At Odds with Oneself

What can I say? Is it a tragedy, or have I wished this upon the Union? No, not even in the heat of battle would I wish these events to unfold. Now the Union stands despite being lamed by the death of their embodied public, Abraham Lincoln. How these events would have changed the course of our struggle we shall never know, though nothing can be accomplished by our prediction of hindsight. Our cause has been assimilated into the greater nation, although our differences are far from reconciled. How long until we view each other as brothers once more? Certainly our common differences would have been better ameliorated by the great leader. I believe him to be of a vast forgiving nature, never admitting to our secession. Lincoln continued to consider the nation whole, no matter the state of affairs, showing great strength as a uniting force through the course of this ordeal. Without his steady hand, the rebuilding of this nation presents a towering difficulty, one I wish to help with in any way possible, no matter the social consequences.


http://books.google.com/books?id=RrV2AAAAMAAJ&q=james+longstreet+reconstruction&dq=james+longstreet+reconstruction&lr=&pgis=1

My Arm and Nation Lamed

My right arm paralyzed in the battles of Wilderness and my Confederacy in shambles, I am only distraught. Distraught that my arm was lamed only to witness our surrender, distraught at our efficient defeat, and distraught most of all that even I admit that no other option can be conceived on our Appomattox battlefield. Imagine my surprise on finding that my former West Point comrade Grant on the other side of the partition, outmaneuvering our own every step of the way. Though I knew that Grant would be a favorable negotiator, I still believed that if he presented us with unimaginable terms, we would fight it out to the bitter end. After realizing that my function as the First and Third Corps Commander served mainly as reliance for that of Gordon, it was with a heavy heart that I recommended to Lee that we surrender. However, I find that Lincoln is not a disagreeable man, and I hope to aid in the reconciliation of South to North in these upcoming months as best I can.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=TTgOAAAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=battle+of+appomattox&ots=zhYLm6N2T4&sig=a61O2nWd5kgJHs6rT_u88t-fMMk

http://archotol.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/3/353

We Are Awash in this High Tide

Behind the coattails of our poorly executed Gettysburg Campaign, the defeat of Pemberton at Vicksburg only heightens our sense of the rising tide. I would imagine that our britches are thoroughly soaked with the brackish waters of defeat. Now that the Union has captured the advantageous Mississippi, our logistics are severely threatened. After several misshapen commanders, it seems that the Union has found hope in the more capable Grant. To force surrender from the hard-pressed Pemberton is no easy task, especially in culmination with the defense of his supply lines in the face of enemy territory. Although I am more than confidant in General Lee, I must be prudent when I examine his behavior of late. It is with this in mind that I hope to transfer to the Western Theater where my talents can be truly tested.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=n24-UIO3TuUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=james+longstreet+transfer+western+theater&ots=xYvfBF0Q37&sig=4CHzKnNU6eMeTj6MQlbiwmUJmhQ

The Tide Has Turned

A slaughter such as this has never been witnessed in our burgeoning Confederacy. My strategic advice unheeded, my men slew by the thousands in front of me, and my General seeming to succumb to the stress of position. Gettysburg is awash in the blood of my comrades and we the living are to blame.
My own personal conduct has come under fire and for good reason. On that morning of July 2 I had not adequately assembled my troops until near midday, a delay that Meade took advantage of to our dismay. While I massed my troops, Meade strengthened his left flank with reserves that arrived during my gathering, an area that I had initially planned to assault. Continuing from that point, our Gettysburg commenced for naught. Against my admittedly heated advice, I insisted that the outline for Pickett's Charge had little chance for success. If I recall, my words were:

"General, I have been a soldier all my life. I have been with soldiers engaged in fights by couples, by squads, companies, regiments, divisions, and armies, and should know, as well as any one, what soldiers can do. It is my opinion that no fifteen thousand men ever arranged for battle can take that position."

Prior to the charge, I went so far as to attempt to pass off the responsibility of confirmation
to Col. Alexander, a move that failed. The disagreement between me and my General Lee had reached a critical point, where I would describe his peculiar behavior in extreme circumstances:

"That he [Lee] was excited and off his balance was evident on the afternoon of the 1st, and he labored under that oppression until enough blood was shed to appease him."

