#james longstreet

[allysah]

shoutout to dan sickles for not being in gettysburg (1993) maybe it’s for the better

[grants-blue-eyed-stare]

Grant and Longstreet after the surrender of Appomattox

They missed each other so they played brag

[racefortheironthrone]

What are your thoughts on James Longstreet? He was a Confederate commander, and so fought to preserve slavery, but he was also one of the few among the Confederate senior officers who supported the Reconstruction.

So Longstreet is a fascinating case of pesonal character growth. Pretty much through the war he was a very conventional Southern officer in his attitudes to slavery; he owned slaves, he was very open that the Confederacy's cause was "protecting and defending lawful property," infamously in 1862, he gave this speech to rally his men against the enemy:

He told his men that the Yankees were determined to seize Southern land and property; as proof, he cited “one of their great leaders [who has] attempted to make the negro your equal by declaring his freedom. They care not for the blood of babes nor carnage of innocent women which servile insurrection thus stirred up may bring upon their heads.” (source)

That's a pretty straightforward invocation of the specter of slave revolts and the rape of white women which were the hallmarks of pro-slavery mobilization of public opinion in Southern society, the original blood libel against black emancipation.

But to give him credit, James Longstreet was also one of the few high-ranking Confederates who really took the idea of Reconstruction seriously on a personal level and sought to educate and grow from his experiences. As he said in a letter to the newspaper after the war:

"The great principles that divided political parties prior to the war were thoroughly discussed by our wisest statement...appeal was finally made tot the sword, to determine which of the claims was the true construction of constitutional law. The sword has decided in favor of the North, and what they claimed as principles cease to be principles, and are become law. The views that we hold cease to be principles cease to be principles because they are are opposed to the law. It is therefore our duty to abandon ideaas that are obsolete and conform to the requirements of law."

As a philosophical and political position, It's weirdly militaristic and oddly Hegelian, but Longstreet goes on to explicitly state that black suffrage and full citizenship should be adopted throughout the South. This letter destroyed his reputation among white Southernors, but Longstreet put his money where his mouth was, becoming a Republican and a railroad executive, and a general in the Louisiana state militia leading black troops against white supremacist paramilitaries. He was an imperfect man, but I think you have to give him credit for consistently applying his beliefs, being willing to follow reason and logic even if it required a complete renunciation of his former beliefs, and following through with thorough action in furtherance of his new principles.

[rmstitanics]

Grant (2020) - History Channel

Episode One: Unlikely Hero

[quicksiluers]

gonna get back into reading this year (fell off real hard last year) and no better place to start then a book i’ve been anticipating since elizabeth varon mentioned it! loving it so far, very interesting stuff. the mentions of longstreet’s and grant’s friendship never gets old 👍

[tommy-288]

I made some really educational memes 😜

[transmasc-totoro]

I have “the Killer Angels” brain rot I fear

[almackey]

CWTR Episode 2015: Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South

This is an excellent discussion between host Professor Gerald Prokopowicz and his guest, Professor Elizabeth Varon about Professor Varon’s biography of James Longstreet.

[lightdancer1]

The other, the Battle of Liberty Place, is notable primarily for one of its influences on the Lost Cause, and why it's something to be discussed in the global context of the Scramble and the high tide of imperialism and as a post-Reconstruction artifact more than one during it. It offered the unusual experience of former Confederate general James Longstreet, Lee's old war horse, the man who did so much to guarantee that there was absolutely no way the Battle of Chattanooga could end in any way but the one it did in pursuit of his own army.....leading Black militias against a Ku Klux successor.

Yes, that's right. One of Lee's big wig generals literally led Black troops against the Klan in all but name. For this he was unceremoniously demonized as the Judas in the blasphemous pseudo-Christian cult of Robert E. Lee, because in embracing the prospect of a New South that was more equal than the old he'd committed the true unforgivable sin.

[markloveshistory]

James Longstreet - American

[allysah]

he’s not beating any pretty boy allegations

[grants-blue-eyed-stare]

I am reading the novel Killer Angels by Micheal Shaara based on the Battle of Gettysburg and it is soooo good. It is historical fiction that strives to be as accurate as possible. The chapters are from different significant people's perspectives.

I've read the first three sections plus a little bit more so far!

Okokok I love it how this book focuses on the people rather than just the battle it portrays. The inner monologues are golden. I LOVE getting the inner feelings of historical figures, it's like reading letters in the form of a novel. Chamberlain and Longstreet's conflicting feelings really illustrate historical views and how people dealt with them.

It is a crime that Fremantle has only one chapter because half of it is like "I'm Bri'ish and drink tea and am fancy" and it's so fun to read. Longstreet and he kinda have a friendship and it's honestly so sweet. They are each other's comfort person.

Joshua and Tom's relationship as brothers is so fun, honestly a good choice of people to focus on. Their relationship reminds me of the meme with the speech bubbles where a person is having some sort of crisis and the other is singing Reeces Puffs (Tom is singing Reeces Puffs).

There is a lot of social history and culture of the era in the book. It is really rewarding to know some of the history. There are historical references in the book that have me going wild. This book gives such a realistic feeling. Of course there is a lot of general stuff, but many small specifics, too, that are easy to miss if you aren't well versed in Civil War history. I really like that the author makes sure to give a background on the most important historical figures in the foreward.

Though it's a war novel like All Quiet on the Western Front, it is much les depressing and I really enjoy the perspectives and characters in it!

I cannot recommend this book enough. Even if you aren't a huge Civil War fan but just like history, I recommend it! AND the movie Gettysburg is based on it. It is a treat to have a good book and a good movie (the book is better though because of inner dialogue).

If you are not convinced yet, there is dialogue about something like a 19th century version of kissing the homies goodnight lol

Ok my happy rant is over. Thank you for indulging me XD

I will probably post again when I finish it hehe

[civilwarvacations]

The Complex Relationship between Longstreet and Lee

The partnership between General Robert E. Lee and General James Longstreet during the American Civil War is one of the conflict’s most iconic and intriguing aspects. Lee often referred to Longstreet as his “Old War Horse,” a testament to the two men’s deep bond and mutual respect. However, Longstreet’s relationship with his former superior changed after the war. Longstreet criticized Lee, leading…

[nerds-yearbook]

In 1963, the mutant Eugene Victor Tooms killed his next set of five people, eating their livers, and then went into hibernation for the next thirty years. ("Squeeze", X-Files, TV)

[quicksiluers]

Bobby’s gonna have to shut you down on that one Pete

[jeb-stuart-at-cracker-barrel]

Armistead, setting down a card: Ace of spades. Kemper, pulling out an Uno card: +4. Pickett, pulling out a Pokémon card: Jolteon, I choose you! Garnett, trembling: What are we playing?!