General Longstreet at Gettysburg

I wondered why it was placed in that spot. I'm sure someone here knows. I did think it was pretty nifty driving down the road and Longstreet suddenly appearing in the trees. Much better than an old granite rectangle (Texas monuments are so boring)
It's kind of hard to find before you're past it, though. "It's along here somewhere... somewhere... somewhere... somewh -- wait, there it was!!"

Also I agree about our dreadful monument. It's by far the lamest on Seminary Ridge. Other states have impressive edifices like South Carolina, which even has seating areas, or monuments with actual people on them... even Mississippi has two guys, North Carolina has four... Virginia has what, eight guys and a horse? Meanwhile, all we can swing is a big slab of Spam.
 
Reminds me of my favorite professor telling about taking grad classes at VMI--she took her morning coffee out to the cemetery every morning hoping Stonewall would speak to her :smile:
Well? Don't leave us in suspense!
 
She willingly admits she's a nerd...and that Stonewall never spoke. I think she talked to him, however.

"Slab o' Spam".....now there's something I can laugh about. We're the only one with printing so small you have to get out of the car to read it, all crammed on the front of the slab. Of course, we would be forced to have hairy chests, like the one at Vicksburg and Dick Dowling's statue at Sabine Pass. Well, you and I wouldn't be--the statues have them :smile:
 
My only worry in that regard is that Hill seems to have been limited in independent command.

In Freeman's words: "In close, doubtful action he was superb. No man seemed able to get more firepower from a given number of troops. If Hill was charged with the direction of a campaign or exclusive conduct of a large field...well, he justified all that was said about him after the farcical bombardment of McClellan's camp and the unchallenged depatuer from the James of the Federal army he was supposed to watch."

Ellipsis in the text (the one volume abridgement of Lee's Lieutenants).

I am not quite clear on this, or if Hill's failure "to get the whole of his own division on the mountain until after midday" (at South Mountain) was normal.

Nonetheless, he was a hard and vigorous fighter, and that skill (getting the most firepower from a given number of troops) would have paid off handsomely in Georgia.

All in all, I would count him as not able to handle an army and perhaps worthy of a corps (better than any of the men who were given one in 1864, in my opinion, sharp edged tongue or not - Early was hardly a gentleman himself).

Ole put it best. Getting in Harvey Hill's way was a request to be hurt. Badly.

The south didn't need more resources,just more Presbyterian Generals.


" In the year 1692 ,the people of Massachusetts executed, imprisoned, or privately persecuted 469 persons, of both sexes, and all ages, for alleged crime of witchcraft. Of these twice as many were privately persecuted as imprisoned, and 7 17/19 as many more were imprisoned than were executed.
Required the number of sufferers of each kind? Daniel Harvey Hill , Algebra textbook problem 1857:sabre:
 
Part of me has to applaud Hill's sense of humor, the other thinks its not so much a sense of humor as a level of hatred and bias clouding any pretense towards objective judgment.

Either way, his mathematical problems are telling about how the man saw the world.
 
The south didn't need more resources,just more Presbyterian Generals.


" In the year 1692 ,the people of Massachusetts executed, imprisoned, or privately persecuted 469 persons, of both sexes, and all ages, for alleged crime of witchcraft. Of these twice as many were privately persecuted as imprisoned, and 7 17/19 as many more were imprisoned than were executed.
Required the number of sufferers of each kind? Daniel Harvey Hill , Algebra textbook problem 1857:sabre:
I think Hill is the one who had a problem...
 
Part of me has to applaud Hill's sense of humor, the other thinks its not so much a sense of humor as a level of hatred and bias clouding any pretense towards objective judgment.

