Longstreet at Gettysburg with Author Cory Pfarr
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Originally released on December 11, 2019 on our Patreon feed. Lieutenant General James Longstreet is one of the more controversial figures of the war and, especially, the Battle of Gettysburg. But does the blame for the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg really rest on his shoulders? Author Cory M. Pfarr has had enough of Longstreet getting a bad rap, so he set out to set the record straight in his new book "Longstreet at Gettysburg: A Critical Reassessment". In this episode, Cory and I break down some of the points of contention about General Longstreet so that you can decide for yourself if he is the traitor his former cohorts made him out to be in the postwar years. Cory M. Pfarr works for the Department of Defense and is an American History author whose main interests span America's Revolutionary to Civil War years. He is the author of "John Quincy Adams's Republicanism: 'A Thousand Obstacles Apparently Stand Before Us'" (Massachusetts Historical Society, 2014) and Longstreet at Gettysburg: A Critical Reassessment (McFarland Publishers, 2019). He has also written articles for North & South Magazine and Gettysburg Magazine, and has appeared on the Pennsylvania Cable Network and C-SPAN American History TV. He lives in Pikesville, Maryland with his wife and three kids. We hope you enjoyed this free Patreon episode and decide to join us as a patron. Patrons get these episodes upon release and don't have to wait up to a year. Plus, they get to take part in decisions pertaining to the direction of the show and more! So, come and be a part of the Addressing Gettysburg Community today! Click here
I’ve always been a strong General James Longstreet supporter long (no pun intended) before this awesome book was written. imho, it was SO blatantly obvious to me, that his ex-Southern Officers & Southern elites attacked the good General over his post-War Politics and NOT his Generalship during the War. (Yes, he made a few rare blunders. but so did General Grant, they all did) I can recall watching a lecture on CZcams and the lecturer saying that Longstreet’s disagreements with General Lee’s ANV tactics affected his Generalship on the Battlefield at Gettysburg and he (Longstreet) being a professional Soldier should have never let that happen! Well, we FINALLY have a book that gives us Longstreet fans and supporters something that we have always known, but we needed the proof! Thanks to you Mr Pfarr, we now have that proof! One of the greatest American Generals in our American History (some say the greatest American General ever; I disagree. Yes, Eisenhower was a great General but I think General Washington and General Patton were better, but I’m extremely biased towards hands-on Generals) When President Eisenhower was asked why did General Longstreet “drag his feet,” during the Battle of Gettysburg? The President answered: (paraphrasing) “General Longstreet was too good of a General to let that happen!” The bottom line is simple: General Longstreet was so far ahead in his thinking compared to his Peers (Southern and Northern) subordinates in knowing that reunification was the only way the Country could protect itself from outside threats. While his Peers were too busy “crying” and blaming him for the Southern State's defeat, rather than collectively working together on a productive plan on re-integrating thousands of freed illiterate slaves into a society that didn’t really want them. General Longstreet was an idealist after the War. He knew (whereas most Americans didn’t really know) that the freed slaves needed to be educated, self-supporting, and working, along with joining the Army and Navy as a means to accomplish these things. I think… I know! Yes, he owned a small number of slaves and fought for the Confederacy (God forbid we should mention those two words in a scholarly manner in 2022 Americana! James Longstreet did not talk about how we Americans needed to move forward as a united Country. No, that wasn’t the Longstreet way! Rather than talk about ideas he took action! As he always did in his life! Whether that was in the Mexican-American War, the interwar period or during the
