Customer Reviews

With Grant and Meade from the Wilderness to Appomattox (Bison Book)

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This is an outstanding book that details the service of Grant and Meade towards the end of the Civil War. The story is told by the right hand man for both Grand and Meade. Lyman served both generals as their closest assistant. Much of the story comes from letters Lyman sent to his wife during the course of the war. The author's insight on both men is great. Several times in the book, he tells the "real" story of what happened at a certain point in the war that differs from what history says happened. It's like getting the inside scoop on what really happened.

First-person historical accounts can be a lot of fun for the frequent reader of history. Details that did not make their way into the books that summarize campaigns (or the entire war) pop up like Easter eggs. When you read a particularly outstanding account, like this one, there's also the pleasure in reading often-quoted descriptions in their original context.

This collection of a Union staff officer's letters to his wife is a primary source of detail about the Grant versus Lee period of the American Civil War (1864-5). The author, Theodore Lyman, was on Meade's staff for roughly the last 18 months of the war and his letters give us an insider's view from the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac.

A Civil War buff interested in this period of the war will find this book not only very interesting, but a fun read as well.

Lyman, a biologist, met Meade, an engineer, in Florida, where Lyman was collecting specimens and Meade was building a lighthouse. They remained friends and during the war, after one of Meade's promotions before Gettysburg, he offered Lyman a position on his staff. Lyman joined immediately before the Mine Run campaign. His letters comment on the period of the Army of the Potomac's impotency in the months after Gettysburg to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. He writes about Grant's arrival, the Wilderness campaign, Petersburg and the Appomattox campaign.

Lyman, well educated and well traveled, makes many interesting observations and passing references that add color to the reader's knowledge of the period. I was under the impression that "doughboy" originated in WWI, but Lyman uses it in 1863: "There was a piercing cold wind, the roads were frozen, and ice was on the pools; but the night was beautiful, with a lovely moon, that rose over the pine trees, and really seemed to me to be laughing derisively at our poor doughboys."

Lyman's extensive travels with his wife before the war led to his making many interesting comparisons. For example: "Our people are very different from the Europeans in their care for the dead, and mark each grave with its name; even in the heat of battle."

Most enjoyable for me is Lyman's clever and often amusing phrases, such as this reference to Shakespeare's MacBeth: "...so I was up at 4:30 - rain pitchforks! Dark as a box - everything but `enter three witches.'"

Lyman's letters are sprinkled with mentions of secondary Civil War figures such as this of the man who later teamed with his father to build the Brooklyn Bridge: "Captain Roebling, from General Warren's staff, galloped up. He is the most immovable of men, but had, at that moment, rather a troubled air. He handed a scrap of paper. General Meade opened it and his face changed. `My God!' he said, `General Warren has half my army!' Roebling shrugged his shoulders."

Lyman's descriptions give a lot of color to the war. Here are two more examples of what you can expect from this book:

"The houses that have not actually burnt usually look almost worse than those that have: so dreary are they with their windows without sashes, and their open doors, and their walls half stripped of boards."

"Headed by General Webb, we gave three cheers, and three more for General Meade. Then he mounted and rode through the 2d and 6th Corps. Such a scene followed as I can never see again. The soldiers rushed, perfectly crazy, to the roadside, and there crowding in dense masses, shouted, screamed, yelled, threw up their hats and hopped madly up and down! The batteries were run out and began firing, the bands played the flags waved. The noise of the cheering was such that my ears rang. And there was General Meade galloping about and waving his cap with the best of them! Poor old Robert Lee!"

Lyman's letters have been a gold mine for historians. Someone well read in civil war histories will recognize at least a few some of his descriptions, such as this one of Grant: "He habitually wears an expression as if he had determined to drive his head through a brick wall, and was about to do it." His description of Custer is also memorable: "This officer is one of the funniest looking beings you ever saw, and looks like a circus rider gone mad! He wears a huzzar jacket and tight trousers, of faded black velvet trimmed with tarnished gold lace."

Its very difficult to find the perfect gift for the fanatic. After all, what could you get a fanatic that he doesn't already have? When I am buying a gift for a Civil War buff who has not yet discovered first-person accounts, this is my first choice. I am writing this review in the hopes that someone will give this book (sections of which I've reread many times) to that hard-to-buy-for Civil War buff on their gift list.

petervtamas@mail.com

Theordore Lyman's letters to his wife Mimi, during his tour of duty on General George Meade are absolutely priceless. Lyman's accounts of what went on behind the scenes are honestly described with witty and sometmes biting sarcasism. His descriptions of the foreign observers and political vistors are at times very funny. No one escaped his very keen sense of humor. He shows great admiration and respect for both Grant, Humphreys & especially Meade. Lyman reveals a whole new side of Meade, which I not read about before..
This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it. The writing is clear and easy. I whizzed right through this.

Theodore Lyman's book of letters is just a absolute treasure. Lyman was in a position to observe the upper echelons of the Army of the Potomac's high command and his letters to his wife really provide great information. Lyman was a close friend of George Meade who was commander of the Army of the Potomac and the letters provide a very human view of the irascible Meade. This view by Lyman has the famous temper of Meade but shows a very caring and compassionate human being also. The depictions in the letters of Ulysses Grant and his quirky personality are a definite plus. Lyman really liked Grant and this comes through in the letters. I really like his eyewitness accounts of all of these famous and wonderful personalities. Lyman has great depictions of: Custer, Sheridan, Warren, and Sherman among others and he has some very pointed and barbed opinions of there abilities.

It is just absolutely fascinating to be able to follow through the letters the bloody battles of the 1864-1865 between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. With Lyman as your guide the reader will go through the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and the awful siege of Petersburg. Lyman also depicts the final acts of the Appomattox campaign. Overall this book is just very fascinating to read and to see the war through a staff officers eyes. Lyman had just an excellent easy to read writing style.

The Bison Book edition has a very excellent introduction of Theodore Lyman and his relationship with George Meade and how he came to join the army. I join with Brooks Simpson (who wrote the introduction) in wishing that there was a nice, new biography of George Meade. He is a fascinating figure and a detailed biography would be long overdue.

Be sure to also check out 'Meade's Army: The Private Notebooks of Lt. Col. Theodore Lyman' edited by David W. Lowe which has more writings by Lyman and fills out in detail his incredible story and that of the Army of the Potomac in the final grueling campaigns.

Highly Recommended to all Civil War Buffs!