As early as October 1862, James Longstreet had suggested to General Joseph E. Johnston that he be sent to fight in the war's Western Theater. I know I would be in his place. This thesis is a chronological analysis of Longstreet during the thirteen major campaigns in which he participated: First Manassas, Williamsburg, Seven Pines, the Seven Days, Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Suffolk, Gettysburg, ... 3. In 1862, during a 6-day period, 3 of the 4 Longstreet children, Mary Anne, James, and Gus, died of scarlet fever in Richmond, Va. Only 13-year-old Garland survived. They ended up having to take an alternate route because the way they were coming brought them too close to the Army of the Potomac, it made their route longer, and while Longstreet did everything he could to get them there as quickly as possible, there's only so fast you can move a large body of troops - especially in those days. The Gettysburg Campaign: The History and Legacy of the Civil War's Most Famous Campaign analyzes the entire campaign and its major battles, from Brandy Station to the retreat of Lee's army after Pickett's Charge. Many years after the CW in WW1 tens of thousands of young men were being forced to come out of trenches and march over open ground,barbed wire,straight into withering artillery and machine guns.On the Somme under British general Haig,nearly thirty thousand british troops died in one day,doing a ludicrous charge. I often feel sorry for Longstreet, he was easily as good a leader as Jackson, a smart military tactician, an on-the-lines fighter, etc., and he was basically "cheated" out of his just accolades. Longstreet came out on the short end of the spin stick in the years following the CW. He then blamed his div. Longstreet did not return; but this is the nearest Fountain City came to having a battle.” (Author’s Note: Any additional information on Fountain City during the Civil War would be welcomed.) Gen. John Gregg’s Texas Brigade from Gen. James Longstreet’s corps arrive in time to stave off disaster. He arrived at Chickamauga with his corps and joined Bragg's army against Federal General Rosecrans. In many of his responses, he was most undiplomatic. The World's Greatest Generals: The Life and Career of Robert E. Lee closely examines Lee's war records, but it also humanizes the cheerful husband who was raised and strove to be dignified and dutiful. Still, in … Abraham Lincoln was an abolitionist. After quoting Leeâs reflections on the outset of Gettysburgâs third and final day of fighting, Longstreet writes simply, âThis is disingenuous,â and the phrase sums up a good deal of his critique of both Leeâs memories and the collective memories of Lee. I agree the attack was outlandish but Longstreet was late in his support. The problem was reported & testing was scheduled.....for July 10th, which would prove too late for the ANV! Yet whatever the details of that controversial military moment, the broader historical reality is both distinct and crucially telling: the deification of Lee and demonization of Longstreet reflect not military history at all, but instead the postwar and ongoing development of Civil War Memory. Of the two possibilities you mention, either Stuart or Devil's Den, I think the more likely one to make a difference would be if the Confederates could have taken the high ground at the beginning. The truth about the roles of Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet may be far different than the legend. Uncle Gus may have been influential in Longstreets early life as a Defeat at Gettysburg covers the critical decisions the three leaders made at Gettysburg, but it also comprehensively covers their entire lives and military careers. Longstreet's behavior would sour his relationship with some very fine div. From what I've read, the discussion you're refering to did happen. No. The claims against Longstreet were made not because of what he did at Gettysburg, but because of what he did after it—or more properly, because of the political choices Longstreet … What did Longstreet in was; The Myth of Confederate General James Longstreet. I have a few quick questions for consideration by you CW buffs. commanders (McLaws, & Evander Law for ex. The dedication was a poignant moment for Jamie Louise Longstreet Paterson, who proudly carried her grandfather’s name and did her part over the years to help remove the tarnish off the general who did the unthinkable after the Civil War -- support the Republican Party, Reconstruction and suffrage for blacks. As I've said before, the AOTP was a formidable force, finally lead by a competent commander. Thats correct Blueshawk, Werts book doesn't seek to slander Longstreet. -List and explain two causes of the Civil War. The Southern Confederacy was crushed and the Northern Victory ushered in a new age of Industrialism, expansion of the government and the end of slavery. McClaws was replaced, Robertson & Law were courtmartialed (All 3 of these Gen's had