Synopses & Reviews
A Long Shadow is a fascinating narrative account of the fall of the Confederacy told from the perspective of Jefferson Davis, his official entourage, and his family as they tried to hold the government together while staying one step ahead of their Union Army pursuers.
The "martyred" Davis is one of the most enduring symbols of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. Michael B. Ballard maintains that this image began to take form during the last days of Davis's presidency as the doomed leader rose nobly to adversity, handling sensitive political and military issues and devastating setbacks with dignity and faith. It was Davis's willingness to sacrifice everything, combined with his postwar imprisonment, Ballard contends, that cemented his status in the hearts and minds of southerners.
Review
"There have been several accounts, mostly popular ones, of the last weeks of the Confederate government, two in the past four years alone. One might think, then, that Ballard's short study is superfluous, but it is a solid scholarly work that aims higher than an exciting narrative of chase and capture. Ballard, an archivist, has done an impressive job of scouring manuscript collections and diaries for new evidence, and he has sifted judiciously through scores of books and articles to achieve the most accurate account of the flight of Jefferson Davis and his government. He concentrates on Davis himself,
showing that he remained almost alone among his entourage in refusing to accept defeat. Focus on Davis also allows Ballard to develop his central theme—that the circumstances of the retreat, Davis's unflagging devotion to the cause, and the harsh treatment of the former president after his capture revived his sagging reputation and transformed him into one of the principal Lost Cause heroes. Before surrender, many Southerners had come to blame Davis for battlefield defeats and homefront hardships, but the final days of his presidency, much like Lincoln's assassination, seemed to erase memories of dissatisfaction. This is a stimulating idea in a modest book." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
About the Author
"Ballard's study [helps] remove Jefferson Davis from the dark fringes of the nation's historical consciousness and [adds] important historical nuances to our understanding of him."--Journal of Southern History