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Summary
Summary
A Confederate general who ranks with Lee, Jeb Stuart, and Stonewall Jackson but whose achievements have been unfairly neglected until now, finally receives his due in this invaluable biography by a noted historian of the Civil War. Drawing extensively on newly unearthed documents, this work provides a gripping battle-by-battle assessment of Hill's role in Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and other battles. 8 pages of photographs. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Although Ambrose Powell Hill was a pivotal leader in nearly every major Civil War battle in the Eastern theater, until now he remained a comparatively obscure figure. Thanks to Robertson's discovery of Hill's Mexican and Civil War letters, a prewar diary and extensive family correspondence, Hill's character and personality come into focus at last. The new sources shed light on Hill's rivalry with George McClellan (later commander of the Union Army) for the hand of Ellen Marcy; his long-running feud with Stonewall Jackson; his difficulty mastering command of the Third Corps in Lee's army; and the circumstances of his death during the siege of Petersburg. Robertson also presents a convincing solution to a century-old puzzle by identifying the source of Hill's protracted illness: gonorrhea contracted while on furlough during his West Point days led to prostatitis. Author of The Stonewall Brigade, Robertson makes a major contribution to Civil War literature with this engrossing biography. Photos. (May 27) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Robertson's solid biography charts the life and career of Confederate Civil War general Ambrose Powell Hill. A member of a respected Virginia family, Hill followed the typical path of career military men in his time, a pedigree that included schooling at West Point and service in the Mexican War. Siding with his home state during the Civil War, Hill assumed a position of importance as a divisional and then corps commander under Robert E. Lee, seeing action at Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and finally Petersburg, where he was fatally wounded. (Hill is perhaps best known as the leader of the last-ditch dusk attack that saved the rebel army from destruction at the battle of Antietam.) Robertson's text offers astute appraisals of Hill's command skills, of the many criticisms of his judgments under fire (especially from Stonewall Jackson), and sheds light on the peculiar malady that affected Hill throughout his life. A much-needed addition to the Civil War literature. Notes; bibliography; to be indexed. MAB. 973.7'42 (B) Hill, A. P. / Generals U.S. Biography / Confederate States of America Army Biography / U.S. Army Biography / U.S. History Civil War, 1861-1865 Campaigns [OCLC] 86-31365
Choice Review
Robertson (Virginia Tech), author of numerous articles and books on the Civil War, has produced the best biography of one of the most important Confederate generals. Based on published and unpublished sources (especially a newly discovered collection of Hill's personal papers), this study follows Hill from his boyhood in Culpeper, Virginia, to West Point, the Mexican War, the war against the Seminoles, and eventually the battlefields of the Civil War's eastern theater, where Hill's place in American history was secured. As the aggressive commander of the famous Light Division, Hill made his greatest contributions to the Confederate cause in 1862 and 1863. His division's dramatic arrival at Antietam crippled a Union advance and saved the day for Lee's army. Hill's promotion to corps commander in 1863 removed him from his level of greatest effectiveness. Kidney infections and eventually uremia reduced his impact still further in 1864. By early 1865 he was dying from internal poisons. His fatal wound, one week before Appomattox, gave him the soldier's death he deserved. Well written, thorough endnotes, detailed bibliography and index. College, university, and public libraries.-R.G. Lowe, North Texas State University