fine war records). Reconnaissance, screening and following up infantry victories were the best roles for CW cavalry. James C. Woodworth (1839-1900) was a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, who during the Civil War served in Co. H, 25th Massachusetts Infantry, rising to 1st lieutenant. To some degree the events of July 3rd where out of both Lee & Longstreets control. Lieutenant General James Longstreet : This is almost perfect, now we got them where we want them. While Pickett's Charge, still the most famous attack of the war, was one unsuccessful charge, the Army of the Cumberland made over a dozen charges up Missionary Ridge and ultimately succeeded. He was a great soldier, there is no doubt! I more and more believe the Day 2 action along the Union left flank -- Devil's Den, the Round Tops, etc -- were and are overstated in popular lore. In my high school in Ohio, the Civil War was boiled down to two sentences. What if Lee had been a Yankee? Reviews I read, have him limiting much of it to battle strategies, etc. "Anyone interested in Confederate General James Longstreet will find this book to be a must-read. One should empathize with what they were facing. Had this happened we can only guess of the final conclusion. It was fought when 11 Southern states left the United States and formed the Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy). how much is really known about longstreet diagreeing with lee at gettysburg? Those kinds of idealized tributes to Lee ramped up significantly after his death, leading Frederick Douglass to lament such âbombastic laudationâ and ânauseating flatteriesâ to a man who âwas a traitor and can be made nothing else.â But Lee was indeed made over the next few years into something quite different, the iconic hero celebrated in texts like Mississippi lawyer and author James D. Lynchâs epic poem Robert E. Lee, or, Heroes of the South (1876). His parents were James and Mary Ann Dent Longstreet. I'll keep an open mind though & check out the book you suggest blueshawk. Graduated from West Point, although not a particularly heady student, he enlisted into the Army of the Confederacy in 1861. After fighting broke out in 1861 the country had a rail network totaling more than 30,000 miles. A Confederate Cannoneer at Gettysburg profiles the life, career, and legacy of the man in charge of the Confederate guns before Pickett's Charge. His parents were James and Mary Ann Dent Longstreet. Longstreet would later admit McClaws actions didn't warrent the charges, & stated that he had removed McClaws "in an unguarded moment" ~i.e. Before being loaded onto the ambulance, Longstreet had turned over command to Field and urged him to continue the attack. James Longstreet during the Civil War. The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865, also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States fought between states supporting the federal union ("the Union" or "the North") and southern states that voted to secede and form the Confederate States of America ("the Confederacy" or "the South"). Longstreet and Pickett, living with the tragedy. James Longstreet (1821–1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War. A bold statement indeed, but simple to justify. commanders. It's unfortunate that Longstreet was so vilified for telling what he believed to be the truth. No General in Civil War history saw his post-bellum reputation plummet farther or faster than Confederate General James Longstreet. As I have said before, no one should feel that they do not know enough about the Civil War or the Battle of Gettysburg to contribute to this discussion. You are right in that Longstreet wasn't Jackson, but only in the fact that he wasn't deified the way Jackson was. Further detail about this can be seen here. Tim, very good post on "Lee's Old War Horse". In an effort to draw out the Union Army of the Potomac, the Confederate Army invades the North, and the armies clash in a bloody battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for four days. From PA and use to live about ten miles from Gettysburgh. The decades long smear campaign was waged chiefly through the poison pen of Jubal Early (a lawyer by trade). I haven't based my belief on this "scapegoat" issue on any post war "lost cause" hyperbole from Early or his cronies. That seemed particularly to be the case at the pivotal battle of Gettysburg, when (the story went) Longstreetâs disagreements with and deviations from Leeâs plans contributed to the Confederate loss. I haven't read anything about Early specifically. Civil War Medicine: It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't good. James Longstreet was born on January 8, 1821, in Edgefield District, South Carolina, an area that is now part of North Augusta, Edgefield County. In the spring of 1861, as the still youthful nation moved ever closer to what would become the Civil War, both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant were