Lee's Maverick General: Daniel Harvey Hill

Rating:
Summary: Poignant.
Review: Daniel Harvey Hill had two key faults. First, he was a very perceptive officer. Second, he always spoke his mind. D.H. Hill was not the only general officer to find himself on the outs with Jefferson Davis during the Civil War but he was one of the very few who was consistently shunned after his fall from grace.

Hot tempered and unusually outspoken, he stormed his way through the Civil War, fearlessly leading Confederate soldiers at Malvern Hill and Antietam while continuously stepping on the toes of his superiors. Ultimately, he was made the scapegoat for the mutiny of almost all the general officers serving under Braxton Bragg after the confusing victory of the Army of Tennessee at the Battle of Chickamauga. This mutiny was so pervasive that Jeff Davis was required to leave Richmond and visit the battlefield in order to put down the revolt against Bragg, a Davis favorite. Amazingly, Davis retains Bragg against the wishes of almost every general officer who participated in this engagement.

This is a very interesting book, providing insight into why the Confederacy ultimately lost middle Tennessee, thereby opening the way for the Federal advance on Atlanta.