Lee's Last Stand: Sailor's Creek, Virginia, 1865 [Hardcover]

Derek Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2004

On April 6, 1865, General Robert E. Lee and his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia lost one of the more devastating – but forgotten – battles of the war. Along the banks of Sailor’s Creek, Virginia, blue and gray dueled in the last major clash before Lee’s surrender at Appomattox three days later. This is the saga of that tragic spring day at Sailor’s Creek where Lee exclaimed, "My God! Has the army dissolved?" as he watched his shattered legions flee the battlefield.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Lee’s Last Stand offers a compelling look at the last battle of the once mighty Army of Northern Virginia.

About the Author

Lee’s Last Stand is Derek Smith’s second book on the American Civil War. A former journalist and public relations executive, his first book on the conflict, Civil War Savannah, was released in 1997. A native of Bishopville, South Carolina, Smith’s works have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. His 1993 book Glory Yards depicted the Georgia-Florida college football rivalry. His first novel, The Sentinels, was published in 2001. He now lives in Williamsville, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 262 pages
• Publisher: White Mane Publishing Company (December 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572492511
• ISBN-13: 978-1572492516
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,791,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just appalling, June 1, 2005

By 

Eric J. Wittenberg "Civil War Book Maven" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lee's Last Stand: Sailor's Creek, Virginia, 1865 (Hardcover)

In recent years, the final campaign of the Civil War in Virginia has received a great deal of attention, with Jay Winik's best-selling April 1865 leading the way. While the pursuit of Lee's army by Grant's federals is certainly a compelling story, there have been few detailed tactical treatments of the combat that occurred during the pursuit and retreat.

The largest battle - in terms of numbers engaged as well as in acreage involved - was the battle of Sailor's Creek, fought on April 6, 1865. Sailor's Creek was an unmitigated disaster for Robert E. Lee's army, costing him 7,700 casualties he could ill afford, and prompting him to say, "My God! Has the army been dissolved?" His son, Maj. Gen. George Washington Custus Lee, was among the prisoners taken, as was Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell.

Other than the fine work by Chris Calkins, the tactical aspects of the battle of Sailor's Creek have received scant attention from historians.

Derek Smith has written a study of Sailor's Creek that promises much more than it delivers. Smith, a journalist by profession, has a smooth and easy writing style, meaning that the book is readable and pleasant enough, if a bit lightweight. If these were the only criteria by which books are reviewed, it would receive a stellar review. Sadly, though, many more factors come into play. Once those other factors are brought into the equation, this book's many weaknesses become obvious.

First, and foremost, the author did virtually no research of his own. A review of his endnotes indicates that he relied almost exclusively on secondary sources. A review of the bibliography indicates that he did almost no primary source research of his own, and no primary source manuscript research at all. This means that Smith merely repackages and regurgitates the writings of other historians.

Important primary sources, such as Henry E. Tremain's The Last Days of Sheridan's Cavalry or Frederick C. Newhall's With General Sheridan in the Last Campaign Against Lee, written by two of Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's staff officers, were not even consulted, even though both works contain detailed treatments of Sailor's Creek. Thus, those looking for new material or new insights will find none here, and would be better served to just read the other interpretations of the battle by the likes of Calkins.

More troubling is the fact that the maps in this book were lifted, verbatim, right out of Calkins's excellent 1997 book, The Appomattox Campaign: March 29-April 9, 1865. There is no indication that any changes were made, or that anything at all was done other than to photocopy the maps right out of Calkins's work. From speaking with Chris Calkins himself, I know for a fact that neither the author nor the publisher sought nor obtained permission to use those copyrighted maps. That a publisher would allow this sort of flagrant copyright infringement is nothing short of appalling. Finally, the book contains poor editing, awful production values, and poor overall quality. Then again, this publisher has an extended history of poor production values, lack of diligence, and permitting copyright infringement, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that it happened here, either.

In short, the author had an excellent opportunity to make a real contribution to the existing body of knowledge. If the reader is interested in the campaign, either go to the primary source materials such as Newhall and Tremain, or stick with known commodities such as Chris Calkins of Jay Winik. Don't spend your money here.

If I could give this book no stars, I would.

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Readable Account, April 2, 2005

By 

James W. Durney (Tampa Bay area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lee's Last Stand: Sailor's Creek, Virginia, 1865 (Hardcover)

Sailor's Creek is the last battle between the fabled Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac. The battle is overshadowed by Appomattox Court House a few days later and largely forgotten. Visitors to Appomattox will be hard pressed to find information on Sailor's Creek although the Rangers can give you directions to the battlefield. This very desperate, full-fledged battle destroyed two corps of the AoNV leaving Lee little offensive capability and less supplies. The time lost trying to save them contributed to his army being trapped at Appomattox.

Mr. Smith has written a very readable, intelligent account of the events leading up to the battle. His coverage of the battle is clear, allowing us to follow event easily with a minimum of confusion. The impact of the battle on the campaign and the men involved is well covered. The aftermath for the Confederates taken prisoner is very interesting. Overall, this is a very readable battle history but it could be improved.

My two objections are;

1) Maps. Publishers need to understand that battle histories need them. This book has far to few maps and far to many Illustrations. This is not problem unique to this book, publishing houses need to reconsider the lack of maps in battle histories.

2) Bias. Both sides were very brave, tired and hungry. Members of the AoNV had it worse than the men in the AOP but courage and dedication were not unique to either side. Mr. Smith overly emphasizes the out numbered scarecrows in butternut facing the blue clad hordes. Some of it is true but to often detracts from the story.

Overall, I like the book and feel it is a good value. It could be better but it is a good book and you will gain an understanding of this battle including the questions about the name.