Births on January 8

James Longstreet, American general and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Turkey (d. 1904)

James Longstreet (January 8, 1821 – January 2, 1904) stands as one of the most prominent and historically complex figures among the Confederate generals during the American Civil War. Revered by his commanding officer, General Robert E. Lee, who affectionately referred to him as his "Old War Horse," Longstreet was not only Lee's principal subordinate but also a crucial strategic and tactical mind. For much of the war, he served as a corps commander, leading a substantial portion of the Army of Northern Virginia in the Eastern Theater. His service also extended briefly to the Western Theater, where he commanded troops under General Braxton Bragg in the Army of Tennessee.

Early Life and Pre-War Service

From West Point to Frontier Duty

Born in Edgefield District, South Carolina, Longstreet's early military career began with his graduation from the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point in 1842. Notably, his class included several future Civil War luminaries, such as Ulysses S. Grant, George McClellan, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Following his commission, Longstreet gained invaluable experience serving in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War (1846–1848). This conflict provided a crucible for many future Civil War leaders, exposing them to large-scale combat and complex logistical challenges. Longstreet distinguished himself, but was wounded in the thigh during the pivotal Battle of Chapultepec in September 1847, a key engagement that led to the fall of Mexico City. During his recovery, he married Louise Garland, forging a significant personal connection through her family ties to many prominent military figures.

Throughout the 1850s, Longstreet continued his service on frontier duty, primarily in the American Southwest. This period honed his leadership skills, experience in logistics, and understanding of troop movements across varied terrain, attributes that would prove vital in the upcoming national conflict. In June 1861, as the divisions within the nation escalated into full-blown war, Longstreet, like many Southern officers, resigned his U.S. Army commission and pledged his allegiance to the newly formed Confederate Army. His commitment to his home state of Alabama and the Southern cause led him to embrace his new role with immediate effect. He quickly demonstrated his capabilities, commanding Confederate troops during an early victory at the Battle of Blackburn's Ford in July 1861 and playing a minor, but foundational, role in the larger First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) later that same month.

Civil War: Key Engagements and Contributions

A Formidable Commander in the Eastern Theater

Longstreet's most significant and enduring contributions to the Confederate cause came primarily in the Eastern Theater of the war, where he served as General Robert E. Lee's principal subordinate and corps commander within the formidable Army of Northern Virginia. His steadfastness, strategic acumen, and exceptional ability to command large formations under pressure earned him Lee's unwavering trust and the moniker "Old War Horse." Longstreet's tactical brilliance, particularly in defensive operations and the execution of powerful counterattacks, often proved pivotal in many of the Confederacy's most celebrated victories.

• Battle of Seven Pines (May–June 1862): Early in his command, Longstreet made a tactical error by accidentally marching his men down the wrong road, causing them to arrive late to the battlefield. This misstep hindered the Confederate efforts and highlighted the challenges of early war command, though he quickly learned from it.
• Seven Days Battles (June–July 1862): Despite the earlier misstep, Longstreet played an instrumental role in the Confederate success during the Seven Days Battles, a series of engagements that drove the Union Army of the Potomac away from the Confederate capital of Richmond. Serving as a crucial operational commander, he helped supervise and execute repeated, coordinated attacks that pressured Union forces, demonstrating his growing capability in large-scale offensive maneuvers.
• Second Battle of Bull Run (August 1862): Longstreet's tactical genius was on full display here. After a long flank march, his corps launched a devastating counterattack against the exposed Union left flank, routing Major General John Pope's Army of Virginia. This decisive action ensured a major Confederate victory, solidifying Longstreet's reputation as a master of the counterattack.
• Battles of Antietam (September 1862) and Fredericksburg (December 1862): At Antietam (Sharpsburg), the bloodiest single day in American history, Longstreet's corps held key defensive positions, particularly along the "Bloody Lane," repelling repeated Union assaults and preventing a Confederate collapse. His masterful use of terrain and disciplined defense were even more evident at Fredericksburg, where his well-placed troops on Marye's Heights inflicted horrific casualties on wave after wave of Union attackers, cementing his reputation as a premier defensive commander.
• Chancellorsville Campaign (April–May 1863): Longstreet did not participate in the famous Confederate victory at Chancellorsville. At his own request and with Lee's approval, he and most of his soldiers had been detached earlier to conduct the Siege of Suffolk in southeastern Virginia. While seemingly a minor operation, the objective was crucial: to secure supplies for Lee's army and counter Union incursions into economically vital agricultural regions. His absence meant that Lee was without his most experienced corps commander for a critical offensive.

Challenges and Triumphs in the Western Theater

Longstreet's most controversial and scrutinized service occurred at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. He openly disagreed with General Lee regarding the tactical approach, advocating for a defensive-offensive strategy – moving around the Union flank to force them to attack – rather than Lee's preferred direct assaults against strong Union positions. Despite his reservations, Longstreet reluctantly supervised several unsuccessful attacks on Union forces, including the assaults on the Peach Orchard, Wheatfield, and Little Round Top on the second day, and providing support for the ill-fated Pickett's Charge on the third day. His perceived slowness and reluctance at Gettysburg would later become a focal point for critics.

