Three Months in the Southern States

April-June, 1863

By: Arthur James Lyon Fremantle

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The author of this book, Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, has, perhaps, achieved more renown in recent years than at any time since the publication of his literary efforts. Those familiar with the film Gettysburg will recall the unusual figure of a British Guards officer attired (inaccurately) in his full dress Guardsman's scarlet uniform among the ranks of the Virginians at the famous and pivotal battle. The cinema may have taken its usual liberties, but the character was firmly based in fact and was none other than the Fremantle himself. The British Empire felt no need to come down strongly on either side of the conflict between the States, but its support for the Confederacy was both implicit and occasionally obvious. Fremantle wanted to see the war at first hand and so he traveled to America and accompanied the Confederate forces-actually unglamorously in mufti-in the field. His experiences brought him to the collision of Gettysburg, and history is indebted to Fremantle for the observations of a comparatively impartial military man on these monumental times and events.

Public Domain (P)2012 Tantor

fastastic

fantastic 1st hand account of the state of dixie and het people during their war for independence! I recommend it!

Could not be better or more illuminating….

“This is simply a war of conquest…“ That line says it all… The hypocrisy, condescension, and virtue signaling of the North is revealed in total… While the sacrifice, devotion and determination of a beleaguered Southern people is similarly presented . What a wonderful first hand account of a war, the history of which continues to be written, edited, and revised by the Victors… I commend this to every amateur Civil War… I mean war of northern aggression…. Who cares to have an even handed front seat view of the great conflict. Excellent times 10.

Very Informative

Fascinating insight by a third party commentator during three months of the Civil War. The narration is perfectly suited to the material; however, the sheer number of names, places, and dates make this book much more suitable for either an ebook or even a print copy, especially if you want to use it as any sort of reference material.

Great subject matter and excellent narration

If you could sum up Three Months in the Southern States in three words, what would they be?

Just great history

What was one of the most memorable moments of Three Months in the Southern States?

Fremantle's arrival in Texas.

What about Michael Page’s performance did you like?

Clean and smooth. Great narration.The

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The memorable characters in Texas.

Any additional comments?

I have long been familiar with the memoirs of Arthur Fremantle of his time observing the Confederate army in 1863. I have used various parts for research, but had not read the whole thing, so when I ran across this audio version, I jumped on it and wasn’t disappointed.

The narration by Michael Page is smooth and clean; British accent, but quite easily understood by American listeners.
The Fremantle diary is most commonly referenced for the Gettysburg portion, but that is only a scant part of the narrative. I many ways the most interesting and vivid parts come earlier in the book. Fremantle’s entry into the Confederate States of America through Texas and his observations of matters with its border with Mexico are fascinating. The author’s talent for understatement provides a great amount of amusement along with the detailed description of the state of affairs in that remote corner of the newly founded country.

To have just shown up unannounced with little more to speak for him than his pedigree in the British army, Fremantle manages to witness several events of great historical significance and meet many notables in both the South and the north. Like most British, Fremantle was avidly anti-slavery, but like many Europeans who found themselves in the South, he quickly decided that the situation was not nearly as two-dimensional as he was led to believe. His observations are startling.

“Three Months in the Southern States” is a valuable resource and an eye-opening read. Page’s wonderful narration makes the visualization all the more powerful.

Fascinating Observation of the Confederacy

A reference in Moxley Sorrel's book Recollections of Confederate Staff Officer put me onto this title. I admit I was pretty lost for the 1st chapter while Freemantle was traveling through Texas and my not having any background on Texas during that time period. Once Freemantle leaves Texas and travels though Mississippi and Louisiana I was hooked. He gives very detailed descriptions of the soldiers he encounters including their articles of clothing and manner of speaking. Of interest is the various means of transportation Freemantle undertakes to get from Point A to Point B. Despite being in the midst of a Civil War, almost everyone Freeemantle encounters in the Confederate states are exceedingly civil and gracious sharing horses, gear, food, etc. He touches on slavery throughout the book, to which he is very opposed. He describes the dresses of the women he encounters ( slave, white and free black), the conditions of the towns, the landscape, weather, trains, etc. Freemantle's minute details of several high ranking Confederate officers is engrossing. He spends considerable time talking about the war horses ( as does Moxley Sorrel) a topic quite sad and largely ignored. He managed to be present at several significant points in history ( Gettysburg & the Draft Riots in NYC) His description of the Union soldiers, officers and townspeople in the northern states are in sharp contrast to the southerners. I really like this book and recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil War.

Less About Gettysburg than The Journey There

It was an enjoyable listen, but reflects the racist attitudes held by the English in 1863 despite their supposed enlightened view on slavery. It is a contemporary lost cause story for that period, romanticizing the South and its capabilities (but does not realize it). However, it also humanizes the Confederates the author encountered, an important thing to never forget about those one opposes.

Excellent First Person Account of Confederacy

I highly recommend this first hand account of the Civil War and the Southern states. This will give you a true vision of that period in time.

Excellent!

A firsthand account by a neutral British observer.
A must for anyone interested in American history.