Adalbert Ames: General, Senator, Governor
The story of his life and times and his integrity as a soldier and statesman in the service of the United States of America throughout the Civil War and in Mississippi in the years of Reconstruction (Broken Oaths and Reconstruction in Mississippi)
by Blanche Ames Ames
New York, Argosy-Antiquarian Ltd., 1964.
Anatole France offered the opinion that "all historical books which contain no lies are extremely tedious. " Blanche Ames Ames is the third daughter of General Adelbert Ames, and she wrote with the avowed purpose of correcting slanders, ranging from stupidity through incompetence to embezzlement and general corruption, published against her father in various histories over what was then nearly a hundred years. One's immediate reaction is that she might have served her cause better by engaging a disinterested third party for the task, and she acknowledges the possibility of "inadvertent prejudice in the choice of material cited. " However, even at age 79, such a course would seem to have been uncharacteristic of this strong-minded, independent lady, with her liberal intellectual upbringing.
What she has accomplished is admirable, and it must be stated that her original sources are not only meticulously footnoted but often identified with a location. Furthermore, this is a remarkably detached and impersonal biography, virtually free of anecdotal material and including a minimum of personal detail. The notice on the sleeve proclaims this "a full portrait of the man as a Union General, Mississippi Governor and U.S. Senator" but we are offered few intimate touches to flesh out the portrait, although the chronology of events is interrupted for excerpts from the private correspondence of Adelbert, his parents, and his wife, Blanche Butler Ames. Yet, we do not truly get to know the general, and many of his colleagues go virtually nameless and faceless.
If Ames was, as suggested, at least intellectually opposed to human slavery as early as his West Point days, he would seem to have been an emancipationist rather than an abolitionist. His own writings mark his affiliation with the Radical Republicans following 1867, commencing with military court duties in the State of Mississippi, although they contain earlier sympathetic references to the black race. The transformation is credited with his personal observation and experiences in those years.
General Ames suffered from grouping with others, both justly and unjustly decried under one epithet, "carpetbagger." He suffered from political machinations and intrigue often beyond his control and, very probably, beyond his ken. He did not appear to understand the powers that brought about the betrayal and downfall that he felt so keenly. He suffered from his marital tie and friendship with Benjamin F. Butler, whose daughter he married. His reputation suffered at the hands of careless or casual historians.
It is interesting to note that Blanche Ames wrote just at the advent of black American history, a field of study which has treated Ames fairly as to integrity and intent. Other more recent revisionist writings have acknowledged the general's honesty and ability, without reference to this book. Although scurrilous remarks have been made in print since, it may be that General Ames' reputation has been rehabilitated, at least among serious historians.
The size of the book alone is intimidating to the casual reader, but the study of a period through the experiences and perceptions of a central character offers one of the less painful ways of initiation. As to this book's place in history, it serves as a primer for anyone interested in the period of Reconstruction and deserves a place in your library.
This article first appeared in Volume 5, No. 6 of The Cannoneer.
