What happened to confederate general james longstreet. Looking at longstreets war record in its entiretyand being careful to stop at the moment he stopped fighting in 1865it is easy to see why his biographer jeffry d. So in short, longstreet is the reason i became interested in the civil war, and my. A critical reassessment is the first book length, critical analysis of lieutenant general james longstreets actions at the battle of gettysburg. Since general james longstreet, csa, had changed his politics and embraced the republican party, it was only natural that he would take a lot of criticism from his fellow confederates. General james longstreet was lees senior lieutenant in the army of northern virginia and the general whose conduct at the battle of gettysburg remains a topic of heated debate more than years later. Peer through history at confederate lieutenant general james longstreet, whose steady nature and dominating figure earned him the nicknames war horse, bulldog, and bull of the woods. Dec 29, 2017 longstreet quickly became to the confederate general robert e. Was james longstreet the best man at ulysses and julia. Jan 06, 2015 gettysburg national military park ranger karlton smith explores the last moments of the confederacy through the eyes of james longstreet at the conclusion of the appomattox campaign. This past wednesday charles lane authored an opinion piece for the washington post that called for a monument to be erected in new orleans to confederate general james longstreet. Edward porter alexander claimed that if longstreet had not been wounded, continued confederate attacks would have spread further panic in the union ranks, ultimately resulting in grant withdrawing the army of the potomac back across the rapidan river.
In his book, sorrel states that he first met longstreet in july 1861 right. Longstreet admitted after the war that hed done mclaws an injustice. Longstreet, said general lee after the campaign, was the staff in my right hand. This book provides significant references to facts and historical records. General james longstreet was commander of general robert e. Before reading this i had assumed that jubal early and others who attacked longstreet after the war decided he would be a good scapegoat for their and lees failures due to his not being from virginia and because he became a republican after the war. He joined the confederacy soon after the civil war began and fought in nearly every campaign of lees army as well as in a major campaign in the. For example, in a later campaign in tennessee, longstreet suffered one of the most complete repulses that the army of northern virginia ever experienced in the war. The decision for longstreet to attack appears to have come around 11 a. The bulk of the book appropriately focuses on the civil war, but wert also briefly delves into longstreets life before and after it. Of all the generals in the civil war, only ltg james longstreet understood that technology was changing the face of war. After the civil war, former confederates moved forward with their lives. In an attempt to at tell his side of the story, longstreet wrote his book from manassas to appomattox. Even after that, lee consented for longstreet to wait for laws brigade, which arrived shortly before noon.
General james longstreet civil war collectors series. The confederacys most controversial commander 2000 youtube. The essay has now been reprinted in newspapers across the country. The collection includes positive photocopies of selected items from the postcivil war correspondence of james longstreet, relating entirely to military incidents about which there was disagreement among subsequent commentators and among the participants themselves.
After the war, longstreet joined the republican party and became a political apostate in the south during the reconstruction era. From manassas to appomattox book by james longstreet. His letters to the new orleans times, his support of the republican party, and his memoirs served to. He arrested major general lafayette mclaws and brigadier general jerome bonaparte robertson for the disaster. Lee directed general longstreet to assemble a force of three divisions for the attacktwo divisions from the corps of lieutenant general a. After reading this book i can understand why longstreets reputation is so. He was robert e lee s most trusted general and very successful. The author argues that longstreets record has been discredited unfairly, beginning with character assassination by his contemporaries after the war and. June 15, 2018 confederate general james longstreets reputation was thrown under the bus by the widow of his former friend, general george pickett. He tried to shift the blame to others and commented to an aide that he preferred being under general lee, as it relieved him of responsibility and assured confidence. Longstreet was lees principal subordinate for most of the war, ably managing a corps in the.
He allied himself with the radical republican party that was in charge of reconstruction. One of the most important confederate generals of the civil war was lieutenant general james longstreet, the man robert e. How and why did general longstreet and the brilliant. After the battle at knoxville, longstreet did the same thing bragg was famous for, he began arresting his subordinates. General james longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the civil war, from. On october 9, a few weeks after antietam, longstreet was promoted to lieutenant general. The author was very good a pointing out the good and the bad about longstreet, lee and jackson which i have found rare in reading history. Shelby foote, the author and civil war historian, said longstreet did a hell of a job during the last month of the war. Jeffry wert argues that longstreet opposed lees illfated frontal assault on july 3 and that, had lee followed longstreets advice to take a more defensive posture, the battle might have turned out differently. Years after the war, longstreets reputation swung between confederate hero and brutish scoundrel.
