Robert Selph Henry was a Southern historian of the War Between the States who constructed in separate works taken together a unified narrative of the period from the Mexican War to the end of Reconstruction, a period which Henry saw as the crucible out of which emerged the American nation. His books, based on a solid foundation of original research and careful thought, were written in a popular dramatic style that captured a wide readership for three decades. This very popularity, combined with his amateur standing, has caused Henry's name almost to disappear from notice in recent years. Yet Robert Selph Henry was the best sort of amateur historian. His active career as newspaperman, lawyer, railroad executive, and soldier gave him a wider perspective on men and events than is granted to most professionals.

Henry, the son of Robert Allison and Emily James Selph Henry, was born in...