After Gettysburg, Longstreet, at his own request, was transferred to the Western Theater to reinforce General Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee. Here, his troops once again demonstrated their prowess, launching a ferocious and decisive assault on the Union lines at the Battle of Chickamauga (September 1863), a key Confederate victory that broke the Union line and helped carry the day. However, his subsequent performance in semi-autonomous command during the Knoxville Campaign (November–December 1863) proved less successful, resulting in a Confederate defeat. Longstreet's tenure in the Western Theater was further marred by his central role in numerous command conflicts and personality clashes among Confederate generals, reflecting the broader discord within Bragg's army. Unhappy serving under Bragg and recognizing the strategic imperative, Longstreet and his men were eventually sent back to the Eastern Theater to rejoin Lee.

Upon his return, Longstreet ably commanded troops during the Overland Campaign of 1864, including the brutal Battle of the Wilderness (May 1864), where he was seriously wounded by friendly fire – a cruel twist of fate reminiscent of Stonewall Jackson's death. Despite the severe injury, he later returned to the field, continuing to serve under Lee through the arduous Siege of Petersburg and the final, desperate Appomattox Campaign, remaining steadfast until the Confederacy's surrender in April 1865.

Post-War Life and Enduring Legacy

Following the war, James Longstreet embarked on a notably successful post-war career, working for the U.S. government in various capacities, including as a diplomat, civil servant, and administrator. His decision to support the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, and his open cooperation with his old friend and wartime adversary, President Ulysses S. Grant, made him anathema to many of his former Confederate colleagues and deeply alienated him from the majority of Southerners struggling with Reconstruction and the "Lost Cause" narrative. Furthermore, his critical comments and published memoirs regarding Lee's wartime performance, particularly at Gettysburg, ignited fierce debates and further solidified his pariah status among ex-Confederates who sought to preserve the unblemished image of Robert E. Lee and the purity of the Confederate cause.

Longstreet's reputation in the South suffered even more severely when he famously led African-American militia, acting in his official capacity as a U.S. government appointee, against the anti-Reconstruction White League during the Battle of Liberty Place in New Orleans in 1874. This act, perceived as a betrayal by many white Southerners, branded him as a traitor to the Southern cause. Authors of the "Lost Cause" movement, a post-war phenomenon that romanticized the Confederacy and sought to justify its defeat, seized upon Longstreet's actions at Gettysburg as a principal reason for why the South lost the Civil War, often unfairly portraying him as incompetent or disloyal. This narrative largely dominated historical discourse for decades.

As an elderly man, Longstreet married Helen Dortch Longstreet, a woman several decades his junior. After his death in 1904, Helen devoted much of her life to tirelessly working to restore her husband's tarnished image, publishing works and advocating for a more balanced historical perspective. Since the late 20th century, Longstreet's reputation has indeed undergone a slow but significant reassessment. Many contemporary Civil War historians now consider him among the war's most gifted tactical commanders, particularly recognizing his mastery of defensive operations and his astute understanding of modern warfare, which often diverged from the more aggressive, Napoleonic tactics favored by some of his peers. While debates about his specific actions, particularly at Gettysburg, persist, there is a growing consensus that his contributions were crucial to Confederate military successes and that his strategic insights were often ahead of their time.

Who was James Longstreet?

James Longstreet was a prominent Confederate general during the American Civil War, best known as General Robert E. Lee's principal subordinate and a highly effective corps commander in the Army of Northern Virginia. He earned the nickname "Old War Horse" for his reliability and steadfastness.

What was James Longstreet's primary role in the Civil War?

His primary role was as a corps commander under Robert E. Lee in the Eastern Theater, where he distinguished himself through masterful defensive tactics and powerful counterattacks. He also briefly served in the Western Theater under Braxton Bragg.

Why was Longstreet controversial after the Civil War?

Longstreet became highly controversial due to his post-war support for the Republican Party, his cooperation with President Ulysses S. Grant, his critical comments about Robert E. Lee's wartime decisions (especially at Gettysburg), and his involvement in Reconstruction efforts, including leading African-American militia against white insurgents in the Battle of Liberty Place.

What was Longstreet's involvement at the Battle of Gettysburg?

At Gettysburg, Longstreet openly disagreed with Lee's offensive strategy, advocating for a defensive-offensive approach. He reluctantly supervised several unsuccessful attacks against strong Union positions, a role that later made him a scapegoat for the Confederacy's defeat by the "Lost Cause" movement.

How has Longstreet's historical reputation evolved?

Initially vilified in the post-war South, particularly by the "Lost Cause" movement, Longstreet's reputation has undergone a significant reassessment since the late 20th century. Many modern historians now regard him as one of the Civil War's most skilled tactical commanders, particularly adept at defensive warfare and logistics.