Similarities Between James Longstreet And The Failure Of Gettysburg

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Aidan Springs
Mr. Parish
American Studies H
29 March 2018

James Longstreet and the failure of Gettysburg The Civil War was one of the Bloodiest conflict in American History, lasting from 1861 to 1865. Not only was the Civil War the deciding factor of the future of the United States, but would also shape the world around it for years to come (How The Civil War Affected Future Warfare 2). During the four years of the Civil War, one Confederate general stood out as one of the most influential men of the conflict: James Longstreet. James Longstreet made three main mistakes at the battle of Gettysburg, First, he did not push his plan after the 1st day well enough, he did not wait for Lee’s orders on the third day, and he ordered Pickett's Charge. James Longstreet was born on January 8, 1821 in Edgefield, South Carolina as the fifth child of James Longstreet (1783-1833), who was of Dutch descent, and Mary Ann Dent (1793-1855) of English descent, originally from New Jersey and Maryland, who owned and ran a cotton plantation near the village of Gainesville in northeastern Georgia. James's ancestor Dirck Stoffels Langestraet immigrated to New York (At the Time New Amsterdam) in 1657, but the name Langestraet became …show more content…

Although he grew up in Georgia, he offered his services to the state of Alabama, because It had appointed him to West Point and it was where his mother still lived. Also, since he was the senior West Point graduate from Alabama, It was implied a high rank in the state's forces would be available for him (Wert 52). On May 8, 1861, James Longstreet resigned from the United States Army and decided to side with the Confederates in the Civil War (Wert