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Gen. James Longstreet: "Brave soldier, gallant gentleman, consistent Christian"
Gloria Romanorum ^ | August 24, 2017 | Florentius

Posted on 07/04/2019 7:04:21 AM PDT by Antoninus

One of the advantages of the present media-driven furor to remove or demolish monuments to the Confederacy is that it is forcing numerous Americans, myself included, to dig deep into the history of the Civil War. And what a strange, convoluted period of history it is! The primary sources are plentiful, rich and deep which makes for endlessly fascinating reading. If the aim of the iconoclasts was to push this period of history even further from the national consciousness, or gloss over it with cherry-picked anecdotes allowing for knee-jerk verdicts, they have failed miserably.

For my own part, I have started looking into the lives and characters of the generals of the Confederacy—and a more intriguing group of characters is seldom to be found. Having done some research into the Cherokee Confederate general, Stand Watie, I next moved on to another atypical rebel officer, General James Longstreet. As I was doing so, CNN published an article asking the question: “Where are the monuments to Confederate Gen. James Longstreet?” It's an interesting question. In truth, there are two that I was able to find. One at Gettysburg, and another in Gainesville, Georgia. Given his bio, however, the man deserves more recognition.

Most people’s familiarity with Longstreet stems from his role as Lee’s second-in-command at Gettysburg, and thus his prominent place in popular historical entertainment such as the movie Gettysburg and Michael Shaara’s novel, The Killer Angels upon which the movie was based. Longstreet’s virtues and flaws as a military leader have long been the subject of spirited debate. But his career on the battlefield is not primarily what interests me here. Longstreet’s life after the war is, if possible, even more interesting than his deeds as Lee’s lieutenant.

During Reconstruction, Longstreet became a pariah to his southern compatriots. In the election of 1868, Longstreet endorsed his old friend from West Point, Ulysses S. Grant, and became a Republican. After winning the election, Grant appointed Longstreet to a customs position in New Orleans, and he was subsequently made a general in charge of the Louisiana state militia. As a result, he was ostracized by many in the South, who considered him a scalawag and a collaborator with carpet-bagging Union profiteers.

It was in his role as head of the Louisiana militia that Longstreet participated in an action that caused his name to be blackened even further within former-Confederate circles. Following a contested election in 1874, a Democrat mob known as the White League attempted to remove the Republican administration from New Orleans by force. Descending on the city in numbers greater than 5,000, they were confronted by a smaller number of largely Black police and militia headed by General Longstreet. As the two sides lined up for battle, Longstreet rode out to meet the rioters in an attempt to quell the matter before the sides came to blows. One White League leader later claimed that it was only with the greatest difficulty that he restrained his men from shooting Longstreet dead on the spot. Instead, they pulled him from his horse and took him prisoner. In the resulting fight, known to history as the Battle of Liberty Place, the White League caused Longstreet’s men to retreat, with about 100 dead and injured on both sides.

Federal troops were later called in to suppress the White League, free Longstreet and restore order. But Longstreet’s days as a military officer were now over, and his role in the affair attracted even more vituperation from those still attached to the Lost Cause. This rancor from his countrymen wounded him. In 1877, he had a religious awakening, as recorded in the book, Lee and Longstreet at High Tide (1904), by his wife, Helen Dortch Longstreet:

“General Longstreet was a most devout churchman. In early life he was an Episcopalian, and he regularly attended that church in New Orleans until the political differences developed between himself and his friends. After that he noticed that even his church associates avoided him. They would not sit in the same pew with him. Cut to the quick by such treatment, he began to wonder if there was any church broad enough to withstand the differences caused by political and sectional feeling. He discovered that the Roman Catholic priests extended him the treatment he longed for. He began to attend that church, and has said that its atmosphere from the first appealed to him as the church of the sorrow-laden of earth. He was converted under the ministration of Father Ryan. After accepting the faith of the Catholic Church he followed it with beautiful devotion. He regarded it as the compensation sent him by the Almighty for doing his duty as he saw it. He clung to it as the best consolation there was in life. He went to his duties as devoutly as any priest of the church, and was on his knees night and morning, with the simple, loving faith of a little child.” [Lee and Longstreet at High Tide, page 118]