long and bloody 4 years of the War between the States and after the War. Here was a man that would take action & was willing to take chances and would NOT bend for anyone over his convictions! Whatever you may think or however you may feel about Lieutenant General James Longstreet? What the MAN (not the General) was doing after the War. Was something he had been doing his entire life and that was to make a decision and then take action! The War between the States had ended and James Longstreet saw it for what it was. A defeat for his United Confederate States of America lost the war fair and square! Hell, with all of the DISADVANTAGES the South had!! They came within 25 miles in 1961, at the First Battle of Manassas. (That was always the problem for the VERY aggressive General Thomas Jackson. He never had enough men, but time was General Jackson’s worst enemy, not the Bluebelly’s! It was TIME that prevented the General from completely routing the Yankees! It was also time & his aggressiveness that got him killed) the CSA were a blink of an eye away (3-days, the 1st Manassas, the 2nd Manassas and July 1st 1863, where their three strikes to bring Lincoln to the table. If General Ewell takes Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill, but he didn’t? General Ewell flinched. (Lol, I’m not a General Ewell fan, at all)
His decision or indecision had cost the ANV a victory but to some extent, it was General Lee’s fault. He had grown so accustomed to the brilliants and imaginative leadership of General Jackson and General Longstreet that he neglected to recognize the need for him to be hands-on with General Ewell! Ewell with all of his aggression was not the type of General, to see, adapt and overcome. In the 4 years imho they had 3 legitimate days that could have changed history (or not) and brought Lincoln and his Administration to the negotiation table, to settle a negotiated peace. That would recognize the 11 United Confederate States of America as a legitimate Sovereign and functioning Government. Had the Union made a tactical withdrawal (let alone a retreat) it was game over! Not that the Union would have lost the War! The Abolitionists and regular Northerners we’re getting extremely war-weary if there had been another Confederate victory and on Union soil! That’s another conversation for a different day. General Meade doesn’t get enough credit for being a fantastic General during those 3 days? General Meade gets slack for not annihilating the Northern Virginia Army after Pickets charge? Which are unfair and ridiculous accusations! General Lee just threw about 13 thousand men at the Union’s centre! How on EARTH or HOW could General Meade possibly know that there weren’t another 15 thousand Confederates ready to engage? He couldn’t be sure, there’s NO WAY he could have been a 110% without a doubt sure that the ANV was spent. It would have been folly and poor Generalship to lead thousands of men to their possible deaths and or capture, he just witnessed one of America's great slaughter of Americans slaughtering Americans! Had General Meade given up those defensive positions on the hunch and or reconnaissance reports saying otherwise, no way! I surely wouldn’t have left those positions to chase General Lee to where? To what end? For what? General Meade gets a bad wrap too, and I just don't get it?! As I write this I read that this Administration are changing the names of Military Forts! This Administration can’t get out of Washington fast enough, and I’m a Democrat!!!
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Imagine writing all this just to be wrong. Imagine being a self-deacribed Longstreet "fan." lol, lmao even.
I really enjoyed this. Good to see a young author so interested in continuing the story.
Cory does a great job
Thank you for this episode! Aside from Gen. Sherman, Gen. Longstreet has always fascinated me, and I really enjoyed this discussion. I am glad to see these young historians questioning and taking a fresh look at the records. Joe Ryan's well researched videos do that as well.
Yeah Longstreet is interesting.
I loved hearing Abigail in the background. A preacher friend of mine says when babies cry he just preaches louder.
Enjoyed this broadcast. Having read Mr. Pfars book he is unafraid to ruffle other historians feathers! Thanks again Matt.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for listening and commenting.
