When The Peaches Get Ripe [Paperback]

Robert M. Tombes (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967507405 | ISBN-13: 978-0967507408 | Publication Date: October 1, 1999

Letters and Journal of Robert Gaines Haile, Jr., 55th Va. Infantry, CSA, 1862. 140pp, 47,000 words, 28 illustrations including 3 maps, 154 footnotes, original cover art work by Thomas H. Tombes. Foreword by Robert E. L. Krick. Letters to wife Mollie and 3 daughters describe life in Confederate army stationed along the Rappahannock and around Fredericksburg and Richmond. Details include escorting Mrs. Robert E. Lee back from behind enemy lines, observing Prof. Lowe spying from his balloon, shooting at Yankee sentinels, sharing coffee and whiskey with Union officers, and the loss of a friend from Essex, William Latane. Haile expressed insightful opinions about fighting for the Confederate Army. His letters were filled with affection and concern for his wife and three daughters back on the farm. Time line and maps allow reader to follow the 55th Va. from Fort Lowry to Malvern Hill.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Excerpt of author and historian Robert E.L. Krick's foreword: Two unique subjects addressed by Haile are worth the price of this book alone. One is his letter of June 10, 1862, in which he describes his role escorting Mrs. R. E. Lee across the Chickahominy River from the Federal lines to the Confederate positions. His is the only known detailed account of the episode. Haile also knew William Latane, the famous cavalryman killed in the course of General J. E. B. Stuarts spectacular ride around the Union army in June 1862. Although an artist soon immortalized Latane on canvas (William Washingtons The Burial of Latane), Haile mourned Latan as a neighbor and long-time friend. He was not present at Latane's death, but he wrote a detailed narrative of the event using information gathered from Latane's comrades within hours of the event. Hailes account is of considerable value because it dates from before the episode had been converted from a good story to a romantic legend.

Haile descendant Rob Tombes has marshaled the family resources, scouted out locations all around central Virginia, and otherwise distinguished himself as editor and compiler of this material. His diligence and care, combined with Robert Gaines Hailes entertaining pen, have produced a smooth picture of an officers life in one of R. E. Lees fighting regiments, the 55th Virginia Infantry. END -- Robert E. L. Krick, Richmond, Virginia, June 1999

The Haile letters and diary provide new perspectives on one of the most sadly neglected brigades in R. E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Two unique subjects addressed by Haile are worth the price of this book alone. One is his description of his role escorting Mrs. R. E. Lee across the Chickahominy River and the second is a detailed account of the death of William Latane, the famous cavalryman killed in the course of General J. E. B. Stuart's spectacular ride around the Union army in June 1862. Haile descendant Robert M. Tombes has marshaled the family resources, scouted out locations all around central Virginia, and otherwise distinguished himself as editor and compiler of this material. His diligence and care, combined with Robert Gaines Haile's entertaining pen, have produced a smooth picture of an officer's life in one of R. E. Lee's fighting regiments, the 55th Virginia Infantry -- Robert E. L. Krick, Richmond, Virginia, June 1999

From the Back Cover

Robert and Mollie Haile had been married five years in May 1861 when he left Beavers Hill plantation for good and reported for duty at Tappahannock. His youngest daughter, Betty, was only three months old. During the next year, while stationed along the Rappahannock River and around Fredericksburg and Richmond, Haile escorted Mrs. Robert E. Lee back from behind federal lines, watched Professor Lowe spy from his balloon over Richmond, shot at Yankee sentinels and shared coffee and whiskey with Union officers. He watched men die, bemoaned cowardice and lamented the loss of a friend from Essex, William Latane. Haile expressed strong and insightful opinions about fighting for the Confederate Army during the Civil War, but above all, his letters were filled with affection and longing for his wife and three daughters back at the farm. Robert M. Tombes, a Haile great-great-grandson and professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, compiled and edited these letters and documents - along the way re-discovering his past and present Virginia family heritage.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Tizwin Books (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967507405
• ISBN-13: 978-0967507408
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,565,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To see through the eyes of Confederate solider, January 19, 2001

By 

Shawn Ralston (Richmond, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When The Peaches Get Ripe (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The diary entries and letters of Lt. Robert Gaines Haile show a side of the Civil War that is not normally seen. Each document reveals many of the human details of life that are usually forgotten or overlooked by most Civil War historians. The editor, Robert M. Tombes, does a brilliant job of seamlessly combining the original documents with maps and explanations that allow the reader to follow Haile's progress through the War. I recommend this book for the reader who wants to gain an understanding of what life was really like for those who served during the War. The length of the book makes it manageable and the contents makes it priceless.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bitter Sweet Story - Historical /Genealogy, July 23, 2003

By 

iqhope "Dawn Boyer" (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When The Peaches Get Ripe (Paperback)

I picked this book up from a popular restaurant on the middle penisula of Virginia looking for something to read from the local area with historical flavor. What I ended up with was a bittersweet love story of a Civil War Soldier. Lt. Robert Gaines Haile, Jr. was a good looking man, and devoted to the cause. He joined the Esex Sharpshooters to do his duty, and was wounded in battle and died with his wife in attendance. While you hear of thousands of husbands, brothers, fathers and sons that died in the Civil War, this small book brings home the story poignently, while simultaneously describing in great historical detail the geographic area, the people around him, and the battles he encountered. The descendant who wrote the books with Mr. Haile's compiled letters did an excellent job of gathering many factual details, photos, and maps of what his ancestor was describing.
Highly recommended for a tour through history from someone who actually was in the middle of the action and literate enough to write about it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Early History of the 55th Va Infantry, April 9, 2001

By 

David Life's An Adventure "Klass7" (Windsor, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: When The Peaches Get Ripe (Paperback)

Mr. Tombes provides much background into the early Civil War history of the 55th VA Infantry. The letters and journal entrys from his ancestor, Lt. Robert G. Haile, Jr. reveal the thoughts and hopes of the early Confederate soldier. The book gave insight into the reasons that the south fought, a soliders feelings towards the slaves that his family kept and the dislike of war. I was interested in this work as background to the unit that my great great grandfather- Benjamin Warner Pritchett fought in. If you are interested in the 55th VA, this book is a must have.