This book was written by A.L. Long, published in 1983, the narrative is 695 pages and is illustrated with black and white drawings. Though destitute and dying of cancer, General Ulysses S. Grant penned his memoirs that fill two volumes. He dies soon after their completion. Robert E. Lee dies less than a decade after the Civil War. Though supports write that he intended to publish his memoirs, he did not have the chance. General A.L Long took on the task for him in this volume. General Lee, less fortunate than General Grant, was overtaken by death before he could complete his design of writing and publishing to the world his personal narrative of the important event sin which he figured. In offering this work to the public the publishers consider it a consummation of that intention, and they further believe that in the selection of General Long as the writer these memoirs become as nearly an autobiography as any it would be possible to obtain from another hand than that of General Lee himself. It was only during the last years of his life that General Lee seriously contemplated writing a history of his campaigns. He had been repeatedly urged to do so by his friends, was offered large inducements by publishers, and even from foreign countries came the urgent requests for his story. To most of these solicitations he returned a negative answer. Under date of October 25, 1865, he says: "I cannot now under the work you propose, nor can I enter into an engagement which I may never be able to accomplish. It will be some time before the truth can be known, and I do not think that time has yet arrived." To a request from a German officer for the right of translation he writes on March 13, 1866: "It has been my desire to write a history of the campaigns in Virginia, but I have no yet been able to commence it." It would appear that he began to collect materials for this purpose shortly after this date, and wrote to the various corps and division commanders asking reports of operations of the last campaigns of the war. He writes to Colonel Taylor, his late adjutant general: "I am desirous that the bravery and devotion of the Army of Northern Virginia shall be correctly transmitted to posterity. This is the only tribute that can now be paid to the worth of it's noble officers and soldiers." This hard book is in very good, used condition, with a dust cover in good condition.

Item # AA2126