I received 👍 a little while ago on this channel & I’d like to thank everyone who has! I’m not big on the War between the States. Not for any particular reasons? I just think because I’m an American (proud American) and being taught about the War on Long Island NY it was very much from a Unionist point of view from a young age. Me loving history and knowing that it’s not as simple as the guys in Blue being the good guys and the guys in Grey being the bad guys! I had to do my own honest research on the War! I’m much more interested in WWII. I will say this, after visiting a few Battlefields in Europe. I did feel very guilty for not visiting our own great Battlefields and National Parks. So I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t go to anymore foreign Battlefields and or Concentration camps/Death camps until I visited our very own wonderful Battlefields! I took Shelby Foot’s advice & visit them during the time of year when the Battles took place! Shelby made it very clear that the Battlefields look completely different depending on the time of the season you go. Winter (was a tough one, because they’re usually closed down) but I got to soak a few in :) Spring Summer and Fall. Lol, there’s a big difference on the Battlefield during the Fall as compared to during the Spring & Summer! Just like Shelby Foot said. The Battlefield’s look totally different when you visit them during the time of year when the Battles were actually fought! Anyways, I recently watched a documentary about Gettysburg (if you want to call it that) on CZcams. It made me want to vomit! In this weird time of Cancel-Culture, history forgetting and history revisionism! This documentary was a horrible representation of the Battle of Gettysburg and the War between the States all together! As a Historian? It was an outright disgrace! It was totally “Blue Washed” in other words: it was unbelievably pro-Union that it made me nauseous! I think they brought up General Lee’s name once! (Not one other General) They didn’t even hint! Let alone, mention the THOUSANDS upon thousands of American Confederates that were killed and buried in mass graves? What really irked me! Was the this Dude with his (I have no idea how he earned it) PhD said the best thing that happened after the Battle was over. That a free black man walked over and picked an apple off his apple tree! Are you kidding me!! WHAT!!! There are THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of dead and wounded Americans lying all over the Battlefield and that was the greatest part of the Battle?!?! Yes the Confederates were Americans just as much as the Unionist were! Did this guy, who has his Phd not know Pennsylvania was a truly free State! It wasn’t Maryland or Kentucky! I just found it SO unsettling that he would glaze over all of the Americans that gave their lives, on both sides! Is this what America has come to??!! Of course there was a free black man picking apples! Everyone knows Pennsylvania was a slave free State! I would argue the best part after 3rd day of Americans killing Americans! Would be 1, The Battle was over! 2, The wounded could get medical attention! 3, Americans lives were saved & they could see their families again! 4, The Union eventually won the War! This is how history gets revisionized and the Millennials and generation Z will be taught nonsense about the War between the States! (If they actually teach it anymore) Like I said I’m a New Yorker and in school we were completely biased towards the Union but NOTHING on the level of this “documentary!” Yes, I would have fought with my people (whether I believed in the cause or not) but to totally dismiss the thousands, upon thousands of brave Confederate Soldiers when telling OUR history of the Battle of Gettysburg, is just wrong, sorry!
Southerners we’re not “Americans” in the sense they are today between 1861 and 1865. That was their decision. That was their move. They lost. I think the point about the free black man was more symbolic than anything and, though PA was free, blacks weren’t totally free and anyone who would argue otherwise is only fooling himself. That said, I get what you’re saying. Wokeism ruins everything, which is it’s purpose.
@@addressinggettysburg Also about your “Woke” comment. I hear (well, I’ve only read it) because there is, truly, no reason to argue with ignorant people! I’m not going out on a thin limb here, by saying: (other than the people who have posted comments on your channel) about 95% (if not more) have no idea 🤷♀️ that the succeeding States had compulsory conscription! So when I hear a “Yankee” Lol (I’m kidding! I’m a Yankee) that the Johnny Reb’s were all traitors! That’s all complete & utter nonsense! 1, As soon as you were old enough, you were drafted. (Some were young as 14-16) 2, If you dodged your draft? If you got caught? You’d get hanged! 3, If you were caught deserting? You were hanged! 4, If you wanted to head North to go fight for the Yankees & if you surrendered Johnny Reb? If they knew that you were born & raised & had a family in South Carolina? You’d most likely die of starvation! 5, If you had the balls to sneak back home! Especially towards the end of the War. You’d mostly get hanged or shot by the Home Guard! So, with all of those options! There was NO option for the very poor, non-slave-owning, tiny farmers! If you didn’t want to fight in the War? The Home Guard would hunt you down & our you were caught by an enlisted man and then get Courtmartialed for desertion & shot! Nope, the only real option for a poor, poverty-stricken Southerners. Was to pick up a Musket and go off to War! That’s why I don’t buy into this notion & or narrative that the Confederates from 17-47 years of age (or older) were all traders!
