This Awful Drama

[Gene C]

Just finished this book by Alexandra Lee Levin about General Edwin Gray Lee. He was Robert E Lee's first cousin, once removed-?

A little hard for me to follow, I was not familiar with many of the people. It seems that while Edwin was away fighting and serving with Stonewall Jackson, the Yankees burned down his wife's family home. Lot's of passages from letters and diaries, all in all a pretty hard time for those in the pathway of the two armies. Edwin served with honor, but had health problems, I believe he suffered from tuberculosis and was no longer able to serve in the field. He eventually ended up in Canada, serving as the senior ranked officer of the Confedracy during the closing months of the war, basically replacing Jacob Thompson.

About 40 of the books 196 pages actually talks about his activies in Canada. The book mentions some interaction between Edwin and Sarah Slater and Bennet Young (of St. Albans, VT bank robbery fame) Sarah carried dispatches to Secretary Judah Benjamin regarding Young's defense in Canadian court. Also some mention of Lee meeting with Surratt right before President Lincoln's assasination and Surratt's trip to Elmira. He testified at John Surratt's trial. After the war he returns home, but poor health plagues him and he died in August 1870 at the age of 34.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Awful-Drama-G...0533072425