A key subordinate to Gen. Robert E. Lee, Gen. James Longstreet was instrumental in the Confederate victory at the Battle of Chickamauga and active after the war in advocating for racial reconciliation.
Longstreet was born Jan. 8, 1821, in Edgefield District, South Carolina, and grew up in Augusta, Georgia, on the midsize plantation of his uncle. The young man enjoyed swimming, hunting, fishing and riding horses. He became adept at shooting firearms and developed manners as he grew up that were rather rough.
He graduated from West Point in 1842, ranking in the bottom third of every subject, plus earning demerits for visiting after taps, being absent at roll call, having an untidy room and long hair, causing disturbances during study time, and disobeying orders. However, he was popular with many who became prominent during the Civil War, including Grant, Thomas, Rosecrans, Pope and Pickett. His engineering instructor in his fourth year stressed swift maneuvering, protecting interior lines and positioning troops in strategic points, rather than attempting to destroy the enemy’s army outright.
After graduation, Longstreet served in the U.S. Army in the Mexican-American War, where he distinguished himself in several battles. During recovery from wounds at the Battle of Chapultepec, he married his first wife, Louise Garland.
In the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee relied heavily on him, calling him “my old war horse.” Longstreet played major roles in several campaigns, where his coolness under fire and control of large forces were widely praised.