I think sometimes we ACW enthusiasts - while beginning to learn about the war, and its battles, begin to gravitate to a given commander, and make the mistake of putting them too high on a pedestal. I certainly made that mistake. However, with enough reading, and a willingness to be honestly objective, it didn't take long to realize I was wrong.
Doing that made studying the war a lot easier.
I agree. For some reason, it’s hard for us to remember that these people were also people. Flawed, just like we are
A really interesting perspective. I hope that more people listen to this discussion.
A question occurs to me: everyone asks "What if Lee had stayed in the Union?"
I now wonder, what if Longstreet had remained in the Union?
I wonder: what if southerners were able to compromise?
Regarding rebel casualties, and reports of Lee’s surprise at the missing as he addressed the men who were about to walk into Federal hellfire on July 3, did he get roll call reports for the previous two days?
Not sure if they took them while the battle was on. If they did I wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t gotten them. Even if HQ did, his staff was so small and overworked that he might not have been made aware. I’ll ask around to find out the real answer
Ive studied this battle myself,since i was in grade school. Ive read every book i could find on it,and ive always said Longstreet got a bum rap. I'm a fan of Longstreet too.
Yeah he did. Those silly Lost Causers needing to blame everyone but themselves
Matt, Oswald aimed dead center with iron sights......... he knew zero about scopes. those old military rifles shoot high !!! head shot was luck.
Maybe. That would explain why he missed the head until the last shot
Ewell lost Gettysburg so did Lee.
Lee did when he left the Rappahannock, but he felt he had to take a chance because they were in a desperate state.
"I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."
No the Dodgers.
@@tomjones5650 🤣
I'm sure *you're* well aware, but for those who might not know: it was a quote from Gen. Pickett about why the rebels lost the battle (or specifically why his charge failed).
Gen. Well lost Gettysburg. Lee also. Not James"Ol' Pete" Longstreet.
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Longstreet went west because he was hopeful of a larger command status under Joe Johnston. Longstreet had been wanting and working on that previous to Gettysburg. His advancement in the ANV was going no higher.
Longstreet, in my opinion, had the "slows" because he was attempting to put as much daylight behind as possible, saving as many lives as he could possibly save in an attack he had not agreed with.
Lee going around Longstreet to speak personally with McLaws was taken as insult by Longstreet, giving the latter a tool to employ his cause for the "slows."
Im not sure that Longstreet had to employ the slows. To receive orders at 11:00 AM or thereabouts, gather an entire corps, march it as far as he did and then plan/deploy that attack in a 4 hour (approximately) period is pretty amazing.
Troops weren't moved around as in a tabletop game. To borrow a quote from Jim Hessler, "This aint fantasy football ".
@@jumpmaster82nd.
McLaws was put at the head of the column and when the counter countermarch happened, all was held up for McLaw' to again take head of column.
Higher advancement in the ANV? Longstreet? He was the commander of an entire wing of the army! There WAS no higher advancement that Longstreet could possibly have achieved in that army outside of being named Lee's replacement, which he wouldn't have wanted anyhow.
@@herecomesaregular8418 I wasn't meaning a longer tenure with the ANV. He had been speaking with Joe Johnston of going west and getting a command under Johnston. Sorry for the confusion.
Hmm
When Lee didn't care for a subordinate he found ways to get him gone. e.g. D.H. Hill, Huger, Holmes, and Magruder.
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McLaws had no power to out command his corps commander. That's malarky.
Secondly, Longstreet was aware that Lee superceded him and spoke with Mclaws, out of military protocol. Longstreet took offense of that.
He possibly had felt as though Lee had said something to the effect to McLaws, " Pete isn't on board with my plans, you do as I am bidding to be done if Pete stays resistant."
Longstreet had a suspicious eye upon McLaws and no way let McLaws choose his path.
