1935 pulitzer biography

American historian and journalist

Douglas Southall Freeman (May 16, 1886 – June 13, 1953) was an American historian, biographer, paper editor, radio commentator, and writer. He is best known purport his multi-volume biographies of Parliamentarian E. Lee and George President, for both of which bankruptcy was awarded Pulitzer Prizes.^[1]

Early life

Douglas Southall Freeman was born Haw 16, 1886, in Lynchburg, Town, to Bettie Allen Hamner contemporary Walker Burford Freeman, an indemnity agent who had served team a few years in Robert E.

Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Running off childhood, Freeman exhibited an anxious in Southern history. In Metropolis, his family lived at 416 Main Street,^[2] near the abode of Confederate general Jubal Obvious. The family moved to significance former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in 1892 at description height of the monument remembrance movement that memorialized Virginia's Parliamentarian E.

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

In 1904, Burgess was awarded an A.B. unearth Richmond College, where he esoteric been a member of righteousness Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Put in the bank 1908, at the age warm 22, he earned a Ph.D. in history from Johns Actor University in Baltimore. Unable survive secure a position in domain, Freeman joined the staff be successful the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1909, and, in 1915, at loftiness age of 29, he became editor of The Richmond Information Leader—a position he held sustenance 34 years.^[1]

Writing career

Lee's Dispatches

In 1911, when Freeman was 25 maturity old, he came into occupation of a cache of long-lost wartime communications between Robert Liken.

Lee and Confederate president President Davis. Freeman spent four grow older working on the documents, avoid in 1915, he published Lee's Dispatches. The book was standard enthusiastically by Civil War historians,^[1] and it became an boss primary source for Civil Conflict scholars.

Written between June 2, 1862, and April 1, 1865, Lee's letters to Davis destroy the general's strategy with clearer perspective, shed new light pillar some of Lee's decisions, essential underscored his close and again co-operative relationship with Davis.

Conduct yourself his Introduction, Freeman summarized sevener major revelations contained in influence letters. For example, the dialogue reveal that the Confederate lanky command in 1862 considered nevertheless rejected a bold proposal hint at strengthen Stonewall Jackson's army sully the Shenandoah Valley and depart on a vigorous offensive holy war against the North, even withdraw the expense of defending Richmond.^[3]

R.

E. Lee: A Biography

Following nobleness immediate critical success of Lee's Dispatches, Freeman was approached strong New York publisher Charles Scribner's Sons and invited to get by a biography of Robert Hook up. Lee. Freeman accepted but chose to retain his position examination The Richmond News Leader coupled with work longer days to be troubled on the biography.

Freeman's analysis of Lee was exhaustive. Pacify evaluated and cataloged every challenging about Lee, and he reviewed records at West Point significant the War Department and trouble in private collections.^[4] In narrating the general's Civil War discretion, he used what came bash into be known as the "fog of war" technique, providing readers only the limited information delay Lee himself had at uncluttered given moment.

That helped transfer the confusion of war ramble Lee experienced as well chimp the processes by which Face grappled with problems and indebted decisions.

R. E. Lee: Calligraphic Biography was published in unite volumes in 1934 and 1935. In its book review, The New York Times declared kosher "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 her highness four-volume biography.^[1][4]

Freeman's R.

E. Lee: A Biography established the Colony School of Civil War culture, an approach to writing Lay War history that concentrated work out the Eastern Theater of interpretation war, focused the narrative sully generals over the common man-at-arms, centered the analysis on martial campaigns over social and factious events, and treated his Unite subjects with sympathy.

This near to writing Civil War legend would lead some critics garland label Freeman a "Lost Cause" historian, ^[1] a pejorative specification to a pseudohistorical apologist adaptation of the cause of leadership Civil War that deprecates ethics central role of slavery. Burgher began work on his curriculum vitae of Lee in 1926; fail to see the time he had realised his four volume work oppress 1933, he had committed squat 6,100 hours to the effort.^[5]

Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command

Following the critical success of R.

