Lee's Old Warhorse: In Memory of Gen. James Longstreet

Welcome, compatriots and friends, to 2017! It my sincere hope that you had the merriest Christmas and the happiest of New Year celebrations! Here at the close of the first week of January, I also hope you have your calendars marked and have made plans to be with us at the Annual Lee-Jackson Day Dinner on January 21st in Milford, MI (additional details should have reached you by email; please, check your inbox for those details).

Earlier this week, on January 2nd, was the 113th anniversary of the passing of Gen. James Longstreet (January 8, 1821 - January 2, 1904), and tomorrow will be the 196th anniversary of his birth. "Pete," as he was affectionately called by his close family & friends, was born in the historic Edgefield District of South Carolina, and, with the encouragement of his father, grew up dreaming of a military career.

In 1838, Pete's dreams came true as he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point. While a cadet he was very popular among his classmates (among them being George Pickett & Ulysses S. Grant) but academically he was not considered impressive, ranking 54th out of 56 cadets when he graduated.

Following his graduation, Longstreet was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Infantry, and spent his first two years of service at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. It was there, while serving under regimental commander Lt.Col. John Garland, that he would meet his future wife, Maria Louisa Garland, the daughter of Col. Garland. (Longstreet and Ms. Garland would wed several years later in 1848, shortly after the Mexican-American War.)

In the Mexican-American War (1846-48), Longstreet served with distinction in the 8th U.S. Infantry. Early on in the conflict, he served as a lieutenant under Zachary Taylor's command at the Battle of Monterey, and later received brevet promotions to captain (after the battles at Contreras and Churubusco) and then to major (for his performance in the battle at Molino del Rey). On September 12, 1847, at the Battle of Chapultepec, the young officer was charging up the hill with his regimental colors when he was wounded in the thigh. As he fell, he passed along the flag to his old friend & classmate, George Pickett, who carried the colors up the hill. This was to be Longstreet's final act of gallantry during the Mexican conflict.

After recovering from his wounds & marrying Col. Garland's daughter, Longstreet then took his new bride with him out west, where he would raise his family while serving on frontier duty in Texas, performing scouting missions. He also served as major and paymaster for the 8th U.S. Infantry from July 1858.

When the talks of Southern secession seriously broke out in 1860, Longstreet was not wholly in favor of the option, though he firmly believed in the right of states to do so. Once Southern secession became a reality, he resigned his commission in the U.S. Army and devoted himself to the Confederate Cause. For a look at his Southern war record, I will turn to what was written in Longstreet's obituary, as found in the February 1904 edition of the 'Confederate Veteran' magazine:

"(H)e was immediately appointed brigadier general, and won distinction in the first battle of Bull Run, where he prevented a large force of Federal troops from supporting McDowell's flank attack. On May 5, 1862, he made a brave stand at Williamsburg, where he was attacked by Heintzelman, Hooker, and Karney, and held his ground sturdily until Hancock arrived to reenforce his opponents, when he was driven back.

"At the second battle of Manassas he commanded the first corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, which came promptly to the relief of Jackson when he was hard pressed by Pope's army, and by a determined flank charge decided the fortunes of the day. When Lee retreated to Virginia, after the battle of Gettysburg, Gen. Longstreet, with five brigades, was transferred to Tennessee under Bragg, and at Chickamauga held the left wing of the Confederate forces. He rejoined Lee early in 1864, and was so prominent in the battle of the Wilderness that he was wounded by the fire of his own troops. He was in the surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865."

At the Appomattox surrender, as throughout the war, it must have difficult for James Longstreet to be on opposing sides against former West Point classmates such as U.S. Grant. General Lee sought Longstreet's counsel regarding the surrender, and Pete told his superior officer that he thought Grant would be fair in the terms, but as Lee rode out to meet his foe at the McLean House, Longstreet reportedly told him, "General, if he does not give us good terms, come back and let us fight it out."

While some over the years, including some of his prominent peers in the Confederate Army, have criticized Longstreet for his war conduct, many still have honored him for the brave & faithful service he rendered in the struggle for Southern independence. His eulogist in the 'Confederate Veteran' did not hesitate to say that "(t)hroughout the army he was ... considered the hardest fighter in the Confederate service. He had the unbounded confidence of his troops who were ordered to him, and the whole army became imbued with new vigor in the presence of the foe when it became known down the line that "Old Pete" was up."

Most of the harshest criticism of James Longstreet, however, regards his actions and choices after the close of the War Between the States, but the author of his printed eulogy in 'the Veteran' did not use his death as the time to heap scorn upon his memory. Instead, he quoted Gen. Clement Evans (former Confederate general, then commanding officer of the Tennessee Department, United Confederate Veterans) as saying:

"[Longstreet] was one of those who believed that, the South being defeated, there was no need of keeping alive in form even the differences between the sections. Grant was his friend, and I do not believe that when Longstreet was appointed to office in New Orleans the thought of seducing him ever entered the mind of the President, nor did Longstreet regard the appointment [as surveyor of customs in New Orleans] as an attempt to win him over to Republicanism. But as time went on he committed himself beyond recall and there could be no denying the fact that he affiliated with the Republican party, which party he remained in till his death... Now that the old fighter is dead, it is better to forget his mistakes, if he made any, and to remember only the great things of his life, which, indeed, were many, and to honor him for their sake."

James Longstreet died six days before his 83rd birthday in 1904 at the residence of his daughter in Gainesville, GA. His first wife, Louise, and several children preceded him in death. He was survived by his 2nd wife, Helen Dortch, plus 4 sons and a daughter. He was buried next to his first wife at Gainesville's Alta Vista Cemetery.

Per the above advice of General Evans, we remember the great things of Gen. James Longstreet's life and honor him for their sake. Rest well, General.

- Jonathan M. McCleese
2nd Lt. Commander
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans