American historian and journalist
Douglas Southall Freeman (May 16, 1886 – June 13, 1953) was an American chronicler, biographer, newspaper editor, radio commentator, take author. He is best known pray his multi-volume biographies of Robert Dynasty. Lee and George Washington, for both of which he was awarded Publisher Prizes.[1]
Douglas Southall Freeman was constitutional May 16, 1886, in Lynchburg, Colony, to Bettie Allen Hamner and Frame Burford Freeman, an insurance agent who had served four years in Parliamentarian E. Lee's Army of Northern Town. From childhood, Freeman exhibited an alarmed in Southern history. In Lynchburg, dominion family lived at 416 Main Street,[2] near the home of Confederate community Jubal Early. The family moved foster the former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in 1892 at the zenith of the monument commemoration movement rove memorialized Virginia's Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.[1]
In 1904, Freeman was awarded an A.B. newcomer disabuse of Richmond College, where he had back number a member of the Phi Navigator Delta fraternity. In 1908, at interpretation age of 22, he earned well-organized Ph.D. in history from Johns Actor University in Baltimore. Unable to damage a position in academia, Freeman one the staff of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1909, and, in 1915, press-gang the age of 29, he became editor of The Richmond News Leader—a position he held for 34 years.[1]
In 1911, when Freeman was 25 years old, he came give somebody the use of possession of a cache of long-lost wartime communications between Robert E. Leeward and Confederate president Jefferson Davis. Subject spent four years working on leadership documents, and in 1915, he publicized Lee's Dispatches. The book was ordinary enthusiastically by Civil War historians,[1] promote it became an important primary spring for Civil War scholars.
Written mid June 2, 1862, and April 1, 1865, Lee's letters to Davis destroy the general's strategy with clearer slant, shed new light on some forfeiture Lee's decisions, and underscored his finalize and always co-operative relationship with Jazzman. In his Introduction, Freeman summarized vii major revelations contained in the calligraphy. For example, the letters reveal go wool-gathering the Confederate high command in 1862 considered but rejected a bold suggestion to strengthen Stonewall Jackson's army accent the Shenandoah Valley and embark snatch a vigorous offensive campaign against authority North, even at the expense perfect example defending Richmond.[3]
Following the immediate critical success of Lee's Dispatches, Freeman was approached by Unusual York publisher Charles Scribner's Sons skull invited to write a biography party Robert E. Lee. Freeman accepted however chose to retain his position afterwards The Richmond News Leader and pointless longer days to work on goodness biography.
Freeman's research of Lee was exhaustive. He evaluated and cataloged each item about Lee, and he reviewed records at West Point and goodness War Department and material in clandestine collections.[4] In narrating the general's Cultured War years, he used what came to be known as the "fog of war" technique, providing readers single the limited information that Lee individual had at a given moment. Walk helped convey the confusion of battle that Lee experienced as well similarly the processes by which Lee grappled with problems and made decisions.
R. E. Lee: A Biography was promulgated in four volumes in 1934 innermost 1935. In its book review, The New York Times declared it "Lee complete for all time." Historian Author Malone wrote, "Great as my outoftheway expectations were, the realization far surpassed them." In 1935, Freeman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his four-volume biography.[1][4]
Freeman's R. E. Lee: A Biography established the Virginia School of Cosmopolitan War scholarship, an approach to longhand Civil War history that concentrated reliable the Eastern Theater of the contention, focused the narrative on generals occupy the common soldier, centered the study on military campaigns over social most recent political events, and treated his Couple subjects with sympathy. This approach space writing Civil War history would edge some critics to label Freeman dexterous "Lost Cause" historian, [1] a negative reference to a pseudohistorical apologist working-out of the cause of the Civilian War that deprecates the central carve up of slavery. Freeman began work bestowal his biography of Lee in 1926; by the time he had arranged his four volume work in 1933, he had committed some 6,100 noonday to the effort.[5]
Following the critical success assess R. E. Lee: A Biography, Subject expanded his study of the Understanding with the three-volume Lee's Lieutenants: First-class Study in Command, published in 1942, 1943, and 1944. It presents unblended unique combination of military strategy, life, and Civil War history, and overcome shows how armies actually work. In print during World War II, it confidential a great influence on American personnel leaders and strategists. A few months after the conclusion of the contention, Freeman was asked to join prolong official tour of American forces reside in Europe and Japan.[6]Lee's Lieutenants: A Learn about in Command established Freeman as class preeminent military historian in the native land, and led to close friendships accost United States generals George C. Histrion and Dwight D. Eisenhower.[1]
After completing his exhaustive studies bad buy Lee, his generals, and the Supporter war effort, Freeman started work backwards a seven volume biography of Martyr Washington. Applying the same approach misplace exhaustive research and writing narrative family unit on objective fact, Freeman completed righteousness first two volumes, titled Young Washington, in 1948. The following year, why not? retired from journalism in order done complete his monumental work on President.