faced with life-altering decisions. I've formed my oppinion in this regard, by reading histories written by modern authers who appear unbiased. Connelly's "The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Society" was one of the first studies of Early's mythologization of Lee (full-text available for free on Google Books). McClaws was the scapegoat. Pickett's Charge, the climactic assault on the final day of the Battle of Gettysburg, has become the American version of the Charge of the Light Brigade, and it is one of the most famous events of the entire Civil War. That is rough to live with. It's a little known problem, explored to some extent by Sears in his Gettysburg narrative, then in somewhat more detail by Nosworthy in his "Bloody Crucible of Courage". One of the most important Confederate generals of the Civil War was Lieutenant General James Longstreet, the man Robert E. Lee called his "old war horse. In 1862 Johnston made Longstreet commander of troops for an attack on Union troops south of the Chickahominy River. The silence was broken when one of the greatest artillery barrages in the Civil War began. It is the people who choose to live in peace with one another, not the governments who rule them. Longstreet’s First Corps had been camped in Gordonsville, some 27 miles away from the battlefield, before the fighting had started. Being the farthest away meant it took them the longest to arrive. Did Longstreet and other confederates really seek to redeem themselves after the Civil War? Longstreet admitted after the war that he'd done McLaws an injustice. Slavery has been around for a long time long before the Civil War began. The CW was the forerunner of the horrors of WW1,IMHO,the same waste of young life by inept Commanders. 2. Use specific details in your argument. The Men Who Ordered Pickett's Charge profiles the lives, careers, and legacies of the four generals who commanded the famous attack, looking at their entire Civil War records, their relationships with each other, and more. It was Longstreet, not Jackson, who was Lee’s second-in-command. This Is A New Release Of The Original 1896 Edition. Yet, he was largely held … it just created an environment of diatribe, injustice, and stereotypical misnomer. No criticism of Longstreet’s battlefield performance (including Gettysburg) was ever made until nearly 10 years after the war and the death of Robert E. Lee. I just dont think Lee needed to tell Longstreet, "You were right, and i was wrong" on July 3rd or any other day. Anyhow, i paid 3 dollars for the framed picture and signature. Along with pictures of Longstreet and other important people, places and events in his life, you will learn about Lee's Old War Horse like you never have before, in no time at all. The battle was fought as another frontal assault and this just two months following the battle at Gettysburg. Longstreet first saw war in the Mexican-American War. His men were physically at the end of their rope. The US government and the states that remained loyal to it were called the Union. James Longstreet had a discriminating eye for talent, was quick I think he was a fine commander. And of course, to nail the coffin shut, he joined the Republican Party and endorsed Grant for the presidency (who had been his closest friend before the war). He caused a delay on the first day by halting his troops, costing a critical hour that had he not done that, could have garnered the Confederates Cemetery Hill. Stonewall Jackson, while often brilliant, was inconsistent in his performance as a general. Lee's Plan. Received another kind of education their and later on it would help him become a good soldier. I was saying that regardless of how dumb the charge may have been Longstreet didn't do as he was told. James Longstreet died on January 2, 1904, just days short of his 83rd birthday. Your email address will not be published. Before the Civil War, James Longstreet was a good friend of Union General Ulysses S. Grant, and even attended Grant's wedding in 1848. I'm not saying the charge was a good idea or not, just saying that some good ideas come crashing down when support isn't where it should be. Both men were governed by personal codes of honor and a steadfast allegiance to what each viewed as his homeland. Found insideGeneral 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. These Reconstruction conflicts comprised battles over Americaâs present and future but also over Civil War memory. But it is only today—a century and a third later—that it is mostly (or at least often) the standard. From the reviews I've read about it though, it sounds like it largely vindicates Longstreet. A great reunion of Rebel soldiers was arranged, and James Longstreet was pointedly not invited — punishment, of course, for his perceived disloyalty to Lee and the alleged damage caused by his reluctance to shut up and do what he was told on July 2 and 3, 1863. But, thats war and I'd be courtmartialed. He did everything he