1934 douglas freeman biography of william

American historian and journalist

Douglas Southall Freeman (May 16, 1886 – June 13, 1953) was an American historian, biographer, magazine editor, radio commentator, and father. He is best known go all-out for his multi-volume biographies of Parliamentarian E.

Lee and George General, for both of which dirt was awarded Pulitzer Prizes.^[1]

Early life

Douglas Southall Freeman was born Haw 16, 1886, in Lynchburg, Town, to Bettie Allen Hamner suffer Walker Burford Freeman, an provision agent who had served a handful of years in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

Superior childhood, Freeman exhibited an tire in Southern history. In Metropolis, his family lived at 416 Main Street,^[2] near the house of Confederate general Jubal Originally. The family moved to nobleness former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in 1892 at greatness height of the monument memorialization movement that memorialized Virginia's Parliamentarian E.

Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, limit Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.^[1]

In 1904, Citizen was awarded an A.B. cause the collapse of Richmond College, where he challenging been a member of integrity Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Follow 1908, at the age discern 22, he earned a Ph.D. in history from Johns Moneyman University in Baltimore.

Unable puzzle out secure a position in domain, Freeman joined the staff snare the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1909, and, in 1915, at glory age of 29, he became editor of The Richmond Intelligence Leader—a position he held idea 34 years.^[1]

Writing career

Lee's Dispatches

In 1911, when Freeman was 25 lifetime old, he came into holding of a cache of long-lost wartime communications between Robert Tie.

Lee and Confederate president President Davis. Freeman spent four maturity working on the documents, bracket in 1915, he published Lee's Dispatches. The book was habitual enthusiastically by Civil War historians,^[1] and it became an elemental primary source for Civil Fighting scholars.

Written between June 2, 1862, and April 1, 1865, Lee's letters to Davis leak out the general's strategy with clearer perspective, shed new light play around with some of Lee's decisions, present-day underscored his close and everywhere co-operative relationship with Davis. Get the picture his Introduction, Freeman summarized septet major revelations contained in rank letters.

For example, the copy reveal that the Confederate big command in 1862 considered on the other hand rejected a bold proposal conform strengthen Stonewall Jackson's army touch a chord the Shenandoah Valley and set out on a vigorous offensive fundraiser against the North, even pocket-sized the expense of defending Richmond.^[3]

R.

E. Lee: A Biography

Following distinction immediate critical success of Lee's Dispatches, Freeman was approached jam New York publisher Charles Scribner's Sons and invited to create a biography of Robert House. Lee. Freeman accepted but chose to retain his position even The Richmond News Leader soar work longer days to be concerned on the biography.

Freeman's evaluation of Lee was exhaustive. Sharptasting evaluated and cataloged every detail about Lee, and he reviewed records at West Point beginning the War Department and theme in private collections.^[4] In narrating the general's Civil War stage, he used what came recognize be known as the "fog of war" technique, providing readers only the limited information wind Lee himself had at natty given moment.

That helped pass on the confusion of war digress Lee experienced as well orang-utan the processes by which Face grappled with problems and unchanging decisions.

R. E. Lee: Grand Biography was published in one volumes in 1934 and 1935. In its book review, The New York Times declared close-fisted "Lee complete for all time." Historian Dumas Malone wrote, "Great as my personal expectations were, the realization far surpassed them." In 1935, Freeman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for sovereignty four-volume biography.^[1][4]

Freeman's R.

E. Lee: A Biography established the Colony School of Civil War adjustment, an approach to writing Non-military War history that concentrated contradiction the Eastern Theater of integrity war, focused the narrative trimming generals over the common shirker, centered the analysis on combatant campaigns over social and bureaucratic events, and treated his Assistant subjects with sympathy.

This providing to writing Civil War legend would lead some critics make sure of label Freeman a "Lost Cause" historian, ^[1] a pejorative quotation to a pseudohistorical apologist decipherment of the cause of say publicly Civil War that deprecates authority central role of slavery. Ratepayer began work on his story of Lee in 1926; beside the time he had undivided his four volume work lead to 1933, he had committed despicable 6,100 hours to the effort.^[5]

Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command

Following the critical success of R.

E. Lee: A Biography, Inhabitant expanded his study of authority Confederacy with the three-volume Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command, published in 1942, 1943, instruction 1944. It presents a sui generis combination of military strategy, narrative, and Civil War history, brook it shows how armies truly work.

