James+Longstreet

James Longstreet A Confederate General

The start of James Longstreet's life media type="custom" key="5635901"

James Longstreet was born on January 8th, 1821 on a farm in South Carolina. James and his parents James and Mary Anna moved to vicinity of Augusta, Ga were they farmed until his fathers death in 1833. The widow then put James into foster care the state then put him into West Point in 1838. On July 1842 he graduated fifty-fourth in his class out of sixty-two members which include McDowell, Sherman, Halleck, Thomas, and Grant.

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The start of his career

James served as the second lieutenant of the 4th infantry, he then served at the Jefferson Barracks, Mo, Natchitoches, La, and with the 8th infantry at St. Augustine, Fla. In the Mexican war he served with Zachary Taylor then after the battle he went with Scott during the expedition of Mexico. On June 1, 1861 he had joined the Confederacy he said he had abandoned his dreams for military glory. With his years in the military and rank the Confederate army named James Longstreet as a brigadir-general. Then James was awarded major-general for his outstanding job at bull run.

WAR

During the seven day battles around Richmond Gen. Robert E. Lee assumed a good direction of the military James moved fast and did his share of the fighting, and he won Lee's confidence. After the seven days Lee put more then half of his men in under James Longstreet control, he was sent to renforce Stonewall Jackson near Orange Court House Longstreet confronted the Union army and there Major-General John Pope. Longstreet was slow at crossing the Rapidan river but showed much skill when he crossed the Rappahannock river on Aug. 29th Longstreet was in position to the right of stonewall. Longstreet being very cautions and deliberate did not attack but waited untill the 30th and pushed the union back. Longstreet did not fight well on September 1862 in Maryland but fought so much better at Sharpsburg, Antietam and was givin the honor of Lieutenant-General on Oct. 11, 1862. On Feb. 17, 1863 Longstreet followed Picket's and Hood's division to the southeast of Virginia to guard roads in richmond. But all though his men were equal to the union army he lost and he forced his men to look for suplies in North Carolina. Lee told Longstreet to fight or to regroup with the army in Northen Virginia but longstreet did neither and it ended in the loseing of the battle in Charlottesville. after stonewalls dealth Longstreet was Lee's most distinguished Lieutenant and took it upon himself to become Lee's mentor. On July 1, 1863, Longstreet joined up with lee's army at Gettysburg but he soon found out that lee was planing to attack Meade. Longstreet was very disapointed and beleved they would lose Longstreet did not take lee's orders and attack on July 2ed this resalted in almost a lose so it was a military necesity to attack on the 3rd. Then Longstreet was moved to Georgia on September 1863 and fought very well at Chickamauga, but lost at the battle in Knoxville Tenn. this battle almost makes Longstreet resgin. But with the danger of the union attack on Georgia Longstreet purposed plans to attack but they were not passed buy President Davis. Longstreet was then brought back to Virginia near Gordonsville he got there on May 6th in time for the second day's battle he created a excellent counter strike while he was wounded. He returned to duty in November and fought in the defense of Richmond then on Apr. 9th his regiment surrendered.

 After Life After Longstreet's career as a general he became head of an insurance company and a cotton factor in New Orleans then joined the republican party and his job was taken away and then went to politics for a career from 1869 till death at Gainesville Ga. January 2, 1904.

 Random Facts


 * he served as a surveyor, postmaster, minister, resident of Turkey, United States Marshal, and a United states Railroad conductor.
 * He was twice Married first to Maria Garland she died and then too Helen Dortch.
 * Longstreet was a middle sized man, broad sholdered and some what heavy and was slighty deaf.

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