Character Analysis Rough Draft. The Confederacy. Robert E. Lee’s second in command and, since the death of “Stonewall” Jackson, his most important ally. General James Longstreet, at forty-two years of age, is a crude and depressed man who has gone through an abundance of hardship in his life. He is aware of the new kinds of warfare, and he knows that military tactics will have to change as new technology is produced. This is a concept that Lee seems to be blind to, as he and Longstreet seem to disagree on everything that deals with the actions of the Confederate armies. Longstreet, although very stubborn, has a great respect and admiration for Lee, and ultimately he leans to his commander’s choices, but not without a good deal of quarrling and arguing first. All three of his children were killed by a fever in the same week during the winter before the Battle of Gettysburg. This loss has sunk …show more content…
the usually jovial Longstreet into a depression that is severe at times and at times, detrimental to the Confederacy's efforts. Longstreet enters the Battle of Gettysburg with aspirations of defeating the Union, provided that Lee uses Longstreet's advice and moves their army to the southeast so that they are between the Union army and Washington, D.C.
Longstreet firmly believes that this move would make the "big-wigs" from Washington force George Meade, the commander of the Union forces, to attack the Confederate army. And if the Confederates could dig into higher and more secure ground, then they could crush the Union's forces with ease. The disagreement between Longstreet and Lee regarding this strategy, however, is what forms the main conflict between the two characters. Lee is continuously irritated by Longstreet’s stubbornness, and Longstreet is saddened by Lee’s opposition to his defensive tactics. It seems as though Lee is not quite listening to Longstreet, partly due to a lack of trust. This absence of trust may be from the recent death of General "Stonewall" Jackson, who was a very close friend of Lee. It seems as though Lee and Longstreet do not have the same chemistry as Jackson and Lee
did. Michael Shaara portrays Longstreet as a man ahead of his time and technology, as someone who sees what the future of warfare is and someone who knows how battles are won through the proper use of advanced military technology. He envisions the idea that offensive warfare will become increasingly difficult in the future and that defense should be the state of mind used in war. But Longstreet's vision does not necessarily correspond to the past. Longstreet became a supporter of defensive tactics after seeing how efficiently they were used for the Confederate forces at the Battle of Fredericksburg—his belief in their efficacy was not formulated from some prophet-like understanding of what the future of war is. Longstreet had some advanced ideas, but due to Lee's state of mind, few of them were ever put into use. The select tactics that were used, were often unsuccessful. Although severely bias, Lee’s constant refusal to follow his general’s advice was not completely unwarranted. Prior to the battle of Gettysburg, Lee had an impressive list of strategic victories and was known as a tactful military General. In this sequence in the novel, Longstreet’s suggestion theoretically could have worked well, but Longstreet had a past of making decisions in the past that were unproductive and Lee could not take the chance. Also, Lee’s strategies at Gettysburg were continually thwarted, sometimes by his own men. If Lee had General Jackson with him at Gettysburg, the man who understood Lee better than anyone else and was also an adept military tactician, Lee’s strategies would most likely have been successful. In The Killer Angels, Sharra depicts Longstreet as someone who was not even a little responsible for the way the battle of Gettysburg ended in terms for the Confederacy. But when compared to writings of history, Michael Shaara’s portrayal of Longstreet is much too sensitive and understanding of Longstreet's actions. He takes little blame for the loss, which he was a very big part in. The delays that Longstreet called on the second and third days caused immense problems for the Confederate army’s attack and strategy moving forward. His depression and overall conflicting attitude toward his piers and Lee greatly altered the general's performance during the battle in a big way. Though he does not hail from Virginia, General James Longstreet is held in high regard by Lee. A moody man with strong opinions and deep emotions. He is pained for his wife, who also suffers much grief and to whom he has been unable to offer any emotional support. He keeps a tight emotional hold on himself, avoiding any thoughts about his family except in "alone" moments. He struggles to keep his drinking in line. Longstreet is consumed with anger and frustration over this battle. He is certain it is a mistake and disagrees totally with Lee's offensive approach. Longstreet, instead, favors finding a strong defensive position and making the enemy come to him. He is not a coward, but bases his opinions on years of army experience, some of it out West dealing with the Indians. He is a total soldier, professional, and devoted to no cause except victory. His flaws may be inflexibility toward other approaches and a lack of vision for a gamble. Longstreet has strongly conflicting feelings for Lee. Longstreet respects Lee, is friends with him, and even needs him as a father figure. At the same time, he strongly disagrees with Lee's strategy, resents Lee's decisions, and feels much rage toward Lee as his men die in battle. Yet as angry as Longstreet is with Lee, he cannot pull away from him. Longstreet still worries about Lee's health, is always respectful in his comments, and dutifully helps Lee retreat from the battle after the loss. Longstreet is a man of deep emotions. Although he shows little feeling on the surface, Longstreet is plagued by the death of his children and really devotes his whole life into the Confedearcy. He loves his men and strives hard not to waste their lives. They are family to him. Now that his kids are gone, the army is his home and the soldiers have become the only family he has left. He protects and admires General Pickett, mainly because Pickett was there for Longstreet when his children past. Even though he can be fruity at times. Longstreet enjoys Armistead, but is annoyed by his friendship with the Union general, Hancock. Both Armistead and Longstreet deeply dislike Early. Longstreet despises Stuart mainly because of his joy riding the first two days of battle.