Either way, his mathematical problems are telling about how the man saw the world.
People are still doing this kind of thing today, except now they get in trouble for it.

http://www.thefire.org/article/7275.html
 
Name HILL, Daniel Harvey
Born July 12 1821, York District SC
Died September 24 1889, Charlotte NC
Pre-War Profession Graduated West Point 1842, Mexican War, resigned 1849, college professor, superintendent of North Carolina Military Institute.
War Service May 1861 Col. of 1st North Carolina, Big Bethel, July 1861 Brig. Gen., commanded the Left Wing at Yorktown, Williamsburg, March 1862 Maj. Gen., commanded Hill’s Divn in Longstreet's Command at Seven Pines, served under Jackson in the Seven Days, commanded Hill’s Divn in Jackson’s Command at South Mountain, Sharpsburg (where he was falsely accused of losing Special Order 191), commanded in North Carolina, Richmond defenses, July 1863 appointed Lt. Gen. (never confirmed), commanded Hill’s Corps at Chickamauga, criticized Bragg who in turn unfairly accused Hill of delaying an attack, removed from command by President Davis, Petersburg, commanded Hill’s Divn at Bentonville.
Post War Career Editor (The Land We Love, The Southern Home), college president.
Notes 15 members of his West Point class became Civil war generals. He was brave but abrasive, and could have been used much more effectively for the Confederate cause.
Further reading
Bridges, Hal Lee's maverick general, Daniel Harvey Hill Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press 1991
------------------------------
Confederate Military History, Vol. 1
Officers Of Civil And Military Organizations

Lieutenant-General Daniel Harvey Hill was born at Hill's Iron Works, South Carolina, July 12, 1821, of Scotch-Irish lineage. His grandfather, a native of Ireland, built an iron foundry in York district where cannon were cast for the Continental army until it was destroyed by the British. This ancestor also fought gallantly as a colonel in Sumter's command. General Hill was graduated at West Point in 1842, in the class with Longstreet, A. P. Stewart, G. W. Smith, R. H. Anderson and Van Dorn, and his first service was on the Maine frontier. During the Mexican war he participated in nearly every important engagement either under Scott or Taylor, and attracted notice by his conspicuous courage. He soon rose to the rank of first-lieutenant, won the brevet of captain at Contreras and Churubusco, and that of major at Chapultepec, where he was one of the first of the storming party over the ramparts. When his State legislature voted swords to the three bravest survivors of the war, one was awarded to Hill, He served at Fortress Monroe in 1848, and on February 28, 1849, resigned from the army to accept the professorship of mathematics at Washington college, Virginia. In 1852 he was married to the eldest daughter of Rev. Dr. R. H. Morrison, and in 1854 he became a professor in Davidson college, North Carolina. In 1859, impressed with the duty of preparing the South for defense, he accepted the position of commandant and manager of the military institute at Charlotte, N.C. During this period he was the author of several educational and theological works. He led his cadets to Raleigh, and made drill-masters of them, and after instructing the North Carolina volunteers was permitted to select twelve of the best companies as the First regiment, of which he was commissioned colonel. With his regiment he was assigned to command in the defenses of Yorktown. He won the first battle of the war at Bethel, where, as he wrote his wife, "I was baptized and worship-ed till I was sixteen years old, the church of my mother." In September, 1861, he was promoted brigadier-general, and assigned to the command of the North Carolina coast. Reporting to Johnston in December, 1861, he was in command on the left at Leesburg, and being promoted major-general was in command of the first division of Johnston's army to enter Yorktown, and the last to leave. At Williamsburg his men were distinguished and at Seven Pines Longstreet reported: "The conduct of the attack was left entirely to Major-General Hill. The success of the affair is sufficient evidence of his ability, courage and skill." He took part in the battle of Mechanicsville, and at Gaines' Mill struck a decisive blow on the enemy's right. "Pressing forward, "as Lee reported, "with unfaltering resolution, he reached the crest of the ridge, broke the enemy's line and drove him in confusion towards the Chickahominy." At Malvern Hill his gallant attack was rendered partly fruitless by a lack of support. During the Manassas campaign he held in check the Federals at Fredericksburg, and during the concentration of Lee's army at Sharpsburg he commanded the four thousand men who held the pass at Crampton's Gap, in the face of McClellan's army. He fought with his accustomed skill and effect at Sharpsburg, where three horses were killed under him. In February, 1863, he resumed command in North Carolina and was making active demonstrations when called to Petersburg. With his command extending to the James, he guarded the capital and repelled the advance of General Dix. On July 10th he was appointed lieutenant-general and put in command of the divisions of Cleburne and Breckinridge. At Chickamauga he was permitted just before night to take charge of the forward movement of three lines, which swept over the breastworks of Thomas and caught 5,000 prisoners. With Longstreet and Forrest, he endeavored to reap the fruits of the fighting on that bloody field, but they were doomed to disappointment. Unmeritedly accused of too much prominence in the petition for the removal of the commanding general, he was relieved of command, but he volunteered on the staffs of Beauregard and Hoke and finally on the urgent request of Johnston and Beauregard he was assigned to duty at Charleston, and to the command of a remnant of the army of Tennessee in its retreat before Sheridan, until Bentonville, where he led his division in its last charge. For some years after the war he edited a magazine at Charlotte which was devoted to Southern development and called "The Land We Love." In 1877-80 he was president of the Arkansas Industrial university, and subsequently president of the military and agricultural college of Georgia. He died at Charlotte, N. C., September 24, 1889.
 