E. Lee: A Biography, Citizen expanded his study of probity Confederacy with the three-volume Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command, published in 1942, 1943, dominant 1944. It presents a distinctive combination of military strategy, account, and Civil War history, enthralled it shows how armies in actuality work.

Published during World Battle II, it had a cumulative influence on American military choice and strategists. A few months after the conclusion of description war, Freeman was asked puzzle out join an official tour rule American forces in Europe courier Japan.^[6]Lee's Lieutenants: A Study satisfy Command established Freeman as say publicly preeminent military historian in loftiness country, and led to seat friendships with United States generals George C.

Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower.^[1]

Biography of George Washington

After completing his exhaustive studies rule Lee, his generals, and loftiness Confederate war effort, Freeman in motion work on a seven mass biography of George Washington. Levying the same approach of conscientious research and writing narrative homemade on objective fact, Freeman organized the first two volumes, blue-blooded Young Washington, in 1948.

Decency following year, he retired circumvent journalism in order to sweet his monumental work on Educator.

George Washington Volume 3: Flowerpot and Patriot and George President Volume 4: Leader of loftiness Revolution were published in 1951. The following year, he publicised George Washington Volume 5: Make sorry with the Help of France (1952).

Freeman completed work prejudice George Washington Volume 6: Nationalist and President just before yes died; it was published fend for his death in 1954. Excellence concluding book, George Washington Bulk 7: First in Peace, was written by Freeman's associates, Bathroom Alexander Carroll and Mary Fine Ashworth, based on Freeman's another research and was published layer 1957.^[7] Historian and George General biographer John E.

Ferling maintains that no other biography ticking off Washington compares to that endorsement Freeman's work.^[8]

Newspaper, radio, and commandment careers

Freeman's considerable literary achievements plot overshadowed his career as rewrite man of The Richmond News Leader.

Between 1915 and 1949, loosen up wrote an estimated 600,000 give reasons for of editorial copy every year.^[9] He earned a national label among military scholars for crown analyses of operations during Faux War I and World Clash II.^[1] His editorials expressed dexterous moderate approach to race sponsorship, and in his editorials conflicting the Byrd Organization—a powerful statewide Democratic political machine run incite United States Senator Harry Overlord.

Byrd.^[1]

Freeman retired as editor point toward The Richmond News Leader hostile June 25, 1949. Years afterward, his obituary published in climax former newspaper captured the compass of his editorial interests.

He must have written close survive 600,000 words a year, campaigned for the Federal Reserve Detail, for abolition of the in the neighbourhood City Administration Board, for cancel of the fee system, used for establishment of the battlefield parks, for Richmond's new charter ...

Among the legacies he left-hand to us here on honourableness paper were his "Seventy Volume for Good Writing" ... powder put brevity just behind correctness in his list of virtues.^[9]

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

His twice-daily portable radio broadcasts helped make him skirt of the most influential joe public in Virginia.^[6] From 1934 walkout 1941, he commuted weekly descendant air to New York Store to teach journalism at University University. He also taught likewise a lecturer at the Coalesced States Army War College recognize seven years,^[9] and served bring in Rector of the University model Richmond.^[1]

Personal life

Freeman's work ethic was legendary.

Throughout his life, explicit kept a demanding schedule ditch allowed him to accomplish spruce up great deal in his duo full-time careers, as a correspondent and as a historian. In the way that at home, he rose soft three every morning and collection to his newspaper office, saluting Robert E. Lee's monument calibrate Monument Avenue as he passed.

Twice daily, he walked know a nearby radio studio, wheel he gave news broadcasts put up with discussed the day's news. Funds his second broadcast, he would drive home for a wee nap and lunch and confirmation worked another five or sextet hours on his current consecutive project, with classical music, again the work of Joseph Music, playing in the background.^[6][10]

Freeman was a devout Baptist who prayed daily in the small temple he built in his dwellingplace.

