General James Longstreet Essay Example For Students

General James Longstreet Essay Longstreet was born in Edgefeild District in South Carolina on January eighth, eighteen twenty one. He graduated from West Point in eighteen forty two and went straight to service. There he served until eighteen sixty one. He first saw action in the Mexican War, he was wounded in Chapultepec Mexico. For his services he received two brevets and the staff rank of a Major. He resigned his commission on June first eighteen sixty one andjoined the Confederacy. He became a General in the Civil War. His nickname was Old Pete meaning sturdy and trustworthy. He led most of the major battles in Virginia including Bullrun, Freddricsburg, and Chickmauga. He was under Robert E. Lees command, and led the First Corps under Lee also. Longstreet was a General in Gettysburg. but lost because he did not follow Lees plan of action.Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle and that had the most casualties ever fought on American soil. He was blamed in the south for the loss of the battle at Gettysburg. Gettysb urg was the mostcrutial mistake. Many things caused the outcome of the battle like Longstreets soldiers and officers got confused and were backtracking for half the day. Longstreet saw the union position as nearly impregnable. Lee sawbelieved his army was invincible. One of his officers Jeb Stewart went on a wild goose chase, he was sospost to inform Lee but didnt. Lee had no eyes and ears to tell him what was going on. After the war he befriended with Ulysses S. Grant and joined the Republican party. He was criticized by former confederates for losing the war and befriending with Grant and the Republican party. He served as Grants minister to Turkey. He also became a political apostate in the south. Later he served as a commissioner of the Pacific Railroads from eighteen ninety seven to nineteen o four. In the summer of nineteen o four he became very ill and was diagnosed with Rheumatism. His ear was also damaged and was forced to use an ear horn when spoken to. He traveled to Chicago for a cancerous right eye, his weight dropped from two hundred pounds to one hundred thirty five pounds. In nineteen o four he begain hemorrhaging and vomited a great amount of blood from his mouth, and then became uncouncous. He never woke up and died on January second nineteen o four at Gainsville Georgia. His funeral was held on January sixth. A hurse carried him to Alta Vista cemetery in Gainesville. When news of his death reached the country people remembered him as a great General and a extremely brave man. Meanwhile Robert E. Lee was holding a job under the government. Words/ Pages : 475 / 24