At the Right Hand of Longstreet: Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer [Paperback]

G. Moxley Sorrel (Author), Peter S. Carmichael (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

As a young man in Georgia, G. Moxley Sorrel enlisted in a cavalry unit even before the Civil War erupted, so eager was he to serve his home state. During the war, as an aide-de-camp on Brigadier General James Longstreet’s staff he fought in many battles, including those at Chickamauga and Chattanooga. He was at Longstreet’s side when Longstreet was struck down in 1864.  Sorrel’s “rough jottings from memory” provide vivid and detailed descriptions of many of the war’s chief participants and events. His military career was cut short when he was shot in the lungs at Hatcher’s Run. Although he survived, the war ended before he could return to duty. In his declining years he wrote, “For my part, when the time comes to cross the river like the others, I shall be found asking at the gates above, ‘Where is the Army of Northern Virginia? For there I make my camp.’”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Longstreet was then a most striking figure, about forty years of age, a soldier every inch, and very handsome, tall and well proportioned, strong and active, a superb horseman and with an unsurpassed soldierly bearing, his features and expression fairly matched; eyes, glint steel blue, deep and piercing.”—G. Moxley Sorrel

(G. Moxley Sorrel )

About the Author

Introducer Peter Carmichael, a professor of history at Western Carolina University, is the author of Lee’s Young Artillerist: William R. J. Pegram.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803292678
• ISBN-13: 978-0803292673
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars G-3, I Corps, ANV, March 31, 2001

By 

Jeffrey Hayes (Annapolis MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At the Right Hand of Longstreet: Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer (Paperback)

There hardly exists a more insightful look at the Confederate High Command than Moxley Sorrel's memoirs. Personally, I rate it #2 among those of CSA general officers; following closely behind Edward Porter Alexander's "FIGHTING for the CONFEDERACY." Besides his fairly objective view of operations and personalities within both the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee; Sorrel's detailed observations of the inner workings of the ANV's command and staff greatly enhance the military historian's understanding of events. It is a MUST for any Civil War library. I look forward to my fourth reading of this enjoyable work.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Coudn't disagree more with the other review, June 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: At the Right Hand of Longstreet: Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer (Paperback)

The Book was an absolute pleasure to read, especially from a person that was actually there. I can not understand why any negative comments would be generated about this entertaining book. Sounds like someone had an ax to grind!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Whimsical look at war years..., November 14, 2002

By 

Charles C. DiVincenti Jr. "Carlo" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At the Right Hand of Longstreet: Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer (Paperback)

Sorrel offers a look at the War for Southern Independence throught the experiences of his years as a staff member for some of the Confederacy's top brass - more to the point, Genl James Longstreet. Indeed, the reader is reminded that this account is NOT a war-account per se, nor a review of military actions. At best it is a somewhat rambling, though very coherent series of musings on a variety of topics. There is however, a light-hearted tone to the memoirs. G. Moxley rarely has a "bad" thing to say about anyone - he certainly seems to have no agenda, as those other writers of the postwar years who tried to settle their accounts by writing their own venomous, more mean-spirited versions of events to cast themselves in a better light. Finally, I'd suggest this for more versed readers of Civil War lore. Sorrel's constant "name-dropping" or battle references are quite meaningless to a novice student. Also of interest is to witness the writing style (vernacular) from that period. The flowery speech, sentence structure, etc., is an experience as well. It is reprinted in the "original" format as first published - another twist! You get the real "feel" of reading this as if it WAS just published. Again, despite my modest ranking, I would recommend this for those with a more Confederate slant (like me!)