Longstreet, James (1821-1904), was a Confederate general in the Civil War (1861-1865). His troops called him “Old Pete.” As a lieutenant general, he commanded the First Corps of General Robert E. Lee’s army, and he fought in most of the major battles in Virginia. Not aggressive in battle, Longstreet liked to take a strong position and hold it. This point of view made him the center of a great controversy after the Battle of Gettysburg. According to some students of the battle, Longstreet did not put his heart into Lee’s plan of attack. Lee, however, continued to count on Longstreet throughout the Civil War. Longstreet was a dogged combat soldier and an able defensive commander.
Longstreet was born on Jan. 8, 1821, in Edgefield District, South Carolina. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842 and later fought in the Mexican War (1846-1848).
In 1880, Longstreet, who had allied himself with the Republicans, was appointed ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He served as U.S. commissioner of railroads from 1898 until his death on Jan. 2, 1904.
