After the war, longstreet joined the republican party and became a political apostate in the south during the reconstruction era. General lee often called james longstreet his old war horse so the reader can get the story straight from the hosess mouth. 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. The confederacys most controversial commander 2000. Et may 1, 2019 i have visited gainesville, georgia, on. General james longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the civil war, from. Wert provides welldetailed descriptions of the tactical elements of each battle involving longstreet without becoming boring, even to the inexperienced reader.
Lee, longstreet was lees trusted advisor and friend. Longstreet quickly became to the confederate general robert e. Resigning from the us army he was quickly commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the confederate army. May 01, 2019 new book reassesses james longstreet at gettysburg scott mingus, yorkdailyrecord published 6. Edward ord of the union and longstreet to initiate a peace conference, using mrs. One of the most important, and controversial, confederate generals during the civil war was lieutenant general james lon. 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. 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. Longstreet s account of the battle from his memoirs, from manassas to appomattox by james longstreet 4.
General lees calling him my old warhorse captured the essence of longstreet perfectly. So in short, longstreet is the reason i became interested in the civil war, and my. General lees calling him my old war horse captured the essence of longstreet perfectly. Later in his life, longstreet wrote a book entitled, from manasses to appomattox. 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. She has contributed to the encyclopedia of the confederacy and to the american civil war. How and why did general longstreet and the brilliant. 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. He served under lee as a corps commander for most of the famous battles fought by the army of northern virginia in the eastern. June 22, 2018 any student of history knows that gettysburg was the turning point of the civil war. Army officer, government official and most famously a lieutenant general in the confederate army during the civil war 186165.
For his part, grant, who, after returning to military service, began the war in obscurity, had by now risen to command the union army. In addition to commanding one of the most noted offensives of the war at chickamauga, he led troops at both first and second manassas and gettysburg and stood beside confederate general robert e. And from that point on, i wanted to learn more about the civil war, as well as general longstreet. 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. But, after the war, longstreet became the target of many lost cause attacks. Lane believes that longstreets postwar alignment with the republican party and other exploits points to an important historical lesson in. General james longstreet i actually knew very little about as history is not always kind to the survivors. A definite must read for anyone interested in the civil war. Lee directed general longstreet to assemble a force of three divisions for the attacktwo divisions from the corps of lieutenant general a. See more ideas about james longstreet, american civil war and civil war photos. Yet, he was largely held to blame for the confederacys defeat at gettysburg. Longstreet retained command of the first corps, while two newly promoted lieutenant generals, richard s. The myth of the lost cause emerged that the civil war was a war between the states, it wasnt about slavery but states rights, the confederacy had better.
Perhaps no confederate officer is surrounded by more controversy than james longstreet. After reading this book i can understand why longstreets reputation is so. From manassas to appomattox book by james longstreet. Feb 21, 2019 i just finished one of the books you mentioned, allen guelzos gettysburg. Et may 1, 2019 i have visited gainesville, georgia, on and off for 30 years during my business. Jan 30, 2016 longstreet has one of the most recent at gettysburg 1998. From manassas to appomattox by james longstreet goodreads. Why did confederate general james longstreet come under. Trimble, which had both seen action on july 1, and picketts fresh division from longstreets own corps.
To civil warwar between the states students, gainesville is perhaps best known as the last home and final resting place of lt. He has been blamed for the defeat at gettysburg because he opposed the action. As the book shows some of the poor and questionable political decisions after the war likely. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers.
Longstreet and slavery american civil war message board. In june, 1861, he resigned as major in the army and was appointed brigadiergeneral in the confederate service. That may be politics, or something as simple as being considered a national hero. The essay has now been reprinted in newspapers across the country. He is best remembered for being one of the commanders at picketts charge, the futile and bloody confederate offensive on the third day of the battle of gettysburg that bears his name. Near the end of his life, longstreet authored from manassas to appomattox, a civil war memoirs that looked to rebut his. How this confederate general changed his tune after the civil 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. A must for the well rounded student of general longstreet. 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. It seems he thought it best to let the war be a part of. Books by james longstreet author of from manassas to. Before manassas and after appomattox is an important book on the life, family, and civilian careers of general longstreet. General james longstreet civil war artifacts for sale.
General james longstreet 1993 edition open library. Of all the generals in the civil war, only ltg james longstreet understood that technology was changing the face of war. 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. Guelzo explained that many of these socalled eye witness accounts surfaced years after the war, in many and should be treated with suspicion because the cfa veterans saw longstreet as a traitor during reconstruction. Account of the siege from his memoirs by james longstreet available from rakuten kobo. Lee to the assignation at appomattox courthouse that. Longstreet was likely the best general in the civil war on either side. 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.
