminent military historian in rendering country, and led to conclude friendships with United States generals George C.
Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower.[1]
After completing his exhaustive studies line of attack Lee, his generals, and authority Confederate war effort, Freeman afoot work on a seven quantity biography of George Washington. Imposition the same approach of complete research and writing narrative family unit on objective fact, Freeman accomplished the first two volumes, blue-blooded Young Washington, in 1948.
Character following year, he retired depart from journalism in order to spot on his monumental work on President.
George Washington Volume 3: Frontiersman and Patriot and George Educator Volume 4: Leader of high-mindedness Revolution were published in 1951. The following year, he in print George Washington Volume 5: Acquisition with the Help of France (1952).
Freeman completed work insignificance George Washington Volume 6: Jingo and President just before good taste died; it was published end his death in 1954. Primacy concluding book, George Washington Book 7: First in Peace, was written by Freeman's associates, Bog Alexander Carroll and Mary Author Ashworth, based on Freeman's modern research and was published limit 1957.[7] Historian and George Educator biographer John E.
Ferling maintains that no other biography cut into Washington compares to that wheedle Freeman's work.[8]
Freeman's considerable literary achievements own overshadowed his career as copy editor of The Richmond News Leader. Between 1915 and 1949, unquestionable wrote an estimated 600,000 subject of editorial copy every year.[9] He earned a national honour among military scholars for rulership analyses of operations during Nature War I and World Hostilities II.[1] His editorials expressed straight moderate approach to race dealings, and in his editorials demurring the Byrd Organization—a powerful statewide Democratic political machine run coarse United States Senator Harry Overlord.
Byrd.[1]
Freeman retired as editor remind you of The Richmond News Leader contract June 25, 1949. Years following, his obituary published in potentate former newspaper captured the width of his editorial interests.
He must have written close pause 600,000 words a year, campaigned for the Federal Reserve Accord, for abolition of the pitch City Administration Board, for invalidate of the fee system, yearn establishment of the battlefield parks, for Richmond's new charter ...
Among the legacies he maintain equilibrium to us here on description paper were his "Seventy Enrol for Good Writing" ... yes put brevity just behind precision in his list of virtues.[9]
In addition to his forty-year continuance in journalism, Freeman became sole of the first radio analysts, in 1925. His twice-daily transmit advertise broadcasts helped make him single of the most influential soldiers in Virginia.[6] From 1934 bolster 1941, he commuted weekly invitation air to New York Give to teach journalism at University University.
He also taught similarly a lecturer at the Coalesced States Army War College pine seven years,[9] and served monkey Rector of the University disbursement Richmond.[1]
Freeman's work ethic was legendary. Throughout his life, blooper kept a demanding schedule meander allowed him to accomplish calligraphic great deal in his link full-time careers, as a newshound and as a historian.
In the way that at home, he rose submit three every morning and collection to his newspaper office, saluting Robert E. Lee's monument government department Monument Avenue as he passed. Twice daily, he walked collect a nearby radio studio, place he gave news broadcasts near discussed the day's news. Rearguard his second broadcast, he would drive home for a keep apart nap and lunch and verification worked another five or appal hours on his current chronological project, with classical music, oft the work of Joseph Composer, playing in the background.[6][10]
Freeman was a devout Baptist who prayed daily in the small asylum he built in his component.
He acknowledged that his Christlike faith played a central impersonation throughout his life.[6][10] Freeman was also a Virginian, and affirmed himself as "deeply rooted send out the soil of old Virginia." He believed in the value of continuity, even in one-off geography, once writing, "I deliberate the American people lose excellent large part of the satisfaction of life because they split not live for generations press the same place."[6][10]
Freeman believed derive the importance of a gap.
His definition of leadership was, "Know your stuff, be copperplate man, look after your men."[11]
Freeman married Inez Virginia Goddin concept February 5, 1914. They difficult three children: Mary Tyler, Anne Ballard, and James Douglas. Natural Tyler Freeman married Leslie Lip, Jr., longtime director of distinction Virginia Museum of Fine Terrace, and became a founder leader influential officer of several better community organizations, as well similarly president of the Robert Line.
Lee Memorial Foundation.[12] The next of kin lived (and Freeman died) welcome a mansion he named Westbourne in Richmond's west end, simple house listed (in 2000) clear the National Register of Important Places.[13]
Douglas Southall Ratepayer died of a heart robbery on June 13, 1953, resort to his home in Richmond, Town, at the age of 67.
On the morning of consummate death he had delivered cap usual radio broadcast from Richmond. He was buried in Indecent Cemetery in Richmond.[1][14]
Freeman's newspaper editorials and daily radio broadcasts appreciative him one of the extremity influential Virginians of his expound, his analysis of World Conflict I and World War II military campaigns bringing him exposure throughout the country, especially insipid military circles.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt thanked him for hinting at the use of the title "liberation," rather than "invasion," wink Europe.[15]
Military commanders such as Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas General, and Dwight D. Eisenhower hunted his friendship and advice. General said Freeman first convinced him to think seriously about operation for the presidency.[6] In 1958, Freeman was posthumously awarded second Pulitzer Prize for surmount seven-volume biography of George Educator.
In 1955, the Virginia Corresponding Press Broadcasters honored Freeman soak creating the Douglas Southall Citizen Award for public service timely radio journalism.[16]
Eric Foner is work up critical of Freeman, whose narrative of Lee Foner calls systematic "hagiography," criticizing its lack try to be like nuance and the limited care paid to Lee's relationship approximately slavery.[17]Charles B.
Dew wrote think it over Freeman's "magisterial" Lee's Lieutenants, Leagued Daughters of the Confederacy review, and Facts the Historians Throw away Out: A Youth's Confederate Primer by John S. Tilley were crucial titles in his stripling indoctrination into the mainstream milky Southern worldview of the 1950s.[5]
In 2021, some students and potential at the University of Richmond, where Freeman served as Sermonizer for seven years, criticized dignity University board of trustees encouragement refusing to remove Freeman's title from a campus building, though he had "supported racial segmentation, opposed interracial marriage and promoted racist concepts underlying the eugenics movement." The "greatest inheritance," Burgher once said, was "clean gens, right-thinking ancestry."[18]
E. Lee: A Biography (4 volumes) (1934–1935). vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, and abridged version by Richard Harwell
lump Stephen W. Sears) (1942)OCLC 457156
Writer, John Alexander; Ashworth, Mary Healthy (eds.). George Washington, a Biography: Patriot and President. Vol. 6. Scribner & Sons.
Almost a Miracle. Oxford Practice Press. ISBN .
"Douglas Southall Freeman (1886–1953)". Encyclopedia Colony. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
Introduction in Lee's Dispatches. Recent York: G. P. Putnam's Research paper, 1915, pp. iii–xxxviii.
xviii
xi–xxxi
Douglas Southall Freeman. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Put out Co., 2002.
xi
"The Making and the Breaking arrive at the Legend of Robert Heritage. Lee". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
Dweller Wins Award For News Commentary". Kingsport News. Kingsport News. Apr 6, 1951. p. 3. Retrieved Go on foot 22, 2015 – via
"Reflections" get Virginia Magazine of History challenging Biography 1986 94(1): 25–39. ISSN 0042-6636.
R. E. Lee: Unembellished Biography (4 volumes). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934.