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IINEW BOOKS.; atattedlatlatiteir-nd3U'-idlednd18-or-m-atn“From MNnnaifl* To tppomattox!Janiet* Longsireet. one of the moat distinguished generals of the Confederate army, has written, and J. B. lAppincott Company (Philadelphia) publishes “From Manassas to Appomattox: Memories of the* OlvH War In America.’* General Long-atreet’a work has been written frankly. It will be remembered that he wii not I always in accord with other distinguished.Confederates, and In this book he tell#what he thought, and what he thinks, of the leaders of the Confederacy. At the lt;lose of the war, when General l.ong-,street beraene a Republican. and accepted •office from hi» okl antagonist. President Grant, he raffeml a good, deal of severe .criticism from his Southern friends. H« says that after General l^ee’s death vari-lOO# ■writers combined, with one accord, to ■'hold Longstreet and his command. Uie (Army of Northern Virginia, responsible,for all the adversity that befell that icorp*. General Longstreet complains ithat the misrepresentation# of his eheralet 'were widespread, and that from reiteration i they were in many quarters accepted as Ifact. The history of the First Corps is I here given with fuilnesa and apparent fairness, and future historians will find 'its use essential In writing of the civil war.street saya It Is dlflleulf to reconcile th*#efacts with the reporta put out after Lee’s death by members Of his family, and of his staff, and post-bellum champions, that indicate his later efforts to find points by | which to work up public opinion and to ; shift the responsibility Tor Gettysburg, on ; Longstreet’s shoulders. General Long-s*reet Insists that every order given by him was given In the presence of Lee; and that If the movements or the first corps were not satisfactory tn time and speed of moving, it was in his power, duty and privilege to apply the remedy. “But It was not his power, duty and privilege.’’ concluded General Longstreet, “to witnessadawoipriieveprlisayHof 1eenYov| tldngs that did not suit him, fall to apply the remedy, and glt;ers.actdisldialbeartltioxintersr-ofhehe:edireheitsel-ndMl,10-er-*-ireGeneral Longstreet was born In SouthCarolina in lttl. and was graduated frdmWest Point in 1842, being sixtieth in a class ot sixty-two. In his class wore Generals Roeecrans and Pope, of the Federal army, and Gen. D. H. Hill, who held important commands In the Confederate armies. General Grant was graduated a fj year later than Longstreet, and the first j assignment of both was to Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis). General Longstreet i records that he had the pleasure of riding with Grant on the tetter’s first visit to the home of Frederick Dent, a few miles from the garrison, where the future commander of the Union armies and President of the United States, met Miss Julia Dent, 'whom he married five years later. MissDent was a frequent visitor at the gar-rieon balls, w'here one of the lieutenants, who was given to teasing, would inquire If she couJd tell where he might find “the small lieutenant with the large epaulettes. General Longstreet’* services in the Mexican war were not conspicuous, and after that conflict, and until the outbreak of the civil war. he was stationed at Albuquerque. N. M., as paymaster. Mall# were due there semi-monthly, and occasionally an interval was extended togo off and grumble with his stuff officers about It.*'!General Longstreet says that, in his Judgment., the South lost its last opportunity when the Southern armies failed to follow up Chlckamauga and capture or disperse the Uni d army. President Dav -went west at this time, and there were many discussions as to the demand for a new commander in place of Bragg. Gen. Longs tree t nominated his old friend. Johnston, for the command in the west, but this greatly displeased Mr. Davis, who was always unfriendly to Johnston. He rebuked Longstreet, who continues his account of the meeting thus:E: Inj n:eiI givii as : the ‘ acq a vsur! Bui1 by | ron his theI recognized the authority of his high position, but called to his mind that neither his words nor his manner were so Impressive as the dissolving scenes that fore-j shadowed the dreadful end. He referredto his worry and troubles with politiciansand non-combatant*. In that connection I suggested that what the people asked for was success; with that the talk of politicians would be as spiders’ webs before him. And when restored to his usual gracious calm. I asked to have my resignation accepted, to make room for som** one who could better meet his Idjeas of the important service. He objected th»t my troops would not be satisfied with the change. I suggested a leave of absence, as w nter was near, when I would go to the tran*mississlpbl department, atnl after the troops were accustomed to their new' commander, send in jmy w’rltten resignation from Texas, but he was not minded to accept that solution - of the premises. VEarly In 1804 Longstreet again saw the Confederate President. He had gone east to confer with Lee,*'and submitted a plan j for a spring campaign to the commanding L general. This provldede for a husbanding 4gof the resources of the South and a series of movements looking to a combination of the armies of Johnston and Longstreet. Lee and Longstreet went together to see Davis, and this plan was carefully discussed. General Bragg was present, and objected. The plan was rejected. General Longstreet gives this account of the meeting:TpanNilpeafroiehafriethetheASt.ChiI un | intcstai a n woiG of 1berter.aceMMAdenFetapp“G1H*hA4.T1FetMt.
Newspaper Details
Indianapolis News
Indianapolis, Indiana, US
Wed, Jan 29, 1896
Page 5
Full Page
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Anonymous
VA, USA 05 May 2020
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