That is the study of how history was written, why it was written, and how the interpretations of historical writers changed the view of history. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Longstreet, on the other hand, was arguably the finest corps commander on either side during the war. After reading this book i can understand why longstreets reputation is so.
Im a fair student of the civil war and read this book a week after making my first visit to. A biography is a candid, fair and balanced portrait of a man who should, but doesnt, rank at the top of any list of the greatest american military leaders. A dutiful soldier with a penchant for drink and gambling, longstreet spoke little but inspired many, and he continues to fascinate civil war historians. General lee often called james longstreet his old war horse so the reader can get the story straight from the hosess mouth. Years after the souths defeat in the civil war, a famous incident occurred. Lee understood the merit of longstreet s idea to swing around the union army to get between them and washington. Longstreet tells lee that he does not think the war can be won now, and lee does not disagree, though he does not agree either. He says, if the war goes onand it will, it willwhat else can we do but go on. A critical reassessment mcfarland, 2019 author cory pfarr argues that longstreets record has been discredited unfairly, beginning with character assassination by his contemporaries after the war. His articles and essays on the civil war have appeared in many publications, including civil war times illustrated, american history illustrated, and blue and gray. Just a few years before his death, longstreet finally published his crucial memoirs, from manassas to appomattox, a civil war memoirs that talked about his experiences and analysis of the decisions made during the war. Wert is the author of eight previous books on civil war topics, most recently cavalryman of the lost cause and the sword of lincoln.
In fact, lee had used trenches himself and would do so again in. 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. The focus of this book is what the author sees as unfair criticism of james longstreets performance at gettysburg. Lees two main subordinates, and, after the death of jackson, lees right arm.
Longstreet mounted a sulky objection, but lee was adamant. It was longstreet, after the death of stonewall jackson, that lee relied. New book reassesses james longstreet at gettysburg. Long, a virginian, was general lees military secretary and aide at gettysburg. Helen dortch longstreet april 20, 1863 may 3, 1962, known as the fighting lady, was an american social advocate, librarian, and newspaper woman serving as reporter, editor, publisher, and business manager. 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. After the civil war, prominent exconfederates like walter taylor of general robert e. The forgotten final stage of the gettysburg campaign, from falling waters to culpeper court house, july 1431, 1863 exposes for civil war readers what has been hiding in plain sight for 150 years. A group of confederate officers went after longstreet when the war ended, and much of their criticism stuck over the years. Strategic setting after the confederates victory at chancellorsville in may. Hes talking about the lost cause or as he titled a recent book. Lee knew very little about the enemys location and strength.
A former history teacher at penns valley high school, he lives in centre hall. Gettysburg national military park ranger matt atkinson examines the postwar life of confederate general robert e. There is a lot of civil war research and materials regarding james longstreet and robert e. Though blount was never a civil war buff, he says every southerner has to make his peace with that. Lee, longstreet was lees trusted advisor and friend. Longstreet was prepared to move on with his life after the war. He was either a vain, insubordinate man, who should have been cashiered from the army, or he was a genius ahead of his time. Lee longstreet at high tide download ebook pdf, epub.
James longstreet to take command of the suffolk expedition, as he called it. Douglas southall freemans essential early biography lee is an example of a history that disparages longstreet without mercy. This one of longstreet and pickett became an immediate favorite, its obvious, the creator of this piece had more than a passing knowledge of the acw, it so clearly demonstrates how longstreet felt about giving pickett the order. This book attempts to defend longstreets work on july 2nd and 3rd. General james longstreet 1993 edition open library. If lee had listened to longstreet american civil war. The project gutenberg ebook of lee and longstreet at high.
Longstreets strategy is remarkably modern in theory, and shaara portrays longstreet as a man who is ahead of his time. Examines the lore that developed in the years after the war to explain the background for many popular concepts about gettysburg. Lee comes to longstreet and tells him that they will withdraw that night to the river. General longstreet lived quite a long time after the war, finally passing away in 1904.
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. After louises death, and after bearing criticism of his war record from other confederates for decades, longstreet refuted most of their arguments in his memoirs entitled from manassas to appomattox, a labor of five years that was published in 1896. General james longstreet was commander of 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 army of northern virginia, yet is still the focus of blame and second guessing. I plunged back into it for this book, and am relieved to have emerged alive. Click download or read online button to get lee longstreet at high tide book now.
James longstreet, from manassas to appomattox, 1st ed. The killer angels by michael shaara is an example of a civil war book that treats longstreet with admiration. 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. Longstreet wrote it to respond to his own critics and because lee himself didnt write any.