People are still doing this kind of thing today, except now they get in trouble for it.

http://www.thefire.org/article/7275.html

I'm astounded anybody could answer the problem. If you read more about the questions he wrote for his math book, those Massachusetts people are the least of his offenses. Nor did he care. Makes Jackson look like a real softy
 
I'm looking at "General Longstreet at Gettysburg" up there at the top of the page. But, as we're on DH Hill at the moment I'll comment before insisting that we get back on topic.

From what I've read, Daniel Harvey was the cousin you really didn't want at the reunion but you had to invite anyway. Seems that there was no sensitive bone in his body. After the 7 Days, Lee couldn't wait to get DH packed away to North Carolina. That says a little something, doesn't it? He was acknowledged as a fine general officer but everybody hated his guts.

He was called up later to do his particular magic, but everybody still hated his guts. Kinda makes one wonder how bad he really was.

Just a thought.

Ole
 
I think that no matter what someone's talents are, there is a limit to how useful that person actually is if they can't get along with anyone. Even if their skills are epic, if they make everyone else's job harder, they may not be contributing to the bottom line.
 
It probably says something to that effect that Lee - who never expressed frustration about someone being too much of a pain in the azz to work with in regards to anyone else - did so on Harvey Hill.

See his communication in regards to having difficulty getting his (detached) brigades back. Hill is being at best uncooperative and at worst perversely contrary. Lee is still tactful about it, but he clearly is annoyed by the end of it.


On Old Pete: Without checking back through this thread, I'm not sure if this has been addressed, but one thing I'd like to ask.

Could Longstreet have made more effective deployments of his corps? A certain amount of what happened was beyond his control - a corps commander has little direct influence on a brigade.

But he positioned McLaws and Hood.

And speaking of Hood - when was he informed that Hood had been wounded? Could he have reacted and done something about it?

As is, the division's overall leadership seems to have faded without Hood - not quite each brigade going its seperate way, but the brigades do seem to have fought less efficiently than they could have.

Still valiantly and fiercely, but without as much direction. A division commander on top of things may have helped.
 
True. Not quite the same thing as giving up on working smoothly with him entirely, which he seems to have done with Hill. That level of frustration seems to have been reserved for one North Carolinian.
 
Maybe. It probably helped that Hampton was in general easy to work with and Hill (prior to the reinforcement issue) had a well earned reputation as PITA, too - not just Hampton backing off on this particular incident.

Lee seems like Washington to me when it comes to temper. A well controled temper, not a mild one.
 