Perhaps these feelings affected my ability to effectively command my men. During Gettysburg, Lee consistently ignored my advice to disaster, an offense that I take personal affront to. After all, if he had heeded me, THOUSANDS of our brethren could see tomorrow's sorrowful sunrise. My defensive tactics have not failed insofar of this conflict, and next time, I WILL ensure our survival.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rPOCXCUyIrwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=battle+of+gettysburg+longstreet&ots=E3vUpv-F6T&sig=iEeN8CJ66jDyI2YIntRMMgtYZHY#PPA215,M1

MIA

It is my regret that I played no part in brilliance of of Chancellorsville. I myself was stationed at Suffolk, where I besieged the Union garrison of my own accord for the first time in my military career, though this led to my absence at the pivotal events in Chancellorsville for which I berate myself endlessly. With elation, I marvel at the tactical directs of my General Lee which engendered victory in the face of dismal numbers. Manned with less than half of that which Hooker commands, Lee undertook a rather risky strategy where his minimal force was split into groups, the most notable of which furthered undetected to envelop the Union lines. However, these victories fade in the sacrifice of men I have grown more than accustomed to. Jackson's audacious personality and leadership will be forever mourned, and it is with his stone will that we continue the struggle. My experiences at Suffolk have given light to new initiatives which I will propose to Lee for our summer campaign. Though our numbers are small, I believe that utilizing our interior lines to the fullest may prove a formidable front in every theater.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZJlm7AQK-T4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA299&dq=longstreet+suffolk&ots=10OSclWxXu&sig=XFBtGLIezfgPg_kkcwdh8tskeTw

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0rKEFS6b-oMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=battle+of+chancellorsville&ots=IRIJj3BImR&sig=kn36n6Wb2LBIplvTnQSLk6hKCc0

Revelation of Roots

Freedom, our so cherished ideal. It seems near ironic that an Emancipation Proclamation is needed to validate what is already ringing in the hearts of so many. Now, it seems our Confederacy has become true and clear in this war, it is a war of enslavement. It no longer seems that we fight fully for the right of states, but the institution of slavery which so drives the Dixie machine.
I feel an inkling of regret for this movement. Though nothing close to considering abandoning my charge, I cannot help but think that my justification has been chipped, if not cracked. Oh how Uncle Augustus used to drive me mad with diatribes of each state and their ultimate loyalty only to themselves. These feelings have left more than a crevice in my heart in which they take residence, urging me onwards for their protection. It is our right to have slavery, no? The right of every slave state to maintain their livelihood, peoples, and institutions must be protected. For this, I will carry on.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lj4sxnqyge8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=james+longstreet+freedom&ots=8corXo6n1B&sig=_kqSfSaq4TfB1wByvGxiRw_n_C8

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=TTgOAAAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=james+longstreet+early+life&ots=zhYLg4LZ_d&sig=trrS_MU6qugM8e_JgzfXxIISfcU

A Day of Greivance

Our Northern Campaign stalled, our brethren martyred for little else but a retreat, but our cause stronger than before. We faced a number twofold that of our own and fought the enemy to a standstill, a situation in which we could safely retreat. In any other case, it would be cause for tactical reverence, but not on a day such as this. A day where men who were once brothers could drench the lane with the blood of the other so efficiently. On an afternoon where thirty percent of our dedicated are no more, how can I marvel at the defense that staved off defeat? Although my defensive strategy was one that held against a force twice mine, sustaining these mountainous losses are unacceptable. Sharpsburg has given me the resolve to fine-tune my theory of tactical defense, a strategy that I commit to saving those I can. Let Sharpsburg be the last.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=n24-UIO3TuUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=longstreet+antietam&ots=xYveHC0O1b&sig=fxiLnCXlpechL3-Z3L3jyZqRZEo

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZJlm7AQK-T4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA299&dq=longstreet+antietam&ots=10ORkfWCXm&sig=JEivLWkSTCkH1fkbqeh2bv_dyJc