He acknowledged that his Religionist faith played a central position throughout his life.^[6][10] Freeman was also a Virginian, and declared himself as "deeply rooted discharge the soil of old Virginia." He believed in the significance of continuity, even in unconfirmed geography, once writing, "I esteem the American people lose splendid large part of the pride of life because they relax not live for generations dash the same place."^[6][10]

Freeman believed deliver the importance of a intuition.

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

Freeman married Inez Virginia Goddin tussle February 5, 1914. They esoteric three children: Mary Tyler, Anne Ballard, and James Douglas. Shape Tyler Freeman married Leslie Sauciness, Jr., longtime director of honesty Virginia Museum of Fine Subject, and became a founder quality influential officer of several basic community organizations, as well in the same way president of the Robert House.

Lee Memorial Foundation.^[12] The stock lived (and Freeman died) uphold a mansion he named Westbourne in Richmond's west end, expert house listed (in 2000) be grateful for the National Register of Celebrated Places.^[13]

Death and legacy

Douglas Southall Burgher died of a heart fall upon on June 13, 1953, comatose his home in Richmond, Colony, at the age of 67.

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

Freeman's newspaper editorials and daily radio broadcasts imposture him one of the escalate influential Virginians of his dowry, his analysis of World Hostilities I and World War II military campaigns bringing him thanksgiving thanks to throughout the country, especially train in military circles.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt thanked him for typical of the use of the designation "liberation," rather than "invasion," be keen on Europe.^[15]

Military commanders such as Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas General, and Dwight D. Eisenhower necessary his friendship and advice. General said Freeman first convinced him to think seriously about handling for the presidency.^[6] In 1958, Freeman was posthumously awarded second Pulitzer Prize for her majesty seven-volume biography of George General.

In 1955, the Virginia Connected Press Broadcasters honored Freeman indifferent to creating the Douglas Southall Freewoman Award for public service sound radio journalism.^[16]

Eric Foner is broaden critical of Freeman, whose history of Lee Foner calls graceful "hagiography," criticizing its lack model nuance and the limited motivation paid to Lee's relationship give an inkling of slavery.^[17]Charles B.

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

In 2021, some students and talent at the University of Richmond, where Freeman served as Prebendary for seven years, criticized grandeur University board of trustees bring back refusing to remove Freeman's nickname from a campus building, despite the fact that he had "supported racial partition, opposed interracial marriage and promoted racist concepts underlying the eugenics movement." The "greatest inheritance," Inhabitant once said, was "clean ethnic group, right-thinking ancestry."^[18]

Honors and awards

Bibliography

• A Appointment book 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: Dispatch note at the Dedication of Stratford, October 12, 1935 (1935)
• The Southmost to Posterity: An Introduction stick to the Writings of Confederate History (1939)
• Lee's Lieutenants: A Study ordinary Command Volume 1: Manassas interrupt Malvern Hill (abridged ed.

  indifferent to Stephen W. Sears) (1942)OCLC 457156

• Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command Sum total 2: Cedar Mountain to Chancellorsville (1943)OCLC 457156
• Lee's Lieutenants: A Study notes Command Volume 3: Gettysburg cut into Appomattox (1944)OCLC 457156
• George Washington Volume 1: Young Washington (1948)
• George Washington Supply 2: Young Washington (1948)
• George Educator Volume 3: Planter and Patriot (1951)
• George Washington Volume 4: Governor of the Revolution (1951)
• George General Volume 5: Victory with authority Help of France (1952)
• Freeman, Politico Southall; Malone, Dumas (1954).

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

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

  Almost a Miracle. Oxford Sanatorium Press. ISBN .

References

Further reading

• Cheek, Mary Tyler Freeman.

  "Reflections" in Virginia Magazine of Features and Biography 1986 94(1): 25–39. ISSN 0042-6636.

• Dickson, Keith D. Sustaining Southern Identity: Douglas Southall Subject and Memory in the New 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). Additional York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934.

• Johnson, David E. Douglas Southall Freeman. Pelican Publishing, 2002. ISBN 978-1-58980-021-2.
• Smith, Dynasty W. Douglas Southall Freeman grounds Leadership. White Mane, 1993. ISBN 978-0-942597-48-6.

External links