Before going to Alaska, Chris McCandless had failed to communicate with his family while on his journey; I believe this was Chris’s biggest mistake. Chris spent time with people in different parts of the nation while hitchhiking, most of them whom figured out that McCandless kept a part of him “hidden”. In chapter three, it was stated that Chris stayed with a man named Wayne Westerberg in South Dakota. Although Westerberg was not seen too often throughout the story, nevertheless he was an important character. Introducing himself as Alex, McCandless was in Westerberg’s company for quite some time: sometimes for a few days, other times for several weeks. Westerberg first realized the truth about Chris when he discovered his tax papers, which stated that “McCandless’s real name was Chris, not Alex.” Wayne further on claims that it was obvious that “something wasn’t right between him and his family” (Krakauer 18). Further in the book, Westerberg concluded with the fact that Chris had not spoken to his family “for all that time, treating them like dirt” (Krakauer 64). Westerberg concluded with the fact that during the time he spent with Chris, McCandless neither mentioned his
Nevertheless, an attitude they show is their cause for engaging in the war. On page 110, Lee describes, “With every step of a soldier, with every tick of the clock, the army was gaining safety, closer to victory, closer to the dream of independence.” His words reveal that their reason for coming was to gain their long overdue independence. Without a cause worth fighting for on each side, the war would have no fuel or reason to continue. In like manner, another attitude of the South was their admiration for their commander general. On page 251, Longstreet proclaims, “Colonel, let me explain something. The secret of General Lee is that men love him and follow him with faith in him. That’s one secret.” I believe this clarifies that the bond of brotherhood and respect for each other in this army would allow for these soldiers to follow their leader blindly. The overwhelming amount of faith and trust among the Army of the Northern Virginia is inspiring. The Confederates prove in these appearances that they do indeed have an important cause that they are willing to die
In the Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett, Homer and Mother Maria both display straightforward, hardworking, and stubborn character traits. Firstly, Homer and Mother Maria both display a straightforward personality by being brutally honest about their opinions. For example, when Mother Maria asks Homer to build a chapel, Homer speaks his mind by telling her he does not want to build it. Mother Maria shows her straightforward behavior during Homer’s stay at the convent. One morning, when Homer sleeps in late, Mother to becomes extremely upset and is not afraid to show how she feels about him. Secondly, both Homer and Mother Maria display a hardworking spirit. Homer is a hardworking man because after finally agreeing to build the chapel,
Lee, where they ride off planning the retreat. Longstreet believes the war can not be won
Both Armies repositioned their artillery to the most advantageous position but it appeared that the Army of Northern Virginia had surrounded the Army of the Potomac but in a less defensible position. When two Armies meet on a battlefield the overall objective is to eliminate the opposition, so one of them would have to make a move. Lee ordered Generals Longstreet and Ewell to attack but due to a lack of decisive action on Longstreet’s part, the day would end in the bloodiest offensive of the battle and Longstreet would suffer great losses by Cemetery Hill .
“Their differing perceptions of the nature of war form the backbone of the difficult relationship between these two men.” Lee, an older soldier, values much of an offensive warfare approach, while Longstreet values a defensive warfare approach. Both men consistently argue about the best option for the Confederacy. However, “no matter how much he might disagree, Longstreet defers to Lee’s decisions.” In an argument as to who was right, none of the developed tactics provide clear evidence as to what was going to work, especially with a military of lesser men, considering the war in 1863. Although General Lee’s tactics did not work during the Battle of Gettysburg, there is no evidence that General Longstreet’s defensive strategy would have worked significantly better. Therefore, neither of the generals exceeded the other when it comes to military strategies, which rather debunks Shaara’s depiction of Longstreet’s advanced knowledge of modern warfare. Despite of the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg, often marked as the turning point of the war, General Longstreet should not obey an order that results in a significant loss of men that would be extremely difficult to replace at this time. Already limited by the amount of men still able to fight, pushing additional forces in an open battle would just nearly deplete the confederate soldiers completely, and
Lee had supreme confidence in his army, and believed that it could accomplish whatever he asked of it. This confidence sometimes led him to ask too much, such as in the case of Picket’s charge during the battle of Gettysburg. In Lee’s mind he was first and foremost a Christian, and a gentleman. These facts, although not bad, certainly caused Lee to be less aggressive, and to fight the war in a very old-fashioned manner. This was not so with Grant, who seemed to believe in a more modern type of total warfare. Perhaps because this war, as many contend, was the first modern war, it was impossible for the South, and it’s leaders to adapt to the situation.