Longstreet passed away of cancer in 1904 at the age of 82. He was buried in Gainesville, Georgia where the impressive statue shown above may be found today. By the time of his death, any animosity his Confederate comrades had felt for him was gone. Newspaper reports of the funeral service mentioned vast throngs of mourners arriving to pay their last respects. Lavish tributes to Longstreet poured in from all corners of the country. Following the funeral Mass, an oration was given by Bishop Joseph Keily of Savannah, Georgia who had fought under Longstreet during the Civil War. In that eulogy, Bishop Keily gave the man a fitting tribute, saying:

“Having passed the span which Providence ordinarily allots as the term of human life, General James Longstreet has answered the roll-call of the great God. What a brilliant page in history is filled with his grand career….When the Southern States withdrew from the Union by reason of attacks on their reserved rights which were guaranteed by the Constitution, and were forced into the war between the States, James Longstreet offered his services and sword to the cause of self-government. No history of the war may be written which does not bear emblazoned on every page the story of his deeds…

“It is my duty as a priest of God to call your attention to the obvious lesson of this occasion—the vanity of mere earthly greatness and the certainty of death and the necessity of preparation for it. James Longstreet was a brave soldier, a gallant gentleman, but better still—a consistent Christian. After the war between the States, he became a member of the Catholic Church, and to his dying day remained faithful to her teaching and loyal to her creed…” [Lee and Longstreet at High Tide, page 219]

This seemed to sum up Longstreet in a nutshell. He was a man disappointed by political creeds offered to ephemeral temporal powers, who found fulfillment in loyalty to an eternal creed professed to an everlasting power.

By way of a postscript, I will mention the two extraordinary women in General Longstreet’s life. His first wife, Maria Louisa Garland Longstreet, passed away in 1890 after 40 years of marriage and 10 children. Surprisingly, he married again in 1897 at the age of 76 to Helen Dortch Longstreet. It was Helen who recorded many anecdotes about the general in the abovementioned book, Lee and Longstreet at High Tide. Interestingly, Helen lived to be nearly 100 years old, surviving until 1962 – a full century after her husband’s famous exploits during the Civil War.

These are truly amazing people worthy of remembrance.


TOPICS: History; Religion
KEYWORDS: antietam; antifa; catholicism; civilwar; gettysburg; jameslongstreet; louisiana; myoldwarhorse; neworleans; oldpete; oldwarhorse; pickettscharge; reconstruction; sharpsburg; southcarolina; thecivilwar; whiteleague
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156 years ago yesterday, General Longstreet ordered the ill-fated charge of Pickett's men into the Union center at Gettysburg. He should be remembered by us for more than just a single horrible afternoon.
1 posted on 07/04/2019 7:04:21 AM PDT by Antoninus
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To: Antoninus

Longstreet didn’t want to order that charge. He appealed to Lee to reconsider. Lee should have listened.


2 posted on 07/04/2019 7:10:10 AM PDT by Timmy
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To: Antoninus

Nice essay! Thanks for posting this.


3 posted on 07/04/2019 7:11:24 AM PDT by rockrr ( Everything is different now...)
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To: Antoninus

Story goes that Lincoln was angry with his generals for not capturing General Robert E. Lee. One of them (alledgingly) remarked: “Capture him? We have to climb a big (A. P.) Hill, march down a (James Longstreet) and go over a Stonewall (Jackson) just to get to see Lee!”.

Don’t know if it’s true, but the sentiment is correct.

Doe vindice


4 posted on 07/04/2019 7:13:24 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
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To: Antoninus

BTW, Longstreet wrote an epic book (From Manassas to Appomattox) after the war. It’s a great read about the movements and strategies of the Army of Northern Virginia.


5 posted on 07/04/2019 7:15:20 AM PDT by Timmy
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To: Antoninus

Longstreet, having learned much at Fredericksburg, passionately opposed doing battle at Gettysburg. He rightly knew that the best strategy was to somehow get between the Army of the Potomac and Washington. It would have then forced the Federals to attack on ground chosen and favorable to the Confederates. After the debacle at Gettysburg, Lee was tormented that he did not appreciate Longstreet’s insight and advice. It was no accident that Lee , ever the gentleman, sent Longstreet with his Corp to fight in Tennessee and northern Georgia.


