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Lieutenant General James Longstreet was born
in Edgefield district, South Carolina, January 8, 1821, the son
of James Longstreet, a native of New Jersey. His maternal grandfather,
Marshall Dent, was a first cousin of Chief Justice John Marshall.'
His grandfather, William Longstreet, was the first to apply steam
as a motive power, in 1787, to a small boat on the Savannah river
at Augusta. General Longstreet was reared to the age of twelve
years at Augusta, Ga., whence after the death of his father he
accompanied his mother to North Alabama.
From that State he was appointed to the United States
military academy in 1838. He was graduated in 1842, and with
the brevet of second-lieutenant went on duty at Jefferson Barracks,
Mo., with the Fourth infantry. The command was joined next year
by Lieutenant U.S. Grant, whom Longstreet introduced to his cousin,
Miss Julia Dent, subsequently the wife of the Federal general.
In 1844 Longstreet joined the army in Louisiana under General
Taylor, and in 1845, promoted lieutenant of the Eighth regiment,
was at St. Augustine, Fla., until he was ordered to Taylor's
army in Texas.
He participated in the battles of Palo Alto, Resaca
de la Palma, Monterey, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, San Antonio, Churubusco,
and Molino del Rey, winning the brevets of captain and major.
At Chapultepec he was severely wounded. He was promoted captain
in 1852, and in 1858 major and paymaster, and stationed at Albuquerque,
N.M. Resigning this office he reported at Richmond June 29, 1861,
and asked an appointment in the pay department, having resigned
"aspirations for military glory." But he received a
commission as brigadier-general July 1st, and was ordered to
report to Beauregard at Manassas, where, in command of the First,
Eleventh and Seventeenth Virginia regiments, he repulsed the
Federal attack at Blackburn's Ford, July 18th, and during the
battle of July 21st threatened the Federal rear.
On October 17th he was promoted to major-general,
and with this rank he commanded a division of the army under
Joseph E. Johnston, and at the battle of Williamsburg was in
immediate command of the field, manifesting here those sturdy
qualities which gave him to such a great degree the confidence
of his men, and won their admiration. He commanded the right
wing of the army before Richmond during the two days' battle
of Seven Pines, and was in command of his own and A. P. Hill's
division, under Robert E. Lee, in the
successful battles of Gaines' Mill and Frayser's Farm, and was
preparing to make a flank movement against the Federals at Malvern
Hill when the series of battles ended by the safe retreat of
McClellan to the James. After following
the retreating enemy to Harrison's Landing, he there entered
upon his command of the First corps of the army of Northern Virginia,
Stonewall Jackson leading the Second.
Jackson marched at once to confront Pope in Northern
Virginia, and Longstreet soon followed. While Jackson flanked
the enemy from their strong position on the Rappahannock he engaged
them at various points on the river, and finally forcing the
passage of Thoroughfare Gap, participated in the crushing defeat
of Pope's army.
In the Maryland campaign he moved his division from
Frederick to Hagerstown, with part of his command holding the
South Mountain passes, while Jackson captured Harper's Ferry,
and at Sharpsburg he won additional renown for stubborn and heroic
fighting.
October 9, 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant-general.
At Fredericksburg the fighting of the left wing, including the
heroic defense of Marye's Hill, was under his supervision. In
the spring of 1863 he operated with part of his corps at Suffolk,
Va., but rejoined Lee at Fredericksburg after the battle of Chancellorsville
and the mortal wounding of Jackson. It was decided at this crisis
to make a diversion by a campaign in Pennsylvania, and in accordance
with the general plan Longstreet moved his command to Chambersburg,
Pa., and thence to Gettysburg, reaching
the field in person on the afternoon of the first day of the
battle.
General Lee, having been successful thus far, decided
to continue the fight on the Federal front. Longstreet's troops,
having arrived, participated in the second day's battle, and
on the third day, under orders from Lee, Pickett's division,
reinforced by Pettigrew and Trimble, made the memorable charge
against the Federal position on Cemetery Hill.
After the Confederate army had retired to Virginia,
Longstreet, with Hood and McLaws' divisions, was sent to reinforce
Bragg in north Georgia, and as commander of the left wing at
Chickamauga he crushed the Federal right, becoming, as D. H.
Hill wrote, "The organizer of victory on the Confederate
side, as Thomas was the savior of the army on the other side."
After Rosecrans was shut up in Chattanooga, Longstreet
was detached for the capture of Knoxville. Marching to that point
in November, on heavy roads, he had begun assaults upon the works
when apprised of the defeat of Bragg at Chattanooga. Rejoining
the army of Northern Virginia before the fighting began in the
Wilderness, on May 6 he reached the field opportunely and led
his men in a successful assault which promised the defeat of
Grant's army, when in the confusion a Confederate volley seriously
wounded him and killed his favorite brigade commander, the gallant
General Jenkins.
During the greater part of the siege at Richmond and
Petersburg he commanded on the north side of the James, and on
the movement to Appomattox he commanded the advance and the main
portion of the army. After hostilities closed he was told by
President Johnson that he was one of three, the others being
Mr. Davis and General Lee, who could
never receive amnesty. It was subsequently bestowed, however,
and he engaged in business at New Orleans.
During Grant's presidency
he was appointed surveyor of the port of that city, and afterward
supervisor of internal revenue and postmaster. In 1880 he was
appointed United States minister to Turkey, and under President
Garfield he was United States marshal for the district of Georgia,
in which State he has made his residence of recent years, at
the town of Gainesville. In October, 1897, he was appointed United
States railroad commissioner to succeed General Wade Hampton
resigned.
Criticized by many former Confederates, he struck
back with his book, From Manassas to Appomattox. He outlived
most of his high-ranking postwar detractors. He died at Gainsville,
Georgia, on January 2, 1904, the last of the high command of
the Confederacy. He is buried in Gainsville. |
Lieutenant
General James Longstreet