Confederate general james longstreet discusses his friendship with grant. But, after the war, longstreet became the target of many lost cause attacks. Army officer, government official and most famously a lieutenant general in the confederate army during the civil war 186165. General longstreet and the lost cause american heritage. James longstreet 18211904 was a confederate general. Nov 21, 2016 james longstreet january 8, 1821 january 2, 1904 was one of the foremost confederate generals of the american civil war and the principal subordinate to general robert e. The first recorded claim of longstreet as grants best man dates back to a 1905 book entitled recollections of a confederate staff officer, written posthumously by gilbert moxley sorrel, a brigadier general who was on longstreets staff for most of the civil war. General lee has reported of arrangements for the day,the general plan was unchanged. The author provides generous detail into the events and life experiences that shaped this man. Krick talked about confederate general james longstreet, his family life, his friendship with general robert e. Lees righthand man, general longstreet would become known as the judas of the lost cause.
Years after the war, longstreet s reputation swung between confederate hero and brutish scoundrel. More than a century after appomattox, the civil war and the idea of the lost cause remain at the center of the southern mind. Mar 02, 2020 general james longstreet was lees senior lieutenant in the army of northern virginia and the general whose conduct at the battle of gettysburg remains a topic of heated debate more than years later. After the civil war november 1, 2016 august 1, 2018 by daniel, posted in civil war todays post is written by david langbart, an archivist in the textual records division at the national archives at college park. Yet, he was largely held to blame for the confederacys defeat at gettysburg.
This book is the memoirs of confederate general james longstreet, the general whom, excepting stonewall jackson, was the man most trusted and relied upon. The book doesnt spend as much time on longstreet after the war where he did become a republican in the south and drew the ire of many southerners. To civil warwar between the states students, gainesville is perhaps best known as the last home and final resting place of lt. The tactics that civil war generals learned before the outbreak of the war in 1861 were influenced by napoleon bonaparte. He joined the confederacy soon after the civil war began and fought in nearly every campaign of lees army as. See more ideas about james longstreet, american civil war and civil war art. Corys new book is certain to spark debate as to the influence of the postwar lost cause adherents and their overt criticism of longstreet on modern analyses of gettysburg, as well as the. He is best remembered for leading picketts charge, the futile and bloody confederate offensive on the third day of the battle of gettysburg that bears his name.
Gettysburg national military park ranger karlton smith explores the last moments of the confederacy through the eyes of james longstreet at the conclusion of the appomattox campaign. Alexanders artillery marched through the night and arrived before 9 a. God and general longstreet traces the persistence and the transformation of the lost cause from the first generation of former confederates to more recent times, when the lost cause has continued to endure in the commitment of southerners to their regional culture. George edward pickett january 16, 1825 july 30, 1875 was a career united states army officer who became a major general in the confederate states army during the american civil war. Oct 24, 2012 after the battle at knoxville, longstreet did the same thing bragg was famous for, he began arresting his subordinates. Lee in the gettysburg campaign, which resulted in lee converging on gettysburg, pennsylvania, thus causing the battle of gettysburg. General james longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the civil war, from manassas the first battle of bull run to antietam, fredericksburg, chickamauga, gettysburg, and was present at the surrender at appomattox. Lee, longstreet was lees trusted advisor and friend.
He is best known for the information he gave longstreet and gen. June 22, 2018 any student of history knows that gettysburg was the turning point of the civil war. Henry thomas harrison april 23, 1832 october 28, 1923, often known simply as harrison, was a spy for confederate lt. Longstreet, for all of his military talents, may have been better in a supporting role than in the lead one. She has contributed to the encyclopedia of the confederacy and to the american civil war. General lees calling him my old warhorse captured the essence of longstreet perfectly. This book is an unbiased ascertainment of the performance of general james longstreet during the civil war. Longstreet had been a progressive party member who had supported theodore roosevelt for president as a delegate to the progressive party convention. Lane believes that longstreets postwar alignment with the republican party and other exploits points to an important historical lesson in. General lee often called james longstreet his old war horse so the reader can get the story straight from the hosess mouth.
