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Sailor’s Creek: Major General G.W. Custis Lee, Captured With Controversy

Frank Everett White Jr.; Schroeder Publications

Frank White Jr.’s exploration of a well-entrenched Civil War Medal of Honor controversy is unusual and thought-provoking. Using a courtroom-type format, in which copious evidence is presented from hundreds of primary sources, White systematically builds the case that the wrong man—a private from New York—was decorated for capturing Robert E. Lee’s eldest son, General G.W. Custis Lee, at the April 1865 Battle of Sailor’s Creek.

Readers should not expect to see a typical storyline, with narrative threads provided in the form of traditional accounts. Instead, evidence comes in the form of words of the participants themselves. In fact, the secretary of War’s investigation into the Medal of Honor dispute at the time was not nearly as extensive as White’s. White presents only germane facts, but his methodology makes for slow going, since the reader needs to consider all details as relevant. His treatment has the compelling flavor of a whodunit, complete with a cast of likely suspects. Perhaps most important, White raises fundamental questions about the Medal of Honor itself, how it is awarded and what it means across time and in different wars.

White’s text is dense, without many breaks or illustrations, so what appears to be a relatively short book (about 300 pages) is actually a much more extensive work. White’s research know-how—he is an accomplished genealogist—and his tenacity, sense of justice and writing skills are all evident as he suggests his own interpretations for each piece of evidence. Although his readers are left to decide for themselves who the real MOH recipient should be, White’s thoughtful and convincing presentation is innovative in Civil War historiography and worthy of attention. It also puts the burden on us to decide just how consistent the Medal of Honor award process was or wasn’t after the Civil War.

 

Originally published in the June 2012 issue of Civil War Times. To subscribe, click here.