John Garcia wrote:
> Longstreet is one of the Outstanding generals of the Civil War.
> His strategy of positioning himself in a strong defensive and
> strategic position (thereby forcing the Union to attack him at
> a disadvantage) was brilliant. He made his share of mistakes,
> but generally he was an exemplary general. Unfortunately, he
> does not receive his due, primarily to the fact that he was
> perceived to be the cause of Southern defeat at Gettysburg (he
> was very reluctant to attack with Pickett's division, what
> was a superior Union defensive position, and thusly moved a
> little too slowly into position; also after the war Lee's
> canonization as military saint of the South precluded any
> criticism of him, therefore the blame had to fall on
> Longstreet.) and that he became a Republican after the end of
> hostilities and was seen as a "sell-out" by the die-hard
> secessionists. A sad ending for the man Lee felt was his best
> corps commander and 'right hand'.
Yes, his "old war-horse", second only to Stonewall in importance and
vital once Jackson fell. I don't think it was the third day of
Gettysburgh but the second - the assault on the Union left, that
Longstreet is criticized primarily for, but there were extenuating
circumstances that accounted for much of the delay.
My biggest criticism of Longstreet (so far in my reading) is his
failure to accept Davis's request that he take command of the Army
of Tennessee after Bragg's failure at Chattanooga. The Confederates
ended up with Joe Johnson in command - the South's answer to
McClellan. Had Longstreet taken command I believe Sherman would
have found the going more difficult during his march to the sea.
--
Doug
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.zo.com/~brighto
"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the
fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first
existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the
higher consideration." A. Lincoln's First Annual Message to
Congress, December 3, 1861.