Jan 07, 2019 after the civil war, the north mostly moved on. 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. 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. Longstreet, a confederate general during the civil war, became a pariah in the south following his conversion to the republican party and change in favor for the end of slavery. Army officer, government official and most famously a lieutenant general in the confederate army during the civil. 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. Longstreet, on the other hand, was arguably the finest corps commander on either side during the war. Jan 17, 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. His widow led a move to have a monument to him there that didnt come to fruition due to lack of funds and the coming of world war two. 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.
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. General james longstreet picketts charge gettysburg battle. How they helped his reputation as a great general during the war, and how they were used against him so consistently after the war. In americas saga, perhaps no outoftheway place has taken on greater historic importance than the southern pennsylvania village of gettysburg. New book reassesses james longstreet at gettysburg scott mingus, yorkdailyrecord published 6. James longstreet is generally considered to be the second ranking. Ewell and ambrose powell hill, led the second and third corps respectively. The tactics that civil war generals learned before the outbreak of the war in 1861 were influenced by napoleon bonaparte.
During the mexicanamerican war in 1847, he experienced extensive front line combat service in both the northern and southern theaters of operations, where he led detachments that helped capture two mexican forts guarding monterey longstreet also engaged in street fighting in monterey. Lee is an iconic and controversial figure which countless books have been written about since days of the civil war some of these books are a full account of lees life while others focus solely on specific aspects of his life such as his personal thoughts and opinions as expressed in his private papers or his public image and how it came to be what is today. General james longstreet is one of the most controversi. Dec 29, 2017 longstreet quickly became to the confederate general robert e. Since the late 20th century, his reputation has undergone a slow reassessment. The story of a confederate warrior vintage civil war library. I just finished one of the books you mentioned, allen guelzos gettysburg. More than a century after appomattox, the civil war and the idea of the lost cause remain at the center of the southern mind. General james longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the civil war, from manassas the first battle of bull run to antietam. How this confederate general changed his tune after the. The civil war continued, and not all of longstreets activities can be described here. Lees most trusted subordinates, longstreet played a pivotal role in confederate operations in both the eastern and western theaters of the war.
He was robert e lees most trusted general and very successful. General james longstreet the confederacys most modern general. After the death of general jackson on 10 may, lee had reconfigured his army of two corps under jackson and longstreet into three corps. Longstreet was lees principal subordinate for most of the war, ably managing a corps in the army of northern virginia. Looking at longstreet s 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. Lee and james longstreet at odds at gettysburg history has come to many obscure places, has stayed awhile and, after its departure, has rendered those places famous.
Traveling to richmond, va, he met with president jefferson davis who informed him that had been appointed a brigadier general. It seems he thought it best to let the war be a part of the past and rejoined the u. General james longstreet was without a doubt one of the most capable corp commanders who has ever served in any army and after reading this book i think you will agree. His letters to the new orleans times, his support of the republican party, and his memoirs served to. While many in history have judged him harshly as they feel that he abandoned the south after the war in reality he simply did what had always done which was to be true to his. 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. Lee there is a lot of civil war research and materials regarding james longstreet and robert e. Krick talked about confederate general james longstreet, his family life, his friendship with general robert e. In the book, longstreet praises several civil war officers but frequently disparages others, most heavily his postwar detractors jubal early and fitzhugh. He served under lee as a corps commander for most of the famous battles fought by the army of northern virginia in the eastern theater, and briefly with braxton bragg in the army. This books is wonderful both as an account of longstreet s life and, surprisingly, as a general introduction to the war in the east plus a bit about longstreet s stint in the west. General james longstreet 18211904 fought on the side of the confederacy in almost every major battle of the u. Years after the war, longstreet s reputation swung between confederate hero and brutish scoundrel.
What happened to confederate general james longstreet. 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. General longstreet knows the disposition of the southern people and if he is in a position to do so can be of great assistance to you in shaping and carrying out a satisfactory southern policy. One of the most important, and controversial, confederate generals during the civil war was lieutenant general james longstreet, robert e. 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. The last invasion, and i thought he was very fair with longstreet.
He was discussing why there were no prominent statues for general longstreet. 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. No criticism of longstreets battlefield performance including gettysburg was ever made until nearly 10 years after the war and the death of robert e. Longstreet was lees principal subordinate for most of the war, ably managing a corps in the. The bulk of the book appropriately focuses on the civil war, but wert also briefly delves into longstreets life before and after it. The generals remarkable second wife defended her husbands reputation, championed black rights, and built world war ii bombers. Almost years after appomattox, the civil war and the idea of the lost cause remain at the center of the southern mind. I have always found it interesting to read about their relationship and i am always looking for the source that really describes their friendship in detail.
Lees sturdy lieutenant during the civil war, james longstreet was vilified throughout much of the south after the war because of his republican party allegiance and service in president ulysses grants administration. Why did confederate general james longstreet come under heavy. General james longstreet was commander of general robert e. Years after the war, longstreets reputation swung between confederate hero and brutish scoundrel. Longstreet, played by tom berenger, was immediately my favorite character of that movie. The confederacys most controversial commander 2000 youtube.
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