Shelby foote, the author and civil war historian, said longstreet did a hell of a job during the last month of the war. Alexanders artillery marched through the night and arrived before 9 a. She was the first woman who tried to secure a public office in the state of georgia. Instead, he contends that lee was responsible for the souths loss in a war it could have won.
Courageous, cool under fire, and cautious, longstreet craftily defended his positions so as to. 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. He was one of the last to go of the high ranking officers of either side. Longstreet quickly became to the confederate general robert e. Lee was a military genius who staved off inevitable confederate defeat against insurmountable odds a critical component of the myth of the lost cause. Even after that, lee consented for longstreet to wait for laws brigade, which arrived shortly before noon. From manassas to appomattox by james longstreet goodreads. What happened to confederate general james longstreet. 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. As for me, longstreet is a great man not only for his service to the south in the war, but for what he did after the war. Longstreet was a republican and after the war took an active role in the federal government. Longstreets invention of trench warfare is mentioned as new and innovative in the book, but trenches had been used since days of the romans. In his newly released book longstreet at gettysburg.
His victories in the civil war were many and included some of the most pivotal of the entire conflict. On april 2, 1865, union forces broke the confederate line at petersburg. 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. 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. Was general longstreet actually robert lees wise right. Lee, however, is a more traditional soldier, and he believes he can destroy the union armyeven in a fortified, high ground positionif he simply puts his men in the right places. However, lee decided on gettysburg, not out of an uncontrollable emotional zeal, but because it was the safest and best choice given the circumstances he faced.
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. This is the first book length, critical analysis of lieutenant general james longstreet s actions at the battle of gettysburg. Did james longstreet survive the civil war answers. No criticism of longstreets battlefield performance including gettysburg was ever made until nearly 10 years after the war and the death of robert e. 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. In americas saga, perhaps no outoftheway place has taken on greater historic importance than the southern pennsylvania village of gettysburg. General james longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the civil war, from.
In this book, ed bonekemper challenges the general view that robert e. Biography of confederate civil war general james longstreet. Lee and longstreet after the war civil war history. This book is the memoirs of confederate general james longstreet, the general. Winner, 2017, gettysburg civil war round table book award eastern theater book of the yearcivil war books and authors jeffrey hunts meade and lee after gettysburg. Talented and controversial, longstreet led the hardest hitting corps in robert e. Hill was killed, longstreet took command of his third corps. 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. After the war he befriended grant and became a republican. Ever the soldier, he skims over his personal life to focus on. General lee has reported of arrangements for the day,the general plan was unchanged.
The author argues that longstreet s record has been discredited unfairly, beginning with character assassination by his contemporaries after the war and, persistently, by historians in the decades since. She has contributed to the encyclopedia of the confederacy and to the american civil war. The war remains our most contentious, and our bloodiest, with. The confederacys most controversial commander 2000. The longstreet was late thing is playing into the whole campaign, spearheaded by early after the war, to make longstreet the scapegoat for the whole gettysburg fiasco. After the war, longstreet joined the republican party and became a political apostate in the south during the reconstruction era. General james longstreet, the confederacys most controversial soldier. From manassas to appomattox book by james longstreet. The author argues that longstreets record has been discredited unfairly, beginning with character assassination by his contemporaries after. Army officer, government official and most famously a lieutenant general in the confederate army during the civil war 186165. James longstreets place in history has always been shrouded in controversy, much of it of his own making. He also served as commissioner of pacific railroads under mckinley and roosevelt, from 1897 to 1904. The day that longstreet was late was actually the 2nd, when he was still bringing up his forces.
Longstreet at gettysburg, the third day american civil war. It would not have been longstreets place to remind a sickly lee of his errors. Known as the fighting lady, she was the second wife of confederate general james longstreet. In the book, longstreet praises several civil war officers but frequently disparages others, most heavily his postwar detractors jubal early. It seems he thought it best to let the war be a part of. It also had me thinking about those two survivors of gettysburg after the dust settled from that battle and the war. In his postwar assessments and writings he was candid about gettysburg and lessthanartfully pointed the finger for some of the blame on general robert e. After the war he wrote a book, memoirs of general lee, in which he endeavored to hold longstreet largely responsible for the gettysburg disaster. In his memoir from manassas to appomattox, longstreet reveals his inner musings and insights regarding the war between the states. The commander of lees first corps of the army of northern virginia for most of the war, longstreet played a. This is the first booklength, critical analysis of lieutenant general james longstreets actions at the battle of gettysburg. Criticized by many former confederates, he struck back with his book, from manassas to appomattox.
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