1 Longstreet, James. from Manassas to Appomattox: Memoirs of the Civil
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Longstreet, James. From Manassas to Appomattox: Memoirs of the Civil War in America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020. Hardback: $75.00; Paperback $25.00 . ISBN: 978-0-253-04706-9. Much detail on various commands, and units; much matter of fact accounts and description, often impersonal; good deal of the quoting from the Official records; mild and often indirect in any criticisms of Lee; some sly anti-Jackson comments; much attention to vindicating his performance at Gettysburg; Introduction by James I. Robertson, Jr. 1. Long controversy about Longstreet at Gettysburg 2. Notes Freeman reduced criticism of Longstreet 3. Imposing physically, some deafness, sparse conversation 4. Three children died of scarlet fever early in 1862 5. More dependable than brilliant, not suited for independent command 6. Limited insight but stubbornness 7. Close relationship with Lee 8. Calming influence 9. Favored the defensive 10. Did well at Chickamauga 11. Failure in independent command at Knoxville 12. Ruinous decision to become a Republican 13. Mixed performance at Gettysburg—not good at defending himself after the war 14. Memoir is “unbalanced, critical, and sometimes erroneous,” p. xxiii 15. Mixed record of a dependable general, Lee’s war horse Forward by Christopher Keller ` 1. indispensable narrative about the Army of Northern Virginia 2. praises great eye for detail 3. compares well with Grant’s and Sherman’s memoirs Background, planter’s son, 13 Not much of an academic at West Point, 15-16 Service in regular army, 17ff Mexican War, 19-28 New Mexico, 29-30 Cheering on way to Richmond, 32 Bull Run, Manassas campaign, McDowell and Beauregard criticized, 33-58 Siege of the Potomac, 59ff Richardson invited Longstreet to a dinner party, 59 Skirmishes, 60ff Defenses of Richmond, 64-65 Council of war, Davis, Lee, opinion of McClellan. 66 Peninsula campaign, 66-71 Battle of Williamsburg, 72-80 1 Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, 81-107 Robert E. Lee, 109ff Critical of Gustavus W. Smith at Seven Pines, 110-11 Lee in command, character, plan for attack, 112-119 Seven Days, Jackson’s march, 120-40 Malvern Hill, assessment of campaign, conflicting orders, (147), 141-52 Halleck, Pope, Cedar Mountain, arrest of Toombs by Longstreet, 152-62 Second Bull Run, Manassas campaign, 163-98 Maryland campaign, 199-212 Longstreet thought attack on Harpers Ferry a mistake, 201-4 Lost Order, South Mountain, 199-226 Preliminaries for Antietam, 227-238 Antietam battle, 239-89 Antietam a decisive political struggle leading to Emancipation Proclamation, 289 Reorganization of Confederate army, and Army of the Potomac, 290-92 Fredericksburg campaign, 293-321 Assessment of Confederate position at Fredericksburg, 316-17 Mud March, 323 Chancellorsville campaign, 326ff Longstreet advice on Vicksburg, 327-28, 331 Critique of Chancellorsville, 329-330 Lee’s plans for Gettysburg, cavalry, 331-45 Gettysburg, July 1, 346-61 Gettysburg, July 2, 362-84 Gettysburg, July 3, 385-425 Retreat from Gettysburg, 426ff Crossing the Potomac, 429-30 Lee’s suffering, attempted resignation, 432 Longstreet to Georgia, 433 Plan to reinforce Army of Tennessee, 435-38 Chickamauga, 438-460 Differences with Bragg, 461-62 Conflict between Bragg and his generals, Longstreet, 461-66 Declined command and deplored failure to pursue and destroy Federals after Chickamauga, 466 Opportunity in west lost and instead there was the Gettysburg campaign, 478-79 Blames Bragg for timing of East Tennessee campaign, 480 Blames delays in supply trains on Bragg, 483 Siege of Knoxville, 497-508 Cut off from Bragg, 509ff Strategy and skirmishes in East Tennessee, 524-41 Final period in East Tennessee, 542 Longstreet’s elaborate plan, 544-47 Wilderness, 555-71 Longstreet wounded, 564 Convalescence, 572-573 Robert E. Lee in fall of 1864, 573 2 Complaints about subsistence department in Richmond, 574 Closing of 1864 campaigns, skirmishes, 574-581 Peace rumors, 582ff Meeting with Ord about bartering and fraternization along the lines, Ord thought generals should talk peace, wives should meet, calling back of Johnston, 583-89 Battle of Five Forks, 590-602 Petersburg breakthrough and retreat, Sailor’s Creek, 603-17 Appomattox, 618-631 Grant, Johnson, pardon question, 633-35 Longstreet letter on Reconstruction, 636-37 This made him instant enemies, 637 Surveyor of customs in New Orleans, does not mention his actions with Louisiana Republican party, 638 Letters from Lee to Longstreet, wartime and a few postwar, 639-58 3 .