James longstreet civil war biography released
George pickett civil war!
James longstreet civil war biography released
James Longstreet: Early Life
The son of a successful farmer, James Longstreet was born on January 8, 1821, in Edgefield District, South Carolina. He was raised primarily in Augusta, Georgia, and Somerville, Alabama, and while in school lived for some time with his famous uncle, the humorist Augustus Baldwin Longstreet.
Longstreet attended the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1838 to 1842 and was part of a class that included the future Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and George Pickett. While he was known as an affable cadet, Longstreet was not a particularly good student, and finished 54th in his class of 56.
Did you know?
Before the Civil War, James Longstreet was a good friend of Union General Ulysses S. Grant, and even attended Grant’s wedding in 1848. Longstreet’s later support of Grant’s 1868 presidential campaign drew the ire of many in the South, and contributed to the numerous attacks on his character during his postbellum career.