Name HOOD, John "Bell"
Born June 1 1831, Owingsville KY
Died August 30 1879, New Orleans LA
Pre-War Profession 1853 West Point, frontier duty with 2nd Cavalry, resigned April 1861.
War Service 1861 1st Lt. of cavalry, recruitment duty, Yorktown, May 1862 Brig. Gen. in command of the Texas Brigade, served under G W Smith in the Peninsula campaign, commanded Hood’s Bde/Whiting's Divn at Seven Days, commanded Hood’s Bde/Evans' Divn at Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, October 1862 Maj. Gen., commanded Hood’s Divn/Longstreet's Corps, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg (w), Chickamauga (w), leg amputated, February 1864 Lt. Gen., commanded Hood’s Corps in Atlanta campaign, schemed to replace Johnston, ordered to replace Johnston at Atlanta with temporary rank of General, Jonesboro, Franklin, Nashville, January 1865 relieved at his own request.
Post War Career Unsuccessful businessman, wrote memoirs, died of yellow fever.
Notes A rash fighter, he performed well in subordinate roles, but not as an army commander.


Name MCLAWS, Lafayette
Born January 15 1821, Augusta GA
Died July 24 1897, Savannah GA
Pre-War Profession Graduated West Point 1842, Mexican War, resigned March 1861.
War Service 1861 organised 10th Georgia - June 1861 Col., September 1861 Brig. Gen., served under Magruder in the Peninsula campaign, May 1862 Maj. Gen., commanded McLaws’ Divn in Longstreet's command, Seven Days, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Knoxville, relieved of his command by Longstreet, transferred to Georgia, defense of Savannah, served under J E Johnston in Carolinas campaign.
Post War Career Insurance agent, internal revenue collector, postmaster.
Notes

Noteworthy individuals under Longstreet:

Name ALEXANDER, Edward Porter
Born May 26 1835, Washington GA
Died April 28 1910, Savannah GA
Pre-War Profession Graduated West Point 1857, instructor at West Point, Utah expedition.
War Service June 1861 Capt. of Engineers, signal officer at First Manassas, Lt. Col. and chief of ordnance of ANV, December 1862 Col., chief of artillery in Longstreet's Corps, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Knoxville, February 1864 Brig. Gen., Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg (w), Appomattox.
Post War Career Professor of Engineering, railroad president, wrote memoirs.
Notes Commanded the barrage before Pickett's charge
Further reading
Alexander, E. Porter Fighting for the Confederacy : the personal recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander, edited by Gary W. Gallagher. Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, c1989
Alexander, E. Porter Military memoirs of a Confederate : a critical narrative. New York, Da Capo Press, 1993
Golay, Michael To Gettysburg and beyond : the parallel lives of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Edward Porter Alexander. New York, Crown Publishers, c1994
Klein, Maury Edward Porter Alexander. Athens GA, University of Georgia Press 1971


