The Secret Trial of Robert E Lee Author:Thomas Fleming The year is 1865. The Civil War is over and the South lies in ruins. But for some, the former slaveholders have not been punished enough. A cabal of powerful men, led by Charles A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, plot to break the spirit of the South once and for allby convicting General Robert E. Lee of treason and hanging him like a common c... more »riminal. To this end, they have convened a secret military tribunal in Lees former home in Arlington, Virginia. Jeremiah OBrien of the New York Tribune, a long-time protg of Danas, is the only reporter allowed to attend the trial. His exclusive reports on this momentous event, and the book he intends to write, will surely make his fortune. Yet as the trial proceeds, pitting the general against his accusers, OBrien finds himself torn between his loyalty to Dana, his love for a beautiful Confederate spy, and his growing respect and compassion for Lee himself. The young reporter is supposed to be only an observer, but, in the end, it is OBrien who must evaluate the evidence . . . and determine the true meaning of honor. Written by acclaimed author and historian Thomas Fleming, The Secret Trial of Robert E. Lee brings to life an imaginative chapter in American history, which might well have happened.« less