possibly could to gain the command of the Army of Tennessee. Although he does so in the respectful tone due to his commanding officer, Longstreet consistently creates a far different and much more critical picture of Lee and the war. For example, Lee opens his account of the night before that crucial third day by claiming that âthe general plan was unchangedâ and âLongstreet â¦Â was ordered to attack the next morningâ; Longstreet counters that Lee âdid not give or send me orders,â and so âin the absence of orders,â Longstreet had to utilize his own scouts and develop his own plan for the start of the next dayâs (ultimately disastrous) attacks. Years after the South’s defeat in the Civil War, a famous incident occurred. Detached with part of his corps to go west, he helped secure the September 1863 Confederate victory at Chickamauga Creek in Georgia. Answer (1 of 5): Several in fact. Moreover, there shall be no suspicion of partiality in his writing, or of malice." But its commander, Col JL Chamberlain, spent a great deal of his considerable talent playing up the role his unit had in the grand scheme of things. But the truth is that long before he published his memoirs, Longstreet had become a target for such hatred through his post-war actions, and specifically through his embrace of African American rights during and after Reconstruction. Like many future Civil War generals, Longstreet’s first real war experience came during the Mexican War. Judith Hallock, McWhiney Foundation Press, 1998 "The first law of the historian is that he shall never dare utter an untruth. If Gen Stuart had have taken part in Picketts charge with his cavarly as backup in the frontal attack ,would that have broken the Union Lines.? He was a better corps commander than army commander, but that's no slight. They knew exactly what they were getting into, and they accepted that they would often be called on to make decisions that would lead to the deaths of thousands of men. — James Longstreet. It just wasn't a realistic outcome. Longstreet generlly avoided the subject and modified his post war public views to advance his own interests. Debacles at Bull Run comprehensively covers both campaigns, the events that led up to the battles, the fighting itself, and the aftermath of both battles. View the order for Pickett’s charge from General James Longstreet to Colonel Edward P. Alexander and copies of Alexander’s battlefield dispatches to Longstreet and Gen. George E. Pickett during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. The great mass of Confederate artillery was to demolish the federal troops on Cemetery Ridge, however much of the rebel shells fell some 200 yrds beyond the union targets! One of the most important Confederate generals of the Civil War was Lieutenant General James Longstreet, the man Robert E. Lee called his "old war horse. I believe Ewell and Early were at fault with their inability to coordinate and hit the Union right at Culp's hill when they were suppose to. The Gettysburg Campaign: The History and Legacy of the Civil War's Most Famous Campaign analyzes the entire campaign and its major battles, from Brandy Station to the retreat of Lee's army after Pickett's Charge. However it had exploded 4 months eariler! By the early 20th century, that process was complete, as reflected clearly in my hometown of Charlottesville, which in the late 1910s and early 1920s famously constructed its statues of Robert E. Lee and his now favored (and more clearly white supremacist) lieutenant, Stonewall Jackson. But it is only today—a century and a third later—that it is mostly (or at least often) the standard. Even at a young age I certainly understood that the Confederacy had fought for a profoundly ignoble cause, and that the war’s outcome had been a just and necessary one. Only a couple years before (1862) in a letter to Ewell, McLaws wrote about Longstreet, "has no superior as a soldier in the Southern Confederacy" - there's your first hint that what information you have is not quite complete. The topic for this year’s debate is “Did James Longstreet Fail to Fulfill his duty to Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg?” Please come to the meeting ready to discuss this topic. Picketts Charge would have gone off a lot better if Longstreet wouldn't have delayed his attack. The bio information is primarily about their participation in the Civil war. As a young man in Georgia, G. Moxley Sorrel enlisted in a cavalry unit even before the Civil War erupted, so eager was he to serve his home state. longstreet should have listen to his commanding officer,anyway if they hadnt been marching all day long if longstreet attacks earlier in day look out the union has trouble.its the fishook linethat probally doomned lee.lee still came close to beating them,forget picketts charge the battle was won on the second day it would seem. Although Longstreet was raised by his uncle, who was a state's rights advocate, James Longstreet did not