The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-03

General James Longstreet was born
in the Edgefield District of South Caro-
lima on Jan. 8, 1921. He removed at an
early age with his parents to Alabama,
from which State he was appointed to
the United States Military Academy at
West Point in 1885, graduating from the
latter institution four years later He
entered the army as a lieutenant of in
fantry and served in the war with Mex
leo. From 1917 to 1852 he on
frontier duty in Texas and in 1858 he
was transferred to the staff as paymas-
ter, with the rank of major. In June,
1861. Longstreet resigned to enter the
Confederate army and during the fol-
lowing month commanded a brigade at
Bull Run. Promoted to be a Major
General in 1862, he thereafter bore q
conspicuous part and rendered valuable
service to the Confederate cause. In
command of the rear-guard of the army
falling back from Yorktown, he had
passed through Williamsburg, May 5, |
1852, when he was called back to oppose }
the hastily advancing Union forces, a
battle lasting nearly nine hours result
ing, thus allowing the escape of the |
main body of Confederates to Rich |
lnond. and himself following later under |
the cover of darkness. At Seven Pines |
he dIEeCleu the main attack, ana III IIe |
subsequent fighting at Gaines's Mill |
Frazier's Farm, Malvern Hill and other |
battles his division fought bravely. los /
ing nearly one-half it's numbers in kill
ed and wounded. At the second bat |
tie of Bull Run he skillfully made the
passage of Thoroughfare Gap. and on
the second day held the right of the line
and contributed largely to the Confed |
crate success. At Antietam and at
Fredericksburg he was also in command
of many men. In the organization of
the army with which it was intended to
invade the north, Longstreet was as
signed to the command of one of its
three corps, with the rank of lieuten-
ant-general, and in the ensuing battle
of Gettysburg commanded the right of
the line during the second and third
days of the fight. The Importance of
impending operations in the West caus-
ed Lee, who felt secure against attack.
to detach LongStreet and his corps and
send them West, they arriving just in
time to save the Confederate fortunes
at the battle of Chickamauga. The fol-
lowing month General Bragg assigned
Longstreet to head movement against
Burnside in Tennessee where he forced
Burnside to fall back on Knoxville and
besieged the place until Grants victory ,
at Chattanooga forced him to go east
ward to Virginia and rejoin the forces
of Lee. In the ensuing campaign he y
was severely wounded by his own 6
troops in the battle of the Wilderness ,
and disabled for months. He was in
cluded in Lees surrender to Grant at
the Appomattoxl Court House. ]
The war ended Longstreet accepted
It's results and became Ia Republican.
his old enemy. Grant. who had become
President. appointed him Surveyor of +
The Port. He performed various public +
services after that and was at one time
United States Minister to Turkey.
About seven years ago he married 9
young Georgia woman and this lady
survives him. .
GORDoN'S ESTIMATE. .
General John B. Gordon of the Con- .
ederate Army, one of the South's great =
eaders, gives the following estimate of
General Longstreet in his .sReminis- .
ences of the Civil War" :
General Longstreet is undoubtedly =
mong the great American soldiers who .
ttained distinction in our Civil War y
General Gordon, in commenting on )
he Gettysburg battle also says of Q
1ongstreet:
1T now seems certain that impartial :
military critics, after thorough iuvesti-, .
,ation. win consider the following as .
tablishedA That General Lee distinct :
Y ordered Longstreet to attack early =
he morning of the second day, and il Q
e had done so. two of the largest corps :
{ Meade's army would not have been :
4 the fight: but Longstreet delayed the Q
tack until o'clock in the afternoon, =
ying Little Round Top. the key to the .
osition. which he might have done =
arly in the morning without firing a
hot or losing a man General Q
zee died believing (tne testimony on q
his point is overwhelming that he lost
gettysburg ct last by Longstreet's dis 9
bedience IF orders.
General Lee ordered Longstreet to .