author
James Longstreet
1821–1904
Best remembered as one of Robert E. Lee’s top commanders, he remains one of the Civil War’s most debated figures. His life stretched far beyond the battlefield, from West Point and the Mexican-American War to a surprising postwar career in federal service and diplomacy.
1 Audiobook
From Manassas to Appomattox: Memoirs of the Civil War in America
by James Longstreet
About the author
Born in South Carolina in 1821 and raised largely in Georgia and Alabama, James Longstreet graduated from West Point in 1842 and served with distinction in the Mexican-American War before becoming one of the Confederacy’s leading generals during the Civil War.
As a senior commander in the Army of Northern Virginia, he fought in many of the war’s most famous campaigns and earned a reputation for steadiness in battle. Longstreet’s role at Gettysburg later became a major source of controversy, especially as former Confederates argued over responsibility for the South’s defeat.
After the war, his path set him apart from many of his former comrades. He worked with the federal government, held posts in New Orleans, and later served as U.S. minister to the Ottoman Empire. He died in Gainesville, Georgia, in 1904, leaving behind a legacy that is still argued over by historians and readers alike.