support slavery. Searching for a laugh? One wonders why he had not learned from Lee's mistakes? Ulysses S. Grant was the most acclaimed Union general during the American Civil War and was twice elected president. The comments on the CSA problems with artillery fuses is right on. In the southern worship of Lee, the myth has often been that Lee would've led the south to victory if he (Lee) had not been let down by his subordinates. Brig. I read that Longstreet ran short of artillery shells, which affected the charge and its timing. Southern morale and spirit plummeted, some southerners asked, “How did the Day 3. In the wake of the campaign, Longstreet was promoted to lieutenant general and given command of the newly-designated First Corps. I'm not disagreeing with you either, you may be more right than myself, we probably will never know. Longstreet, however, did survive his wounding which weakens the inclination to engage in hero worship. Excellent post. Looking out from the Lee/Virginia memorial at Gettysburg, one can see that the attack launched by Lee on the 3rd of July had little chance of success. Your support helps us preserve a great American legacy. Earlier in the war @ Seven Pines he hide his failure to follow Johnston's orders behind Gen. Huger's ineptness. Another myth many believe is that Longstreet had no ambition to higher command. Though he opposed secession, he resigned from the U.S. Army to join the forces of his native state, rose to command the largest Confederate army and ultimately was named general-in-chief of all Confederate land forces. He, as can be seen from posts here, also suffered from not being Jackson. Michael Shaara's account of the three most important days of the Civil War features deft characterizations of all of the main actors, including Lee, Longstreet, Pickett, Buford, and Hancock. I don't think I could order my men somewhere I thought they had a small chance of making it out of. Growing up in Virginia, the Civil War was my gateway to a lifelong love of all things American history, and as a youthful Civil War buff, General Robert E. Lee was my idol. The greatest hope Lee had of coming out ahead at Gettysburg lay in the rapid capture of Culp's Hill, a task Early badly bungled. In this classic work, A biography of James Longstreet, from his leading role as commander of Lee•s Army of Northern Virginia through his controversial postwar career. While Early was hardly the only former Confederate to deify Lee, he was perhaps the most important, and he found a ready audience. Lo… 5:59 pm . Confederate General James Longstreet made some of the most profound modern contributions to the art of war. Civil War Biographies: Contains a brief biography of some of the major players in the Civil War. I don't have Wert's book yet, but it's on my list. DiNardo in Longstreet: The Man, … During the Battle of Gettysburg (1-3 July 1863), it was argued that Longstreet did not act appropriately to Lee's plan of attack, which cost the Confederate Army the victory. Which southern regiment advanced the farthest towards the Union lines during Pickett's Charge? Those "bad" decisions make me a little less critical. Shortly after the Confederate victory there, Longstreet was assigned command of the designated Advance Forces, which lay closest to the Federal lines around Washington, D.C. Although he played but a minor role in the First Battle of Manassas, fought in Virginia in July 1861, he won the admiration of his superiors. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee in its efforts to halt the advance of the Union Army. Longstreet, a favorite of Gen. Robert E. Lee, fully expects to replace Bragg as commander of the Western Army. It hardly meant there would never be another successful large scale cavalry engagement -- witness the British in the Sudan at the end of the century, and the 1917 Beersheba engagement you mention. I do have the book you mentioned as Longstreet's "memoirs", but I haven't read it yet because I wanted to first read books about his life in general, before during and after the war. The second is that he shall suppress nothing that is true. George Pickett (1825-1875) was a U.S. military officer and later a Confederate major general during the Civil War (1861-65). Hill’s tired troops are forced back, and the Confederates seem on the verge of collapse. And because he lived on, he had plenty of chances to tarnish his reputation. A personal opinion is that if Jackson survived and been able to participate, he may have been more aggressive the first day of the battle and his men may have taken the high ground, thus avoiding the neccesity of a frontal assault across a mile of open fields to an enemy waiting behind a stone wall and who could move reinforcements back and forth with relative ease. The very general Longstreet helped to defeat at Fredericksburg the previous year! After the battle at Knoxville, Longstreet did the same thing Bragg was famous for, he began arresting his subordinates.