Abstract

This paper examines the correspondence and memoirs of key Civil War commanders to challenge the Lost Cause narrative that emerged in the postwar South. By utilizing writings from Confederate leaders like Jubal Early and John Bell Hood alongside comparisons to Union generals such as William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant, I debunk one of the South’s key tenets of the Lost Cause in the wake of the Civil War—that the war ended not out of necessity, but by their own design, and that they themselves knew it. Through the examination of primary sources, it debunks the notion that the South could have prolonged the war or achieved victory under different circumstances, highlighting instead the cumulative effects of military defeats that eroded Confederate morale and capabilities. Secondary sources on the Lost Cause ideology further contextualize how these narratives were constructed and perpetuated, offering insights into the long-lasting impact of these myths on American history.

Keywords: Civil War, Lost Cause, postwar narrative, revisionism, correspondence

How to Cite:

Jewell, J., (2025) “Civil War Commanders’ Correspondence: Debunking the Lost Cause Narrative Through Voices from the Battlefield”, Footnotes: A Journal of History 7, 81-92.