James Longstreet Character Analysis

James Longstreet was an integral man throughout the duration of the American Civil War. He played a part in almost every major battle that the Confederacy fought, he commanded troops at the first and second Battles of Bull Run, in addition to being Lee’s right hand man at Gettysburg. He was with his commanding officer, General Lee, to the Confederacy’s bitter end at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia.
James Longstreet was born January 8, 1821 in Edgefield, South Carolina. However, he spent most of his childhood at the home of his Uncle Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, who resided in Augusta, Georgia. It was from his time with his uncle that he gained his strong belief in states rights (Civil 1). General Longstreet attended West Point Military

Academy, where he finished 54th out of 62 in his graduating class. At West Point he met future Army General Ulysses S. Grant; the two would go on to become good friends at the academy and serve together in the American Civil War. Although the two friends served on opposite sides during the conflict, they remained friends throughout. Fellow future Confederate General George Pickett was also in Longstreet’s class at the academy. Following his graduation from the academy he was commisioned as a brevet second lieutenant. He spent his first two years at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He then went on to see his first active duty in the Mexican War which spanned from 1846-48 (History 1).
James Longstreet did have his doubts about the ideals of secession, but nevertheless he felt obligated to serve the beliefs of the South, to who he felt deeply loyal. At the onset of the Civil War, Longstreet resigned from the American Army and offered his services to the Confederate state of Alabama. From there he was sent to Richmond,Virginia, where he was commisoned as a Brigadier General under the command of P.G.T Beauregard (History 1).
James Longstreet fought in the Civil War for many reasons, including personal ones. He like many Southerners, felt that their way of life was being threatened. He felt that states rights were being threatened by what they considered to be the bureaucracy of the Union. Also he worried about his home and his family being destroyed by an invading Union Army .(Nash 1) General Longstreet did not necessarily fight the war because he believed in the principal of slavery, he fought the war because he felt strongly in the idea of civil rights. Not all Confederate soldiers fought for slavery. Some did but others got involved in the war due to the fact they wanted to protect their way of life and civil rights.
General Longstreet was heavily involved in military service leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg. Like many future Civil War Generals, he saw his first true taste of combat during the Mexican War. Longstreet received distinguished service during the battle of Chapultepec in which he was wounded. He served alongside his future comrade George Pickett during the battles of the Mexican War (Civil 1). Following the conclusion of the conflict, Longstreet went on to serve in the Indian Wars, and rose to the rank of major by 1858. He became a prominent figure in the Confederate Army when he commanded his brigade of troops with distinction at the first Battle of Bull Run. In October 1861, Longstreet was promoted to the rank of Major General. He saw his first major action under that rank during the Peninsula Campaign of the summer of 1862 (History 1).
Many of his well known victories came after the time that Robert E. Lee became commander of the Confederate Forces in the middle of 1862. At the second Battle of Bull Run, Longstreet’s forces successfully executed a lethal flank attack that almost crushed General John Pope’s Union Army of Virginia. During the Battle of Antietam, the single bloodiest day of the war, Longstreet and his men mounted a successful defensive stance against union forces that outnumbered them two to one (History 1).
At the Battle of Gettysburg, General Longstreet was Robert E. Lee’s right hand man and second in command. He was a lieutenant general in the battle. His most known role was being put in charge of the ill-fated Pickett’s Charge (Shaara-Preface 17). Longstreet was reluctant to lead the offensive, but due to his loyalty to Robert E. Lee he followed orders and did so. He was known for the vast amount of time that it took him to prepare his armies for battle. He delayed his attack on the second day of battle to coordinate forces. Many people believe that the actions by the general gave enough time for Union Commander George Meade to prepare for the assault (History 1).
Robert E Lee’s unwillingness to fight defensively bothered Longstreet, who scarecly concealed his displeasure with his superior officers tactics. Even with his bitter behavior and displeasure with Lee’s tactics, he still did what he was told to at the battle. Longstreet led the assault on the afternoon of July 2nd, which essentially destroyed the Union Army of The Potomac III Corps. Nevertheless, the assault failed to capture the Union Army stronghold of the Round Top Hills. After Longstreet’s failed assault, Robert E. Lee planned a colossal assault that would take place on the center of the Union line, on the next day July 3rd. James Longstreet was vehemently
against the assault; he felt that it would be doomed from the start. He would recutlanty agree to the assault, but felt saddened that he was sending his men to a certain death (Nash 1).
Longstreet’s actions at the Battle of Gettysburg haunted him for long after the end of the battle and the conclusion of the American Civil War.

