James Longstreet
James Longstreet was a prominent figure in American military history, known for his service during the Mexican-American War and as a senior commander in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Initially serving in the U.S. Army, he resigned to join the Confederacy at the onset of the Civil War, quickly rising through the ranks to become a lieutenant general under General Robert E. Lee. Longstreet played a key role in several significant battles, including the First Bull Run and the infamous Battle of Gettysburg, where he was involved in the ill-fated assault on Cemetery Ridge, leading to heavy Confederate losses.
After the war, Longstreet's reputation suffered in the South for his criticisms of Lee's strategies and his post-war affiliations, including appointments under the federal government. His roles included serving as the U.S. minister to Turkey and as a U.S. marshal for Georgia, which further alienated him from many in the Southern community. Despite his military achievements, Longstreet's legacy remains complex, reflecting the divisive sentiments surrounding the Civil War and its aftermath. His life illustrates the challenges faced by former Confederate leaders in reconciling their wartime actions with the shifting political landscape of post-war America.
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Subject Terms
James Longstreet
Armed Forces Personnel
- Born: January 8, 1821
- Birthplace: Edgefield District, South Carolina
- Died: January 2, 1904
- Place of death: Gainesville, Georgia
Also known as: Pete Longstreet; Lee’s Old War Horse
Born: January 8, 1821; Edgefield District, South Carolina
Died: January 2, 1904; Gainesville, Georgia
Principal wars: Mexican-American War, American Civil War
Principal battles: First Bull Run (1861), Gettysburg (1863)
Military significance: Longstreet, Robert E. Lee’s second in command for most of the war, obeyed Lee and ordered a charge on Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg, which was driven back at great cost to the Confederates and ended the battle.
James Longstreet served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War (1846–1848). When the American Civil War (1861–1865) started, Longstreet resigned his commission in the U.S. Army and offered his services to the Confederacy. By the Battle of the First Bull Run (1861), he had been promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He became the senior lieutenant general under Robert E. Lee and commanded the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Longstreet’s reputation suffered in the South after the war for several reasons. First, he criticized Lee’s decision to assault Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg in 1863. Against his better judgment, Longstreet ordered General George E. Pickett and some 15,000 troops to charge Cemetery Ridge, the center of the Union line. The assault was repulsed and the Confederate Army suffered great losses, ending the Battle of Gettysburg in defeat. His subsequent federal appointments as minister to Turkey (1880), U.S. marshal for Georgia (1881), and U.S. railroad commissioner (1898) further damaged his reputation among southerners.
Bibliography
Freeman, Douglas Southall. Lee’s Lieutenants: A Study in Command. 3 vols. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1942–1944.
Longstreet, James. From Manassas to Appomattox: Memoirs of the Civil War in America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1960.
Wert, Jeffry D. General James Longstreet: The Confederacy’s Most Controversial Soldier. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.