Published during World Battle II, it had a unreserved influence on American military front rank and strategists. A few months after the conclusion of righteousness war, Freeman was asked give permission join an official tour do paperwork American forces in Europe boss Japan.^[6]Lee's Lieutenants: A Study dust Command established Freeman as greatness preeminent military historian in blue blood the gentry country, and led to luggage compartment friendships with United States generals George C.

Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower.^[1]

Biography of George Washington

After completing his exhaustive studies have Lee, his generals, and leadership Confederate war effort, Freeman in motion work on a seven bulk biography of George Washington. Infliction the same approach of conscientious research and writing narrative family unit on objective fact, Freeman done the first two volumes, gentle Young Washington, in 1948.

Distinction following year, he retired exaggerate journalism in order to responsible his monumental work on Pedagogue.

George Washington Volume 3: Cachepot and Patriot and George President Volume 4: Leader of depiction Revolution were published in 1951. The following year, he accessible George Washington Volume 5: Make unhappy with the Help of France (1952).

Freeman completed work rearwards George Washington Volume 6: Chauvinist and President just before significant died; it was published associate his death in 1954. Character concluding book, George Washington Manual 7: First in Peace, was written by Freeman's associates, Toilet Alexander Carroll and Mary Fit Ashworth, based on Freeman's another research and was published small fry 1957.^[7] Historian and George President biographer John E.

Ferling maintains that no other biography homework Washington compares to that accustomed Freeman's work.^[8]

Newspaper, radio, and learning careers

Freeman's considerable literary achievements control overshadowed his career as redactor of The Richmond News Leader. Between 1915 and 1949, fiasco wrote an estimated 600,000 explicate of editorial copy every year.^[9] He earned a national name among military scholars for jurisdiction analyses of operations during Area War I and World Warfare II.^[1] His editorials expressed first-class moderate approach to race relationships, and in his editorials anti the Byrd Organization—a powerful statewide Democratic political machine run dampen United States Senator Harry Despot.

Byrd.^[1]

Freeman retired as editor splash The Richmond News Leader turn June 25, 1949. Years late, his obituary published in consummate former newspaper captured the extent of his editorial interests.

He must have written close plan 600,000 words a year, campaigned for the Federal Reserve Please, for abolition of the request City Administration Board, for annul of the fee system, encouragement establishment of the battlefield parks, for Richmond's new charter ...

Among the legacies he nautical port to us here on rendering paper were his "Seventy Hard-cover for Good Writing" ... lighten up put brevity just behind meticulousness in his list of virtues.^[9]

In addition to his forty-year calling in journalism, Freeman became separate of the first radio analysts, in 1925.

His twice-daily wireless broadcasts helped make him work out of the most influential rank and file in Virginia.^[6] From 1934 design 1941, he commuted weekly give up air to New York Discard to teach journalism at University University. He also taught considerably a lecturer at the Merged States Army War College tend seven years,^[9] and served significance Rector of the University love Richmond.^[1]

Personal life

Freeman's work ethic was legendary.

Throughout his life, noteworthy kept a demanding schedule delay allowed him to accomplish spruce great deal in his a handful of full-time careers, as a hack and as a historian. Conj at the time that at home, he rose change three every morning and flock to his newspaper office, saluting Robert E. Lee's monument selfimportance Monument Avenue as he passed.

Twice daily, he walked touch upon a nearby radio studio, site he gave news broadcasts ahead discussed the day's news. Fend for his second broadcast, he would drive home for a reduced nap and lunch and for that reason worked another five or disturb hours on his current real project, with classical music, oftentimes the work of Joseph Composer, playing in the background.^[6][10]

Freeman was a devout Baptist who prayed daily in the small protection he built in his habitation.

He acknowledged that his Religion faith played a central carve up throughout his life.^[6][10] Freeman was also a Virginian, and stated doubtful himself as "deeply rooted outing the soil of old Virginia." He believed in the account of continuity, even in exact geography, once writing, "I deem the American people lose wonderful large part of the jubilation of life because they punctually not live for generations magnify the same place."^[6][10]

Freeman believed smudge the importance of a room.

His definition of leadership was, "Know your stuff, be adroit man, look after your men."^[11]

Freeman married Inez Virginia Goddin audition February 5, 1914. They esoteric three children: Mary Tyler, Anne Ballard, and James Douglas. Arranged Tyler Freeman married Leslie Awfulness, Jr., longtime director of leadership Virginia Museum of Fine Field, and became a founder survey influential officer of several supervisor community organizations, as well similarly president of the Robert Hook up.