Alexander wrote to Pickett, "If you are to advance at all, you must come at once or we will not be able to support you as we thought . . . "(Genereal James Longstreet 1) The quote is an exceprt from a battlereport written by Longstreet. The quote is from Confederate Reserve Artillery Commander Alexander. He wrote in his battlefield dispatch that if Pickett’s charge was going to happen it needed to happen sooner rather than later. Or him and his men would not be able to hold out long enough to support the offensive. The failure of “Pickett’s Charge” was felt heavily through the Confederate Army. So much that Confederate officers felt that the war was doomed, with the defeat at Gettysburg. Many Confederate officers wanted to surrender and end the war rather than go through another deadly conflict like the Battle of Gettysburg (Nash

1).
James Longstreet was never again the same after the Battle of Gettysburg. For the rest of his life he openly defied Robert E Lee’s tactics at the Battle of Gettysburg. This, in addition to allegations that he intentionally postponed the enactment of Lee’s orders, tarnished his reputation. However, after that he still had fighting left to give in the Civil War. (James Longstreet-1) During the subsequent fall after the Civil War, Longstreet requested to be sent to fight in the Western Theatre. His request was granted, and he was stationed in Tennesse. The troops at his command arrived just in time to defeat a large part of the Union Line at the Battle of Chickamauga. The fierce resistance from Union leader George H. Thomas saved them on the day. (James Longstreet-1)
General Bragg, who was commander of the forces at Chickamauga, was less than thrilled to have Longstreet assisting them.

His disdain grew when several of Longstreet’s staff wanted him to be removed from command. After the disagreement with Bragg, Longstreet and his forces were shipped to East Tennessee. While in Tennessee General Longstreet attempted to take Knoxville; he was unsuccessful and was defeated by Union General Ambrose Burnside (History 1). James Longstreet was injured by friendly fire in similar fashion to Stonewall Jackson. The bullet that struck General Longstreet resulted in him being paralyzed. He did not return to combat until October of the same year that he was injured. By that time his army was locked in defending the under siege city of Petersburg, Virginia. He was tasked with guarding the city of Richmond which was extremely important as it was the Confederate capital city. The Confederate defenses failed and the city was overtaken. Longstreet was with General Lee at the surrender on April 9th, 1865 at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia (Civil

1).
“Business, politics, and controversies marked the post war career of former Confederate General Longstreet,” (Nash 1). He moved to Louisiana after the dust had settled following the war. The state was abundant in opportunities in the railroad and insurance industries. James Longstreet first ran into trouble when he penned a letter supporting and agreeing to Republican terms of reconstruction. The letter he penned led to a campaign to ruin his reputation. The campaign was led by Longstreet’s former Confederate Army peer Jubal A. Early. Early came up with unbiased allegations that Longstreet failed to execute the attack on the morning of July 2nd, 1863, at the battle of Gettysburg that would have led the Confederacy’s victory during the conflict. Longstreet was never able to defend himself well in writing, and the allegations deeply bothered him. He
moved with his family to Gainesville, Florida in 1875. He lived his life out peacefully there running his farm and hotel. He died of Pneumonia at the age of 82 on January 2nd, 1904. (Nash 1)
James Longstreet will be remembered as two people throughout the course of history. He will be remembered as the Confederate leader who vainly led the upstart cause, for it was something that he believed in dearly. He will also be remembered as the man who, after his cause was defeated, went and joined the winning side. In the South, he was viewed as a traitor for leaving them behind, but in the North he was viewed as a hero for doing the right thing. In conclusion James Longstreet will always be memorized as a man who did great good and a man who committed terrible wrongs.