Name ANDERSON, George Thomas "Tige"
Born February 3 1824, Covington GA
Died April 4 1901, Anniston AL
Pre-War Profession Mexican War, Regular Army 1855-58
War Service 1861 Col. of 11th Georgia, commanded a brigade in D R Jones' division during Seven Days, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Brig. Gen. November 1862, commanded Anderson’s Bde/Hood's Divn at Fredericksburg, Suffolk, Gettysburg (w), Chickamauga, Knoxville, commanded Anderson’s Bde/Field’s Divn at Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Appomattox.
Post War Career Freight agent, police chief, tax collector
Notes
----------------------------
Name ANDERSON, Richard Heron "Fightin' Dick"
Born October 7 1821, Sumter Cty SC
Died June 26 1879, Beaufort SC
Pre-War Profession Graduated West Point 1842, 2nd Dragoons, Mexican War, resigned December 1860.
War Service March 1861 Col. of 1st South Carolina, Fort Sumter, commanded at Charleston, July 1862 Brig. Gen., Pensacola, commanded Longstreet’s Divn at Seven Pines, commanded Anderson’s Bde/Longstreet’s Divn in Seven Days, Maj. Gen. July 1862, commanded Anderson’s Divn/Longstreet's Corps at Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, commanded II Corps at Spotsylvania, May 1864 Lt. Gen., Cold Harbor, commanded Bushrod Johnson’s Divn at Sayler's Creek.
Post War Career State phosphate agent
Notes
----------------
Name ARMISTEAD, Lewis Addison
Born February 18 1817, New Bern NC
Died July 5 1863, Gettysburg PA
Pre-War Profession West Point (dismissed 1836), 1839 commissioned Lt. in 6th Infantry, Mexican War, resigned US Army 1861.
War Service March 1861 Col. of 57th Virginia, Western Virginia campaign, April 1862 Brig. Gen., commanded Armistead’s Bde/Huger's Divn at Seven Pines, Seven Days, Second Manassas, commanded Armistead’s Bde/R H Anderson's Divn at Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, commanded Armistead’s Bde/Pickett's Divn at Gettysburg (mw).
Notes Reached the cannons on Cemetery Ridge before being wounded.
--------
Name BARKSDALE, William
Born August 21 1821, Smyrna TN
Died July 3 1863, Gettysburg PA
Pre-War Profession Editor, Mexican War, US Congressman
War Service March 1861 Quartermaster General of Mississippi, Col. of 13th Mississippi, First Manassas, Peninsula campaign, Seven Days, August 1862 Brig. Gen., commanded Barksdale’s Bde/McLaws' Divn, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg (mw).
Notes He led from the front.
-----------------
Name BENNING, Henry Lewis “Old Rock”
Born April 2 1814, Columbia Cty GA
Died July 10 1875, Columbus GA
Pre-War Profession Lawyer, judge, politician
War Service August 1861 Col. of 17th Georgia, Seven Days, Second Manassas, commanded Toombs' brigade at Sharpsburg and Fredericksburg, March 1863 Brig. Gen., commanded Benning’s Bde/Hood's Divn at Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Knoxville, commanded B enning’s Bde/Field's Divn in Wilderness (w), Petersburg, Appomattox.
Post War Career Lawyer
Notes Known as "Old Rock"
---------------------
Name DEARING, James
Born April 25 1840, Campbell Cty VA
Died April 23 1865, Lynchburg VA
Pre-War Profession West Point - appointed 1858, resigned 1861.
War Service 1861 Lt. in Washington Artillery, Peninsula, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Maj., commanded a Battalion in Longstreet's artillery, Gettysburg, commanded Pickett's cavalry in North Carolina, April 1864 Lt. Col. in command of Horse Artillery of ANV, April 1864 Brig. Gen., commanded Dearing’s Bde/W H F Lee’s Divn at Petersburg, near Appomattox (mw).
Notes Last confederate general to die of wounds received in action.
Further reading
Parker, William L General James Dearing, CSA Lynchburg VA, H.E. Howard 1990
--------------------------------------
Name FRY, Birkett Davenport
Born June 24 1822, Kanawha Cty WV
Died January 21 1891, Richmond VA
Pre-War Profession West Point class of 1846 but did not graduate, Mexican War, filibustered in Nicaragua, cotton manufacturer.
War Service July 1861 Col. of 13th Alabama, Seven Pines (w), Sharpsburg (w), Chancellorsville (w), Gettysburg, Pickett's Charge (w,c), exchanged after nine months, May 1864 Brig. Gen., commanded Walker’s and Archer’s Bdes/Heth’s Divn at Cold Harbor, commanded walker’s Bde/Heth’s Divn at Petersburg, commanded a district in South Carolina and Georgia.
Post War Career Emigrated to Cuba, returned 1868, businessman.
Notes
------------------------------
Name GARNETT, Richard Brooke
Born November 21 1817, Essex Cty VA
Died July 3 1863, Gettysburg PA
Pre-War Profession Graduated West Point 1841, Seminole war, resigned May 1861.
War Service 1861 Maj. in Confederate army, November 1861 Brig. Gen. in Provisional Army, commanded Stonewall Bde in Shenandoah Valley campaign, Kernstown (charged but not tried by Jackson), commanded Garnett’s Bde/Pickett’s Divn at South Mountain, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg , Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg (k).
Notes At Gettysburg, he was too ill to walk and rode at the head of his troops.
continued
 
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