Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-06-20
GENERAL L0NGSTREET.
How He Resigned from the Army to
Enter the Confederate Service.
Suspense Of Western Army Officers
While Waiting for News of the
Impending Conflict.

Lieut.. Gen. James Longstreet wht
is now the ranking living officer of tn,
late Confederate States Army, living il
GAINESVILLE, Ca, in quiet retirement
with his children. He spends his tim,
between attending to large vineyard
which does not pay him, receiving Wis
its from his old comrades in the field
who never tire of listening to his rem
iniscences, and perfecting history ol
the war.
Of the last work he speaks with the
fondness of mother for her first born
I'VE have had histories of the war, ,
said he to your correspondent, (which
were but political essays; others mere.
ly the apologies of Generals who have
lost battles, or Qualifications of Gener
ais who imagion that they had won
them, but the book which l have a.
bout completed deals with the question
from different standpoint. 1t is my
purpose to give a military history of
the war one that soldiers will read
with interest, no matter under what
flag they served, because it will deal
with the science of attack and defense,
in its speculative character. 1t is my
purpose to show the valor of the Amer
lean soldier, his endurance, his intelli,
gence and his fidelity to trust imposed. -
After talking entertainingly of his
life in the army, his part in the Mexi-
can war, and the dull routine of a sol.
dier's life up to 1858, Gen. Longstreet
said
I'm 1858 was appointed Major and
Paymaster and served at Fort Leaven-
worth until the fall of 1885, when
was ordered to Albuquerque, New
Mexico, and remained there until the
war between the States.
"The violent political and sectional
controversy which disturbed the States
was watched with intense anxiety by
officers of the army, who naturally
felt the deepest interest in the result.
whilst there were, doubtless, many Of.
ficers, especially those whose tastes b ad
led them to read much Of the political
history of the Government, who be
lieved in the right of State, as last
resort, for the redress of grievances, to
secede, there were probably none in
the summer and autumn of 1860 who
known as secessionists, and there were
many who went with their seeding
States who did not believe there was
sufficient cause for violent action nor
was there, perhaps, more than dozen,
if 80 many, officers in the army who
were abolitionists. All felt more or
less sympathy with their respective sec
tions. All were in sympathy with the
South. The officers of Northern birth
generally believed that the people of
the South had just cause of complaint
against encroachment in respect to
their slave property, guaranteed by the
supreme law of the land. And this
feeling prevailed until Southern batter
les were opened on their flag at Sumter.
During the winter of 1860 and 1861,
we on the frontier were in most painful
suspense. Our mails come in at long
intervals and so irregularly that we
were often without information of the
progress of events weeks at time.
We often assembled on top of the quar-
termasters Office, the most elevated
perch at the post, and watched hours
together for the column of dust which
at that season rose as the mail coach
rolled over the arid roads, which could
be seen miles away. Every mail brought
the same dark, troublesome signs, vet
the feeling was hopeful, and the re-
mark often made The man for the
occasion will yet show himself and all
will be WE'LL
"As time passed the anxiety increased
and most of my time was spent in rest
less and anxious thought. 1t seemed a
terrible fate that those Of us who had
long served. formed strong ties of
friendship and peiiled our lives in fos-
tering care for the Nation, should be
called upon to sever all ties of friend
ship, professional pride and life time
asperations, abandon it through quar-
rels at the will of ambitious sectional
politicians. At the same time the feel
ing was that we belonged to the States
that had given us position in the pro-
fession. Impending war became the
absorbing topic in our families as well
as amongst all classes of acquaintan
ces. A number of officers, Northerners
knowing that l was about to offer my
resignation, came and tried to persuade
me to retain my commission in the
Union army. Capt. Alfred Gibbs, of
the Rifles, did most of the talking on
the occasion. After long talk asked
Gibbs what he would do If his State
should leave the Union and call him
homer He confessed that he would re-
turn to his State. My time at home
was passed in anxious walk about my
quarters or Office. On one occasion my
wife, who had taken the same impres.
sions as our politicians, that there
could be no war, in one of our talks re.
peated, as was her custom: There will
be no war; This had been so often re-
peated thatIt annoy ed me, and replied
in sorrow:
"You will see my horse riding up to
hio hallay IN hlnol haafso A. - 4 4