Description

General James Longstreet, Group of Five CDVs 

Lot includes four different common Anthony/Brady views of General Longstreet in uniform, with a scarce post-war view in civilian clothes taken soon after the war. Three of the military views are engravings and one is a copy shot. None are autographed.

"Old Pete" became a Major General in October 1861 and gained accolades commanding a division in 1862. With the Army of Northern Virginia’s reorganization, Longstreet assumed command of the vaunted First Corps and could claim a large share of the victory at Fredericksburg. He was detached at Suffolk early in 1863 and missed the fighting at Chancellorsville. At Gettysburg, Longstreet led the right wing and vehemently protested Lee's decision to attack with Pickett’s Division on July 3.

Post-war, many blamed Longstreet for the defeat although Lee never publicly lost confidence in his old "war horse." The later hollow victory at Chickamauga can largely be credited to Longstreet but Army of Tennessee politics and a burning desire for independent command found him cast-off in charge of the dismal Knoxville Campaign during the winter of 1863-4. Longstreet gratefully returned to Lee in time to engineer a bold counterattack at the Wilderness on May 6, 1864 where he was severely wounded. Longstreet returned to corps command at the end of the war and surrendered at Appomattox.

“Old Pete” remained the most visible Confederate luminary in the highly charged post-war examination of the causes leading to defeat. Longstreet died in 1904 and cast a long shadow as the last of the Confederate high command. 

Condition

Cartes are uniformly G+. showing minor edge wear and soiling.