James Longstreet
During most of the Civil War, James Longstreet commanded troops in Robert E. Lee's Army of northern Virginia, rising to the rank of lieutenant general. He was engaged in most of the major battles of the war, including both battles of Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, and Knoxville. Longstreet was critical of Lee's plans at Gettysburg and contributed to the defeat by his delay in following orders.
Longstreet was born near Edgefield, S.C. He graduated from West Point in 1842, (He was a poor student, at best.) and served in the Mexican War and on the Texas frontier. He joined the Confederate army in June 1861. After the war, Longstreet moved to New Orleans and joined the Republican Party. Later, he settled in Georgia. He served as minister to Turkey from 1880 to 1881 and was a U.S marshal from 1881 to 1884.
Perhaps no Confederate officer is surrounded by more controversy. Called “Old Pete” and “My Old War Horse” by Gen. Robert E. Lee, Longstreet was Lee’s trusted advisor and friend. But, after the war, Longstreet became the target of many “Lost Cause” attacks. His friendship with Ulysses S. Grant, his support of the Republican Party, and his memoirs served to alienate many Southerners.
Living History Archive
Barnard E. Bee
Barnard E. Bee was born in Charleston, S.C., in 1824 and attended West Point, from which he graduated in 1845. He was twice brevetted for gallantry in the war with Mexico. On June 17, 186,1 he was appointed brigadier general of a brigade mobilized at Manassas Junction. During the subsequent battle, Bee is said to have used the term "Stonewall" in reference to Thomas J. Jackson and his men. Bee was mortally wounded as the Confederates began to gain the upper hand in the battle. He died the following day and is buried in Pendleton, S.C. In fact, he was one of the first general officers to be killed in the war. During that battle, he was responsible for inspiring the famous nickname for Brig. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson.
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
Nicknamed "Kill Cavalry" because of the unusually high casualty rate among his men, cavalry commander Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was the most notorious scoundrel in the Union army. He lied, thieved and whored his way through the Civil War, yet managed to gain the stars of a major general. But despite his faults or, maybe because of them, he his written about in history as one of the most interesting soldiers to ever wear Union blue.
Historians have described Kilpatrick as flamboyant, reckless, tempestuous, and even licentious. But because he was a passionate man, Kilpatrick won many admirers and made many enemies during his Civil War career – and not all of his enemies wore gray. Those who knew him usually held one of two opinions. He was either a heroic and noble soldier, or (as one Federal officer wrote) “a frothy braggart without brains.”
Summing up Kilpatrick in 1864, Sherman said, "I know that Kilpatrick is a hell of a damned fool, but I want just that sort of man to command my cavalry on this expedition."
Starting in May 1864, Kilpatrick rode in the Atlanta Campaign. On May 13, he was severely wounded in the thigh at the Battle of Resaca and his injuries kept him out of the field until late July. He had considerable success raiding behind Confederate lines, tearing up railroads, and at one point rode his division completely around the enemy positions in Atlanta.
Kilpatrick continued with Sherman through his March to the Sea to Savannah and north in the Carolinas Campaign. He delighted in destroying Southern property. On two occasions his persona vices betrayed him: Confederate cavalry under the command of Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton raided his camp while he was in bed with a young Southern woman he had met while going through Columbia S.C., and, at the Battle of Monroe's Crossroads, he was forced to flee for his life in his underclothes until his troops could reform. Kilpatrick accompanied Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman to the surrender negotiations held at Bennett Place near Durham, N.C., on April 17, 1865.
Kilpatrick later commanded a division of the Cavalry Corps in the Military Division of the Mississippi from April to June 1865, and was promoted to major general of volunteers on June 18, 1865. |
