Douglas Southall Freeman (May 16, 1886 – June 13, 1953) was an American journalist and historian. He was the author of definitive works on Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Freeman was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, the son of a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Richmond (then "Richmond College"). He received his Ph.D. in history from Johns Hopkins University at the age of 22.

A long-time resident of Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Freeman served as editor of the Richmond News Leader from 1915 to 1949. He won a Pulitzer Prize for two of his books, his four-volume biography of Robert E. Lee, and his six-volume biography of George Washington (a seventh volume First in Peace was written after Freeman's death by J. A. Carroll and M. W. Ashworth, two of his historical associates). He was also the author of the three-volume Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command.

Freeman's treatments of the Civil War are often cited as examples of the Lost Cause movement, emphasizing the glory and nobility of the Southern generals and the futility of their fight against the power of the North. While Freeman certainly does emphasize the nobility of Lee's character, he does not say that Lee made no mistakes, nor does he say that the North only won because of superior numbers. For instance, this passage shows Lee misjudging his real opponent, and also expresses admiration for Abraham Lincoln's character:Freeman, R.E. Lee, volume III, p. 264

Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico County, Virginia, in Richmond's West End, was named in his honor.

Freeman is commemorated by Virginia Historical Highway Marker Q6 17, which is located in the independent city of Lynchburg, Virginia, near his place of birth.

References

• Freeman, Douglas S., R. E. Lee, A Biography (4 volumes), Scribners, 1934.

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