James Longstreet

Intro

Next to a stable on a hill, there was a man. The man was on his horse to add to his height, and thus his range of vision. Through his field glasses, he could see waves of men about to embark, through a sea of smoke and vapors, to reach the enemy's stone walled shore on the other side. The man was obviously a man of leadership. He wore a gray officers hat, with the tassels like pine cones, and several stars around his collar. But one didn't need these signs, all they needed to do was look in his eyes. The way he surveyed the battlefield, watching for the tiniest detail, a leader was in there for certain. But there was something else in his eyes, a trained observer would have, perhaps, noted hesitation, caution, even unwillingness. This man was on the defensive, even as Pickett's charge, was failing, in Gettysburg, PA.

James Longstreet was probably the only Civil War General who was disliked by both the North and South. Because he had a firm, stubborn nature, he often disputed with his superiors. When he was young, he had a higher education, attended West Point, and jump-started his career in the Mexican War. During the Civil War, he led many major attacks, and was one of General Lee's most trusted officers. At the end of his life he, unfortunately, made a number of decisions that caused many Southerners to dislike him. This is his story.

Early Life

 His early life was fruitful, compared to others in the period. James Longstreet was born on January 8, 1821, in the Edgefield District, South Carolina. His father, who owned a cotton plantation in Gainsville, Georgia, thought that the local education was not enough for his son. So James was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Augusta, Georgia. He spent eight years on his uncle's plantation, Westover, while attending the Richmond County Academy. From there he moved on to West Point, the top military academy at the time. Because he had a discipline problem, he often got into trouble with his superiors. His grades were quite poor at the Academy, being only 54th out of 56. He started his military career in the 8th Infantry, and was eventually promoted to the rank of Major. During the Mexican War he was engaged at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, San Antonio, Churubusco, and Molino del Rey. He wed Maria Garland in March, 1848. These early years would teach him well.

Civil War

 During the Civil War, he made three mistakes that denied his place as a Southern hero: 1) he argued with Lee at Gettysburg, 2) he was right, and 3) he became a Republican[1]. Early in the Civil War, he was at the 1st Bull Run, 2nd Bull Run, Fredricksburg and Suffolk, as well as Gettysburg. On the third day of Gettysburg, Lee told him to construct the infamous assault known as Pickett's Charge as a last resort in the battle to try and break the Federal line. Longstreet did not think that the attack would work, saying, "General, I have been a soldier all my life. I have been with soldiers engaged in fights by couples, by squads, companies, regiments, divisions, and armies, and should know, as well as any one, what soldiers can do. It is my opinion that no fifteen thousand men ever arranged for battle can take that position."[2] Lee was not impressed. In the end, Longstreet reluctantly organized the assault. Thereafter, he was so intensely solemn, he could only nod his head to signal the attack. When he did, the Confederacy was at what historians call the "High Water Mark." It was the closest to winning the Confederacy ever came, and the last time they would have enough resources to mount a full-scale infantry assault. The battle at Gettysburg failed, and the Confederate army fought a losing campaign to Appomattox, where Longstreet was accidentally wounded by his own men in the shoulder and throat on May 6, 1864. Because of this, he missed out of the war until October, 1864. Some Southerners were not sorry to see him go. He was already becoming less popular.

Post-war

 After the war, he moved to New Orleans where he became President of the Great Southern and Western, Fire, Marine, and Accident Insurance Company. His old friend General Grant endorsed him for a pardon, but President Johnson refused, saying to Longstreet, "There are three persons of the South who can never receive amnesty: Mr. Davis, General Lee, and yourself. You have given the Union Cause too much trouble."[3] Longstreet was the only senior officer to join the Republican party during the Reconstruction. He was even more disliked when he endorsed Grant for President, went to his inauguration, and shortly thereafter, became the surveyor of customs in New Orleans. His old friend Harvey Hill wrote to a newspaper: "Our scalawag is the local leper of the community." Unlike a Northern carpetbagger, Hill wrote, Longstreet "is a native, which is so much the worse."[4] In 1872, he was made a Major General, and was in command of all the military in New Orleans. He fell further out of Southern favor because he started using black soldiers. He became a Catholic in 1877, and was a devout believer until his death in 1902. Thus he found friends and enemies in New Orleans after the war.

Conclusion

 During Longstreet's childhood, his uncle dutifully instilled within him the core of Southern beliefs, although he still hated slavery. Later on, despite his poor grades at West Point, he was very much respected as a Major. During the Civil War, he advanced to the rank of General, and became General Lee's right-hand man. However because of what he thought was right, he argued with Lee about sending his men into battle. and became a despised man in the south. Later, when he tried to appeal to the North, he found that he was hated there, too. General Longstreet always tried to do the right thing, even if no one else agreed.

Thus, James Longstreet garnered his beliefs from his education and his family,, and took them with him wherever he went.