...as the turning point of the American Civil War. The battle proved to show the most casualties of any battle throughout the war and resulted in a crushing and demoralizing defeat of the Confederates. Coming off of his “perfect battle”, Lee’s overconfidence proved to be a downfall as his expectation for his men greatly exceeded the reality of his army. Added to this, his disorganization and lack of coordination led to numerous disjointed attacks that failed and in turn exhausted his men. Finally, Lee ultimately knew less about his opponent throughout the entire battle, which was a huge switch from previous meetings between the two sides. He was forced to fight arguably the most important battle of the Civil War with insufficient intelligence of the enemy, its positions and its intentions. All of these factors are what caused the Confederates to fail at Gettysburg.
One of the best commanders in the Confederate army was Lee still; the Union stood at a better standpoint during the battle. “Perhaps the most significant lesson from July 3, 1863, concerns the method of decision-making. Though he may not have seen it as such, Lee’s decision to attack was at best a close call.” (Gompert 2006, pg.7). The battle of Gettysburg did not happen intentionally, planned however Lee did an astounding job and his best to defeat the Union army. Ultimately Robert E. Lee was responsible for the South’s loss
Therefore, neither of the generals exceeded the other when it comes to military strategies, which rather debunks Shaara’s depiction of Longstreet’s advanced knowledge of modern warfare. Despite of the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg, often marked as the turning point of the war, General Longstreet should not obey an order that results in a significant loss of men that would be extremely difficult to replace at this time. Already limited by the amount of men still able to fight, pushing additional forces in an open battle would just nearly deplete the confederate soldiers completely. Since this battle was one that went on until a majority of ones sided were depleted, the south should have played it safe against the Unions nearly surplus supply of
Lee is very quick; he organized scattered confederate troops into the famed Army of Northern Virginia in just three weeks. Lee’s wisdom urged him to keep the Union as far away as possible from the armament producing center of Richmond and far away from the northern part of the state where farmers were harvesting crops. Lee knows that defeats of such decisive sports will weaken our will to continue the war, and he prevented this at all costs.
...tt of the Confederates led a charge straight at the Union’s middle in the famous “Pickett’s Charge” across an open field. The attack failed and the Confederates pulled back to the other side to await a counter-attack but it never came. On July 4, 1863 Lee retreated back to Virginia. Over the course of three days the Union lost 23,000 men and the Confederates lost 28,000 men.
“Their differing perceptions of the nature of war form the backbone of the difficult relationship between these two men.” Lee, an older soldier, values more of a strategic and offensive approach, while Longstreet values a defensive warfare approach. Both men consistently argue about which the best option for the confederacy, however, “no matter how much he might disagree, Longstreet defers to Lee’s decisions.” In an argument as of who was right, none of the developed tactics provide any clear evidence as to what was going to work, especially with a military of lesser men, considering the war in 1863. Although General Lee’s tactics did not work during the Battle of Gettysburg, there is no evidence that General Longstreet’s defensive strategy would have worked any better, therefore none can be seen as being right, which kind of debunks Shaara’s depiction of Longstreet’s advanced knowledge of modern warfare. Despite of the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg, often marked as the turning point of the war, General Longstreet should not obey an order that results in a significant loss of men that would be extremely hard to replace at this time. Already limited with the amount of men still able to fight, pushing more forces in an open battle would just nearly deplete the confederate soldiers completely, and because this battle was one that was fought until
When reforming immediately with the main force after their successful flank Jackson was stuck three times by friendly fire and was given medical attention resulting in the amputation of his left arm. When Lee heard this he said,(1)”Jackson has lost his left arm; I have lost my left arm.” Unfortunately he died from phenomena ten days later on May, 10th 1863. Since he was such an asset to the Confederacy this basically crippled their moral. This should be an example as how war can make or break whom it pleases.
Lee took the command of the whole confederate. Not only did Lee took command, but reporters started covering the battle, and started to allegate about the union that General Grant lacked of skill and promptly made Ulysses look bad. Over time after the war, it took Ulysses Grant to get the reputation of his people back on his feet, but many people still didn’t look at Grant as a symbol due to the many deaths that occurred on the war of Shiloh. Despite his reputation, after the battle, Grant devoted to train his untrained volunteered armada since they lacked skill, which was a cause on why many of the union died. In any case, after Shiloh, Grant realized that to restore the union to become stronger was with total conquest. Historian Edward L. Ayers alludes how the battle of Shiloh and Grants bouts changed the understanding of the American Civil War. He also explains how thousands of men with little training and no experience in war were thrown against one another in days of inexpressible suffering and waste for battle. And that Grant’s push of the confederates towards the Methodist church of Shiloh was just thanks to Buell’s assistance, because if he wasn’t there with the union, the Union would have lost the battle and even General Albert Sidney Johnston would still be alive for the next battle. The historian describes Grant as “[incompetent], and worse [of all