6 posted on 07/04/2019 7:18:24 AM PDT by allendale (.)
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To: Timmy
Longstreet didn’t want to order that charge. He appealed to Lee to reconsider. Lee should have listened.

Indeed. But sadly, Longstreet is remembered for giving the order.
7 posted on 07/04/2019 7:21:03 AM PDT by Antoninus ("In Washington, swamp drain you.")
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To: ebb tide; Salvation; Mrs. Don-o

Catholic ping!


8 posted on 07/04/2019 7:22:42 AM PDT by Antoninus ("In Washington, swamp drain you.")
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To: Antoninus
Longstreet OPPOSED Pickett's charge (which could as accurately be called Pettigrew's charge). He tried to dissuade Lee, but the commander was convinced he could overwhelm the Union center with an opening artillery bombardment followed by a wave of infantry and cavalry. He nearly succeeded. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock and the First Minnesota held the line ... barely. (A special shout out to 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing, whose incredible courage exemplified the Union resistance that day.}

But if Lee had listened to Longstreet, the outcome of Gettysburg -- and the war -- might have been very different.

9 posted on 07/04/2019 7:24:39 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: Antoninus

And he was one of US Grants best supporters and friend both before and after.


10 posted on 07/04/2019 7:26:48 AM PDT by crz
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To: Timmy; Antoninus
Yes, Longstreet was the visionary among all of them, Union and Confederate, at the time. Unfortunately for his side he wasn't the one in charge.

After the war, at least by the limited reading I've done on the subject, his position was "I tried to tell him."

11 posted on 07/04/2019 7:28:59 AM PDT by OKSooner (Wayne Must Go!)
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To: Antoninus

Bookmark


12 posted on 07/04/2019 7:29:20 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.)
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To: Timmy
"Longstreet didn’t want to order that charge. He appealed to Lee to reconsider. Lee should have listened."

As I understand it, Longstreet disagreed with Lee on the whole strategy used at Gettysburg. Longstreet thought they should take advantage of the terrain and take up a strong defensive position, so the Union forces would get chewed to pieces attacking an entrenched opponent.

13 posted on 07/04/2019 7:31:04 AM PDT by Flag_This (Liberals are locusts.)
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To: allendale
"It was no accident that Lee , ever the gentleman, sent Longstreet with his Corp to fight in Tennessee and northern Georgia."

Can you elucidate on this point? TIA.

14 posted on 07/04/2019 7:31:35 AM PDT by OKSooner (Wayne Must Go!)
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To: crz

Gainesville, Georgia, July 23 - “He was the truest as well as the bravest man that ever lived,” was the remark made by General James Longstreet,

After learning of Grants passing.


15 posted on 07/04/2019 7:34:44 AM PDT by crz
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To: Antoninus

I’ve noticed that in the last 30 years 2 civil war generals’ reputations are going way up while 1 is dropping. Grant & Longstreet are on the rise. Lee is on the decline.


16 posted on 07/04/2019 7:34:48 AM PDT by Tallguy (Facts be d@mned! The narrative must be protected at all costs!)
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To: Antoninus

“I never heard of any other cause of the quarrel than slavery.” -Longstreet


17 posted on 07/04/2019 7:35:40 AM PDT by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
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To: NTHockey

It was “2 Hills” since D.H. Hill (Daniel Harvey) was also serving with the ANV at the time.


18 posted on 07/04/2019 7:36:05 AM PDT by Tallguy (Facts be d@mned! The narrative must be protected at all costs!)
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To: OKSooner

See Battle of Chickamauga!


19 posted on 07/04/2019 7:40:00 AM PDT by Reily
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To: OKSooner

Try to imagine what it was like for Lee after Gettysburg. Every time he saw Longstreet or held a council with his senior generals Longstreet’s mere presence was a torturous rebuke even if Longstreet never raised the issue ever again. It should be noted that for the remainder of the war, beginning with his masterful tactical retreat from Gettysburg, Lee effectively fought Longstreet style defensive battles that cost the Union dearly. Clearly Lee was both haunted and influenced by Longstreet and never recovered from the debacle at Gettysburg.


20 posted on 07/04/2019 7:42:16 AM PDT by allendale (.)
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