It seems he thought it best to let the war be a part of. What major us civil war battles did confederate general james. Perhaps no confederate officer is surrounded by more controversy than james longstreet. May 01, 2019 corys new book is certain to spark debate as to the influence of the postwar lost cause adherents and their overt criticism of longstreet on modern analyses of gettysburg, as well as the. The incident is widely acknowledged by historians as general robert e. The seven days battles, although very costly for the confederates two rebels dead and wounded for each yankee, did succeed in driving mcclellan away from the gates of richmond. One of the most important, and controversial, confederate generals during the civil war was lieutenant general james longstreet, robert e. From the book general james longstreet by jeffry d. Longstreet, reinforced by picketts three brigades, which arrived near the battlefield during the afternoon of the 2d, was ordered to attack the next morning, and general ewell. The confederacys most controversial commander 2000. It was longstreet who ordered pickett forward at gettysburg, in what has become known as picketts charge. Meade and lee at bristoe station emerging civil war. The author argues that longstreets record has been discredited unfairly, beginning with character assassination by his contemporaries after the war and, persistently, by historians in the decades since.
General james longstreet 1993 edition open library. His victories in the civil war were many and included some of the most pivotal of the entire conflict. She described how longstreet joined the republican. What are we to make of james longstreet, lieutenant general, confederate states. After the us civil war had ended, former confederate lieutenant general james longstreet traveled to washington dc to follow up on the written application for a pardon from the us government. What major us civil war battles did confederate general. General james longstreet was lees senior lieutenant in th. Longstreet, reinforced by picketts three brigades, which arrived near the battlefield during the afternoon of the 2d, was ordered to attack the next morning, and general ewell was ordered to attack the enemys right at the same time. After the civil war was over and the soldiers of both sides began to get on with their lives and the history of the war was beginning to be written, there began a great deal of finger pointing as to whose fault certain actions and their outcomes were. Longstreet quickly became to the confederate general robert e. James longstreet january 8, 1821 january 2, 1904 was one of the foremost confederate generals of the american civil war and the principal subordinate to general robert e.
Lees famed first corps, and the one lee fondly called my old war horse, yet longstreet lost favor among many southerners in the days after the war. Trimble, which had both seen action on july 1, and picketts fresh division from longstreets own corps. He was discussing why there were no prominent statues for general longstreet. Longstreet at gettysburg, the third day american civil war. Jun 16, 2018 widow longstreet told life magazine reporters, surprised to find a civil war generals widow alive and well and working for the war effort, i just want to build bombers to bomb hitler.
Courageous, cool under fire, and cautious, longstreet craftily defended his positions so as to. Longstreet, played by tom berenger, was immediately my favorite character of that movie. General lee called longstreet, old war horse a nickname that would prove to be correct in that he was a great war commander and lived to a very old age of 83. And from that point on, i wanted to learn more about the civil war, as well as general longstreet. What happened to confederate general james longstreet after. Only in the nearly four decades left to him after the war did he become so.
Jeffry wert argues that longstreet opposed lees illfated frontal assault on july 3 and that, had lee followed longstreet s advice to take a more defensive posture, the battle might have turned out differently. University of virginia professor elizabeth varon talked about former confederate general james longstreet and his reputation after the civil war. It seems he thought it best to let the war be a part of the past and rejoined the u. Longstreet at gettysburg civil war books and authors. Lee arranged for longstreet s promotion to be dated one day earlier than jacksons, making the old war horse the senior lieutenant general in the entire confederate army. Army officer, government official and most famously a lieutenant general in the confederate army during the civil. Wert after the war, he was swiftly traduced and regarded as a scalawag. Todays post is written by david langbart, an archivist in the textual records division at the national archives at college park. Longstreet was arguably the best corps commander the confederates have, and he played crucial roles at antietam, second bull run, chickamauga, the wilderness, and fredericksburg. As lees right hand man, he was both a tactical master and competent leader. After the civil war, prominent exconfederates like walter taylor of general robert e. It was longstreet, after the death of stonewall jackson, that lee relied. At west point together grants courtship the war and afterwards gainesville, georgia, july 23 he was the truest as well as the bravest man that ever lived, was the remark made by general james longstreet, when he recovered today from the emotion caused by the sad.
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