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The baby sounds in the background are mildly distracting. Good substance though.
we tried to make her understand that but she just stared at us and pointed at a chair
@@addressinggettysburg Hahaha.
@@addressinggettysburg Kids these days - heard but not seen! whatever happened to tradition?
@@addressinggettysburg At first, I thought it was Matt making the baby noises to psych out his guest.
I thought it was delightful to hear. And a great conversation, too.
Lots of blue bellyness here..
Yeah? As we defend Longstreet? Interesting.
If I were Lee, Blame Ewell for not taking high ground on the 1st and the early morning of the 2nd inaccurate scouting of supposedly the Round Top areas
The author is a biased Longstreet apologist. The host is not taking the topic with intellectual sincerity - he uses mocking baby voices to imitate the straw man Longstreet critics.
Good talk, but disappointing overall. You should have had someone there to rebut the author.
I’ll listen to your show to hear how it’s really supposed to be done! Thanks and happy new year to you too!
Sarcasm and smarm aside, all of the historiography is biased AGAINST Longstreet, so, we figured, why not just hear the argument defending Longstreet since there hasn’t been a ton of that out there prior to this. It’s what big minds do. (Ok, I put the smarm back at the end there)
The Confederate campaign failed primarily because of a critical mistake made not by Stuart, but by Lee. The strategic objective of the campaign was to achieve a victory great enough to force the Union to lift the siege of Vicksburg. This was hashed out by the Confederate political leadership in mid- May.
But Lee stated in his after action report that he had never intended to fight a major battle so far from his base unless attacked. From this, it's clear enough that Lee intended to maneuver so as to entice the AotP into attacking the AoNV. This is also the likely reason why, on 1 July, Lee cautioned his corps commanders not to bring on a general engagement until the army was concentrated. In effect, Lee was attempting to carry out a strategically offensive, but tactically defensive campaign- a difficult task when it's remembered that the army was foraging off of the enemy countryside. But maneuvering so as to encourage an attack by the AotP required accurate, up- to- date- information on the strength and location of the AotP.
This is where Lee made the critical mistake of the campaign. He violated the military axiom of "one force, one objective" and issued two objectives to Stuart. In two separate letters, he instructed Stuart to gather both information and provisions- the former being critical toward accomplishing the strategic objective of the campaign, and the latter facilitating the operational objective of the campaign. Lee failed to clarify which of these objectives was the primary one, and compounded this error by emphasizing that Stuart was to "...collect all the supplies you can for the use of the army", rather than simply directing Stuart to forage for his three cavalry brigades only.
Worse still was the fact that Stuart's two objectives coincided in time. Stuart couldn't first accomplish one, and then the other; he was forced to accomplish them both simultaneously with a force barely adequate for one of them. What nailed the coffin shut on Stuart's task was that gathering information required mobility which only his cavalry could provide- but gathering provisions was guaranteed to impede that mobility. So, the more that Stuart gathered provisions, the less was he able to gather information- and this is in fact exactly what happened during the campaign. After he captured the Union supply train, Stuart's advance slowed to a comparative crawl.
The resulting lack of information which Lee required about the AotP led directly to the meeting engagement of 1 July. This minor victory was actually a disaster for Lee, because it effectively ruined his plan of campaign. By going over to the tactical offensive, Lee assumed a tactical initiative which he had never wanted. This minor defeat suffered by the AotP all but guaranteed that Union forces would not be carrying out an attack on the AoNV- particularly since they were led by a new commander- in- chief.
This minor success on 1 July, combined with the pressure of time (from the situation at Vicksburg and the fact that the AoNV was foraging and couldn't remain in any one area for more than 3- 5 days)) led Lee into the tactical offensive again on 2 July. By 3 July, Lee's only options were a continuation of the tactical offensive or the abandonment of the campaign in failure- because although Longstreet's proposal was doable (if tactical in nature), it was highly unlikely to encourage Meade to attack.
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