Customer Reviews

Lee's Maverick General: Daniel Harvey Hill

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Daniel Harvey Hill had two key faults. First, he was a very perceptive officer. Second, he always spoke his mind. D.H. Hill was not the only general officer to find himself on the outs with Jefferson Davis during the Civil War but he was one of the very few who was consistently shunned after his fall from grace.

Hot tempered and unusually outspoken, he stormed his way through the Civil War, fearlessly leading Confederate soldiers at Malvern Hill and Antietam while continuously stepping on the toes of his superiors. Ultimately, he was made the scapegoat for the mutiny of almost all the general officers serving under Braxton Bragg after the confusing victory of the Army of Tennessee at the Battle of Chickamauga. This mutiny was so pervasive that Jeff Davis was required to leave Richmond and visit the battlefield in order to put down the revolt against Bragg, a Davis favorite. Amazingly, Davis retains Bragg against the wishes of almost every general officer who participated in this engagement.

This is a very interesting book, providing insight into why the Confederacy ultimately lost middle Tennessee, thereby opening the way for the Federal advance on Atlanta.

Sometimes a person's personality really hurts their career. Lee and many others called D.H. Hill a malcontent etc... because he questioned the ANV's strategy, found many of his fellow officers wanting in even basic military skills and wondered how the south could win with poor arms and ammunition. People always say it was too bad Jackson wasn't at Gettysburg but there was nothing to do about it. DH Hill was in exile at that time when Lee's army was saddled with many incompetent commanders like Pickett and Heth.

Daniel Harvey Hill has largely been passed over by historians for notables such as Lee, Longstreet and his brother in law Jackson. Hill, however, was an important general in his time of service. In this biography we are given a desperately needed look at this intriguing and hard fighting general. After reading this book I emerged with a high opinion of DH Hill. He was a competent general who did well in all his battles, but because of his critical and harsh attitude he was not looked fondly upon by the higher ups, especially Jefferson Davis. Overall the book was well written and very informative. My only complaint is its length and lack of information before or after the war. This is a must have for everyone interested in the Civil War.

It amazes me how historians still treat this man--either by shunning him completely as though he never existed, or by throwing out one-line epithets on his less-than magnanimous side, as though he were some one-dimensional cardboard cutout. Thankfully, the powers that be in the publishing world reissued this book, originally written in 1961, by Hal Bridges. It is well written & researched. I read it through once & am now studying it chapter by chapter.

As a student of the American Civil War, I've been inexplicably drawn to D.H. Hill. Mr. Bridges' book is not a biography, but a "study" with biographical elements. Clearly, he likes his subject, yet remains objective throughout the book. Harvey Hill was a complex, somewhat conflicted, man--harsh at times & yet incredibly gentle & kind toward children, especially his own "babies" whom he adored. I find his sarcasm amusing; his superiors did not. He was a scholar who taught college, championed better agricultural practices & southern education after the war. His many friends stood by him when Confederate egos prevailed & he was singled out as the "scapegoat". Detailed accounts of these injustices, the mysterious "Lost Orders 191", as well as the machinations & blatant lies told by James Longstreet & Leonidas Polk, and how he spent the rest of his life trying to clear his name, left this reader emotionally involved. Anecdotal evidence & detail on individual battles--7 Pines, Chickamauga, Antietam etc.--show Harvey Hill to be one of the most inspiring & courageous commanders in the Confederate Army.

The hardships suffered by these men who fought gallantly for what they believed in--regardless of whether you agree with their cause--are inspiring. Hill had a twisted spine from a childhood illness causing incredible pain from the time he was a boy. He endured this & all hardships of middle 19thc battle with incredible faith & willpower. When he passed on from stomach cancer in 1889, his faith got him through to the end like it had everything else in his life.

The description of a night in Chickamauga I find particularly haunting:

"Accompanied by his aide...he wearily guided his horse along the rutted country road that meandered beside the stream (Chickamauga). Since dawn he had been in the saddle, and fatigue weighed heavily upon him..."

Bridges goes on to describe a "frosty night" that sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings in its mystical imagery, leading to events still shrouded in mystery. If you're interested in the ACW, especially unsung heroes of either side of the conflict, you will love this book.

DH Hill is an important figure in the American Civil War. He commanded a Confederate Division from the Peninsular Campaign through Antietam, was responsibel for the defense of the Virginia and North Carolina coasts, and was with the Army of Tennessee for the Chickamauga Campaign. This biography covers all of that, plus his pre- and post-war careers as regulary army officer, author and educator.

I would have liked more tactical detail, but it's also the only book covering the subject. It's also helpful to see the Virginia fighting from the perspective of a Confederate who didn't think Robert E. Lee walked on water. For the Civil War buff, keep in mind that this book is Hill's perspective only. You'll need a good history of the individual battles, and decent maps.