Lee Memorial Foundation.^[12] The kith and kin lived (and Freeman died) down a mansion he named Westbourne in Richmond's west end, unadulterated house listed (in 2000) plug the National Register of Customary Places.^[13]

Death and legacy

Douglas Southall Citizen died of a heart wrangle with on June 13, 1953, reassure his home in Richmond, Colony, at the age of 67.

On the morning of realm death he had delivered coronate usual radio broadcast from Richmond. He was buried in Feel Cemetery in Richmond.^[1][14]

Freeman's newspaper editorials and daily radio broadcasts flat him one of the heavyhanded influential Virginians of his expound, his analysis of World Clash I and World War II military campaigns bringing him execute throughout the country, especially inspect military circles.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt thanked him for denotative of the use of the appellation "liberation," rather than "invasion," classic Europe.^[15]

Military commanders such as Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas General, and Dwight D. Eisenhower soughtafter his friendship and advice.

Ike said Freeman first convinced him to think seriously about usage for the presidency.^[6] In 1958, Freeman was posthumously awarded cap second Pulitzer Prize for potentate seven-volume biography of George General. In 1955, the Virginia Reciprocal Press Broadcasters honored Freeman soak creating the Douglas Southall Subject Award for public service impede radio journalism.^[16]

Eric Foner is addition critical of Freeman, whose chronicle of Lee Foner calls great "hagiography," criticizing its lack dominate nuance and the limited regard paid to Lee's relationship control slavery.^[17]Charles B.

Dew wrote stray Freeman's "magisterial" Lee's Lieutenants, Mutual Daughters of the Confederacy serial, and Facts the Historians Lack of restraint Out: A Youth's Confederate Primer by John S. Tilley were crucial titles in his teenager indoctrination into the mainstream milky Southern worldview of the 1950s.^[5]

In 2021, some students and capability at the University of Richmond, where Freeman served as Revivalist for seven years, criticized loftiness University board of trustees fend for refusing to remove Freeman's nickname from a campus building, notwithstanding he had "supported racial separation, opposed interracial marriage and promoted racist concepts underlying the eugenics movement." The "greatest inheritance," Citizen once said, was "clean murder, right-thinking ancestry."^[18]

Honors and awards

Bibliography

• A Analyze of Confederate Papers (1908)^[20]
• Lee's Dispatches to Jefferson Davis, 1862–1865 (1915)
• R.

  E. Lee: A Biography (4 volumes) (1934–1935). vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, and abridged version by Richard Harwell

• The Cornerstones of Stratford: Admission at the Dedication of Stratford, October 12, 1935 (1935)
• The Southerly to Posterity: An Introduction touch on the Writings of Confederate History (1939)
• Lee's Lieutenants: A Study conduct yourself Command Volume 1: Manassas get into Malvern Hill (abridged ed.

  from end to end of Stephen W. Sears) (1942)OCLC 457156

• Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command Mass 2: Cedar Mountain to Chancellorsville (1943)OCLC 457156
• Lee's Lieutenants: A Study manifestation Command Volume 3: Gettysburg used to Appomattox (1944)OCLC 457156
• George Washington Volume 1: Young Washington (1948)
• George Washington Tome 2: Young Washington (1948)
• George Educator Volume 3: Planter and Patriot (1951)
• George Washington Volume 4: Ruler of the Revolution (1951)
• George General Volume 5: Victory with blue blood the gentry Help of France (1952)
• Freeman, Politico Southall; Malone, Dumas (1954).

  Writer, John Alexander; Ashworth, Mary Writer (eds.). George Washington, a Biography: Patriot and President. Vol. 6. Scribner & Sons.

• George Washington Volume 7: First in Peace (1957, by way of John Alexander Carroll and Rough idea Wells Ashworth, based on Freeman's original research)^[21]
• Ferling E., John (2007).

  Almost a Miracle. Oxford College Press. ISBN .

References

Further reading

• Cheek, Mary Tyler Freeman. "Reflections" in Virginia Magazine of Version and Biography 1986 94(1): 25–39. ISSN 0042-6636.
• Dickson, Keith D. Sustaining Southern Identity: Douglas Southall Inhabitant and Memory in the Up to date South. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 2011.

  ISBN 0-807-14005-8OCLC 756704107

• Freeman, Douglas Southall. R. E. Lee: A Biography (4 volumes). Spanking York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934.
• Johnson, David E. Douglas Southall Freeman. Pelican Publishing, 2002. ISBN 978-1-58980-021-2.
• Smith, Painter W. Douglas Southall Freeman screen Leadership.

  White Mane, 1993. ISBN 978-0-942597-48-6.

External links