Longstreet James Longstreet's Memorial at Gettysburg, The Entire Story Of How Today's Monument Came To Be.

War Horse

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Recently I found myself in Edgefield, SC doing some research for a project a good friend is doing on the Battle of Aiken, SC. While at the Edgefield historical Society I became a little sidetracked. Knowing Edgefield as the Birthplace of General James Longstreet, I decided to do a little research of my own. What I found was a treasure trove of information. I intended to find new material on his formative years (which I did) I found so much information on the general it will take me some time to sift through it all. The following is the information I was lucky enough to find pertaining to the Longstreet Gettysburg Memorial. The first one that was approved and delayed by the outbreak of WWII and the one we enjoy today. I hope you enjoy this information. I am very grateful that my friend who gave me the kick in the butt that I needed to explore South Carolina's rich CW history.

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Much more to come later. I'm just wetting your appetite :smile:
 
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Btw, I have never seen that painting before!
And although the present Longstreet Memorial is questionable at best and the one shown in the article is much more impressive, it looks a lot like the Lee memorial.

A North Carolina SCV camp sponsored the Longstreet Gettysburg monument. While they did get donations from other sources including our SCV camp, Such a project is too much for the average camp. You are not going to get a Gutson Borglum class sculptor (North Carolina Monument) selling books and T-shirts. It's no wonder the general's horse looks like a Shetland pony. Another North Carolina camp sponsored the Joseph E. Johnston monument at Bentonville. They did a lot better with donations including a $10,000 donation from one of their members-- a retired veterinarian.
 
A North Carolina SCV camp sponsored the Longstreet Gettysburg monument. While they did get donations from other sources including our SCV camp, Such a project is too much for the average camp. You are not going to get a Gutson Borglum class sculptor (North Carolina Monument) selling books and T-shirts. It's no wonder the general's horse looks like a Shetland pony. Another North Carolina camp sponsored the Joseph E. Johnston monument at Bentonville. They did a lot better with donations including a $10,000 donation from one of their members-- a retired veterinarian.[/

Agreed.
 
Here is an article that any Longstreet fan will get chills reading :smile:

Wow. What a heck of a retrospective of the history of how old Pete is perceived! To be honest, I had never even heard of old Pete until Killer Angels, and so that I had been indoctrinated in a much more rehabilitated version of Longstreet. I am one of those who worked backwards to discover the vilified version of Longstreet.

I really appreciate you taking the time to put this collection together. We are very very fortunate that you have stepped up and created this wonderful forum for Longstreet.
 
Wow. What a heck of a retrospective of the history of how old Pete is perceived! To be honest, I had never even heard of old Pete until Killer Angels, and so that I had been indoctrinated in a much more rehabilitated version of Longstreet. So I am one of those who worked backwards to discover the vilified version of Longstreet.

I really appreciate you taking the time to put this collection together. We are very very fortunate that you have stepped up and created this wonderful forum for Longstreet.
You are to kind :smile:
 
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Wow. What a heck of a retrospective of the history of how old Pete is perceived! To be honest, I had never even heard of old Pete until Killer Angels, and so that I had been indoctrinated in a much more rehabilitated version of Longstreet. I am one of those who worked backwards to discover the vilified version of Longstreet.

I really appreciate you taking the time to put this collection together. We are very very fortunate that you have stepped up and created this wonderful forum for Longstreet.

Bee, I don't know if you have been following Warhorse's other thread on Longstreet, but in case you haven't here is a link to a Stephen Sears article that I dug up in defense of Old Pete against that "disobeying orders" BS that some will not let go of.

http://www.americanheritage.com/content/general-longstreet-and-lost-cause?page=show
 
Recently I found myself in Edgefield, SC doing some research for a project a good friend is doing on the Battle of Aiken, SC. While at the Edgefield historical Society I became a little sidetracked. Knowing Edgefield as the Birthplace of General James Longstreet, I decided to do a little research of my own. What I found was a treasure trove of information. I intended to find new material on his formative years (which I did) I found so much information on the general it will take me some time to sift through it all. The following is the information I was lucky enough to find pertaining to the Longstreet Gettysburg Memorial. The first one that was approved and delayed by the outbreak of WWII and the one we enjoy today. I hope you enjoy this information. I am very grateful that my friend who gave me the kick in the butt that I needed to explore South Carolina's rich CW history.

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Much more to come later. I'm just wetting your appetite :smile:
You certainly did that!
Thanks for gathering all of this and sharing it with us!
 
For more about that monument that so many Love to Hate, here is a link to the sculptor's website on its creation.

It's About Time
The Sculpting of the General James Longstreet Memorial
by Gary Casteel

I. The Design
II. The Maquette
III. The Enlargement
IV. The Final Sculpting
V. Epilogue
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The Design
Equestrian. A man and a horse. General James Longstreet and his horse Hero on the field at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. What would they have in common? How did they work in concert to fulfill their respective duties? But, most importantly, how would I design a figurative piece to relay to the visitor of this hallowed ground, the answers to these questions? A chal-lenge, I admit, but one I was more than willing to accept.
http://www.garycasteel.com/longstreet.htm
 
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