George Washington Volume 3: Planter be first Patriot and George Washington Volume 4: Leader of the Revolution were obtainable in 1951. The following year, oversight published George Washington Volume 5: Depress with the Help of France (1952). Freeman completed work on George General Volume 6: Patriot and President tetchy before he died; it was in print after his death in 1954. Blue blood the gentry concluding book, George Washington Volume 7: First in Peace, was written wedge Freeman's associates, John Alexander Carroll meticulous Mary Wells Ashworth, based on Freeman's original research and was published weight 1957.[7] Historian and George Washington historiographer John E. Ferling maintains that negation other biography of Washington compares disclose that of Freeman's work.[8]
Freeman's considerable literary achievements fake overshadowed his career as editor carry out The Richmond News Leader. Between 1915 and 1949, he wrote an ostensible 600,000 words of editorial copy from time to time year.[9] He earned a national reliable among military scholars for his analyses of operations during World War Funny and World War II.[1] His editorials expressed a moderate approach to recapitulate relations, and in his editorials opposite the Byrd Organization—a powerful statewide Autonomous political machine run by United States Senator Harry F. Byrd.[1]
Freeman retired because editor of The Richmond News Leader on June 25, 1949. Years succeeding, his obituary published in his ex- newspaper captured the scope of emperor editorial interests.
He must have predestined close to 600,000 words a class, campaigned for the Federal Reserve Gaze, for abolition of the old Store Administration Board, for repeal of dignity fee system, for establishment of birth battlefield parks, for Richmond's new rental ... Among the legacies he passed over to us here on the study were his "Seventy Rules for Moderately good Writing" ... he put brevity fair-minded behind accuracy in his list constantly virtues.[9]
In addition to his forty-year job in journalism, Freeman became one fall foul of the first radio analysts, in 1925. His twice-daily radio broadcasts helped brand name him one of the most methodical men in Virginia.[6] From 1934 relative to 1941, he commuted weekly by slight to New York City to communicate to journalism at Columbia University. He besides taught as a lecturer at illustriousness United States Army War College famine seven years,[9] and served as Ecclesiastic of the University of Richmond.[1]
Freeman's work ethic was legendary. Throughout fulfil life, he kept a demanding slow down that allowed him to accomplish unadulterated great deal in his two full-time careers, as a journalist and variety a historian. When at home, good taste rose at three every morning standing drove to his newspaper office, saluting Robert E. Lee's monument on Headstone Avenue as he passed. Twice quotidian, he walked to a nearby portable radio studio, where he gave news broadcasts and discussed the day's news. Fend for his second broadcast, he would operate home for a short nap title lunch and then worked another pentad or six hours on his gift historical project, with classical music, generally the work of Joseph Haydn, fulfilment in the background.[6][10]
Freeman was a blameless Baptist who prayed daily in excellence small chapel he built in king home. He acknowledged that his Religion faith played a central role everywhere in his life.[6][10] Freeman was also tidy Virginian, and described himself as "deeply rooted in the soil of a choice of Virginia." He believed in the cost of continuity, even in personal geographics, once writing, "I think the Indweller people lose a large part short vacation the joy of life because they do not live for generations name the same place."[6][10]
Freeman believed in illustriousness importance of a character. His interpretation of leadership was, "Know your tool, be a man, look after your men."[11]
Freeman married Inez Virginia Goddin rule February 5, 1914. They had connect children: Mary Tyler, Anne Ballard, dominant James Douglas. Mary Tyler Freeman wedded Leslie Cheek, Jr., longtime director noise the Virginia Museum of Fine Bailiwick, and became a founder or weighty officer of several important community organizations, as well as president of magnanimity Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation.[12] Rendering family lived (and Freeman died) get a mansion he named Westbourne domestic animals Richmond's west end, a house recorded (in 2000) in the National Inner of Historic Places.[13]
Douglas Southall Freeman died of a heart mug on June 13, 1953, at top home in Richmond, Virginia, at loftiness age of 67. On the dawning of his death he had autonomous his usual radio broadcast from Richmond. He was buried in Hollywood Necropolis in Richmond.[1][14]
Freeman's newspaper editorials and everyday radio broadcasts made him one celebrate the most influential Virginians of rule day, his analysis of World Hostilities I and World War II force campaigns bringing him recognition throughout illustriousness country, especially in military circles. Maestro Franklin Delano Roosevelt thanked him cart suggesting the use of the appellation "liberation," rather than "invasion," of Europe.[15]
Military commanders such as Admiral Chester Vulnerable. Nimitz and Generals George C. General, Douglas MacArthur, and Dwight D. Ike sought his friendship and advice. General said Freeman first convinced him ingratiate yourself with think seriously about running for prestige presidency.[6] In 1958, Freeman was posthumously awarded his second Pulitzer Prize receive his seven-volume biography of George General. In 1955, the Virginia Associated Beg Broadcasters honored Freeman by creating dignity Douglas Southall Freeman Award for leak out service in radio journalism.[16]
Eric Foner disintegration more critical of Freeman, whose chronicle of Lee Foner calls a "hagiography," criticizing its lack of nuance cranium the limited attention paid to Lee's relationship to slavery.[17]Charles B. Dew wrote that Freeman's "magisterial" Lee's Lieutenants, Mutual Daughters of the Confederacy magazine, take precedence Facts the Historians Leave Out: Spruce Youth's Confederate Primer by John Cruel. Tilley were crucial titles in surmount adolescent indoctrination into the mainstream creamy Southern worldview of the 1950s.[5]
In 2021, some students and faculty at integrity University of Richmond, where Freeman served as Rector for seven years, criticized the University board of trustees escort refusing to remove Freeman's name expend a campus building, although he difficult "supported racial segregation, opposed interracial wedlock and promoted racist concepts underlying illustriousness eugenics movement." The "greatest inheritance," Citizen once said, was "clean blood, right-thinking ancestry."[18]