Ungentlemanly Acts

The Army's Notorious Incest Trial

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, 19th Century, Military
Cover of the book Ungentlemanly Acts by Louise Barnett, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Louise Barnett ISBN: 9781466805996
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publication: April 15, 2001
Imprint: Hill and Wang Language: English
Author: Louise Barnett
ISBN: 9781466805996
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication: April 15, 2001
Imprint: Hill and Wang
Language: English

The shocking story behind the U.S. Army's longest court-martial-full of sex, intrigue, and betrayal.

In April 1879, on a remote military base in west Texas, a decorated army officer of dubious moral reputation faced a court-martial. The trial involved shocking issues-of sex and seduction, incest and abduction. The highest figures in the United States Army got involved, and General William Tecumseh Sherman himself made it his personal mission to see that Captain Andrew Geddes was punished for his alleged crime.
But just what had Geddes done? He had spoken out about an "unspeakable" act-he had accused a fellow officer, Louis Orleman, of incest with his teenage daughter, Lillie. The army quickly charged not Orleman but Geddes with "conduct unbecoming a gentleman," for his accusation had come about only because Orleman was at the same time preparing to charge that Geddes himself had attempted the seduction and abduction of the same young lady. Which man was the villain and which the savior?
Louise Barnett's compelling examination of the Geddes drama is at once a suspenseful narrative of a very important trial and a study of prevailing attitudes toward sexuality, parental discipline, the army, and the appropriate division between public and private life. It will enrich any reader's understanding of the tumultuous post-Civil War period, when the United States was striving to define its moral codes anew.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The shocking story behind the U.S. Army's longest court-martial-full of sex, intrigue, and betrayal.

In April 1879, on a remote military base in west Texas, a decorated army officer of dubious moral reputation faced a court-martial. The trial involved shocking issues-of sex and seduction, incest and abduction. The highest figures in the United States Army got involved, and General William Tecumseh Sherman himself made it his personal mission to see that Captain Andrew Geddes was punished for his alleged crime.
But just what had Geddes done? He had spoken out about an "unspeakable" act-he had accused a fellow officer, Louis Orleman, of incest with his teenage daughter, Lillie. The army quickly charged not Orleman but Geddes with "conduct unbecoming a gentleman," for his accusation had come about only because Orleman was at the same time preparing to charge that Geddes himself had attempted the seduction and abduction of the same young lady. Which man was the villain and which the savior?
Louise Barnett's compelling examination of the Geddes drama is at once a suspenseful narrative of a very important trial and a study of prevailing attitudes toward sexuality, parental discipline, the army, and the appropriate division between public and private life. It will enrich any reader's understanding of the tumultuous post-Civil War period, when the United States was striving to define its moral codes anew.

More books from Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Cover of the book The Two Kinds of Decay by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Jack Be Nimble by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Fifty Miles from Tomorrow by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Reborn by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book The Ground by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book American Purgatorio by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book The City Always Wins by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Junebug in Trouble by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Finders Keepers by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Sicilian Tragedee by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book How to Share with a Bear by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Love Goes to Buildings on Fire by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book Grievous by Louise Barnett
Cover of the book The Challenge by Louise Barnett
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy