Civil war longstreet biography definition

A veteran of the Mexican War (1846-48) and a Republican politician, James Longstreet was one of the most prominent and controversial figures of the Civil War (1861-65).

Early Life

Born on January 8, 1821, in the Edgefield district of South Carolina, not far from Augusta, Longstreet always considered himself a Georgian. His parents, Mary Anna Dent and James L. Longstreet, owned a cotton plantation in northeast Georgia, where as a boy he thrived in the rough frontierlike conditions. At the age of nine, Longstreet moved to Richmond County to live with his uncle Augustus Baldwin Longstreet and to attend the prestigious Richmond County Academy. The death of Longstreet’s father in 1833 and his mother’s subsequent move to north Alabama intensified Augustus Longstreet’s influence over the young man.

When the time came to choose a career, Longstreet gained an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, with the help of his uncle and other influential politicians, including John C. Calhoun. Strong, independent, and gruff in speech and manners, Longstreet dreamed of a soldier’s life. After graduation from the academy in 1842, he served in the Mexican War and on the frontier. But secession and the Confederacy ultimately defined Longstreet’s military career, as he rose to the rank of general and second-in-command of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. He later became the scapegoat for that army’s most costly defeat.

Confederate “War Horse”

The Civil War defined Longstreet’s life. Although he played but a minor role in the First Battle of Manassas, fought in Virginia in July 1861, he won the admiration of his superiors. Under Joseph E. Johnston, Longstreet turned in one of his worst performances at the Battle of Seven Pines in Virginia on May 31, 1862. Johnston’s wounding during that battle required Longstreet to prove himself anew to Johnston’s succe

James Longstreet: Early Life

The son of a successful farmer, James Longstreet was born on January 8, 1821, in Edgefield District, South Carolina. He was raised primarily in Augusta, Georgia, and Somerville, Alabama, and while in school lived for some time with his famous uncle, the humorist Augustus Baldwin Longstreet. Longstreet attended the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1838 to 1842 and was part of a class that included the future Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and George Pickett. While he was known as an affable cadet, Longstreet was not a particularly good student, and finished 54th in his class of 56.

James Longstreet: U.S. Military Career

Following his graduation from West Point Longstreet was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Infantry. He spent his first two years of service stationed in Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, where he met Maria Louisa “Louise” Garland, the daughter of a wealthy lieutenant colonel. The two would marry in 1848 and go on to have 10 children, only five of whom survived past childhood.

Longstreet first saw combat during the Mexican-American War (1846-48), where he participated in several significant battles including Palo Alto, Monterrey and Vera Cruz, and was repeatedly cited for bravery. He returned from the war after receiving a serious leg wound and spent the next several years in uneventful peacetime service. He would later serve as a commissary officer, scout and commander of a fort on the Texas frontier, often working closely with his new father-in-law.

James Longstreet: Early Civil War Servi

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Confederate Army general (1821–1904)

James Longstreet (January 8, 1821 – January 2, 1904) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War and was the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse". He served under Lee as a corps commander for most of the battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the Eastern Theater, and briefly with Braxton Bragg in the Army of Tennessee in the Western Theater.

After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Longstreet served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War. He was wounded at the Battle of Chapultepec, and during recovery married his first wife, Louise Garland. Throughout the 1850s, he served on frontier duty in the American Southwest. In June 1861, Longstreet resigned his U.S. Army commission and joined the Confederate Army. He commanded Confederate troops during an early victory at Blackburn's Ford in July and played a minor role at the First Battle of Bull Run.

Longstreet made significant contributions to most major Confederate victories, primarily in the Eastern Theater as one of Robert E. Lee's c