Longstreet Ever heard this name for the war?

[lelliott19]

Of the many names for the war, here's one I hadn't heard before - from a letter written by General Longstreet to Thomas J Goree, dated February 18, 1885.

Gainesville, Ga
18th Feby. 1885

Capt T J Goree
Huntsville, Tex
My Dear Captain

I will ask as a great favor that you will occupy your spare time in jotting down your recollections of our campaigns campaigns [sic] during the late Civil Struggle for me. I expect to write all of my experience of the war, and your retentive and accurate memory will be of great service to me if you can let me have your assistance. I shall be glad to get all that you can send me of facts of your own knowledge and of reports, or hearsay points, as all may assist my memory in weaving the actual facts into narration. My mind was so occupied in active operations, that as soon as one thing was accomplished or passed, I dismissed it from my mind, and in that way shall overlook many interesting and minor details if I can get no assistance from you. Give me any incident connected with General Lee and myself, as these will particularly aid me in recalling events- I will say that you cannot give me more than I need if you give the daily and hourly occurrences of every part of four years.

Very Truly Yours,
James Longstreet
Send me the matter as you put it down without waiting to complete the whole

<<<< Here it is.
@Andersonh1 this may be of interest to you and your "list"

 

[huskerblitz]

New to me as well.

 

[John Winn]

That's new for me. It's close to the classic "the late unpleasantness". I kind of like it although I still think "war of rebellion" is most descriptive.

 

[FarawayFriend]

I have never heard that name before either - but wow, a great find, that letter written by General Longstreet!

But something else also strikes me here ...
The good general says in his letter to Goree: "My mind was so occupied in active operations, that as soon as one thing was accomplished or passed, I dismissed it from my mind, and in that way shall overlook many interesting and minor details if I can get no assistance from you. "

While in the preface of his book "From Manassas to Appomattox", published in 1896, he says that he is "so constituted, temperamentally" that he almost exactly recalls every detail of the "great struggle" and therefore the delay of 30 years did no damage to his memory ... interestingly, here he also avoids the word "war" .

https://archive.org/details/frommanassastoap00long_0

I think Goree will not have taken offence, as he was always the loyal friend, but now I have to wonder how much of the events described in his book really was remembered by Longstreet and how much originated from the memory of Goree ...

 

[Study the Past]

That's a new one for me as well, neat stuff.

Very good letter, indeed! Always enjoy reading anything pertaining to Longstreet and his staff.

 

[JOHN42768]

I believe at that point in time, He saw the hand writing on the wall. He knew the war was now a lost cause,but to accept it in his mind was a real struggle. His astuteness in seeking assistance to keep track of details for all the events that had happened points to his awareness that History needed a record of what transpired. "Struggle" to me doesn't seem to be to far a stretch for War at all.

 

[Drew]

Struggle indeed, great find!

 

[lelliott19]

Thanks for all the replies. Until I found Longstreet's letter in the OP, I had never heard the civil war referenced by the name "late Civil Struggle" before either. Here's the google N-gram comparison 1855-1920 for the three terms - Late Civil Struggle, Late Unpleasantness, and War of the Rebellion - although since Google N-gram only scans books, "War of the Rebellion" probably has many results referencing the Official Records? Leave it to Longstreet to use a term that no one else was using much.

@War Horse @Podad did you guys see this thread? Better start at the OP.

 

[War Horse]

I have never heard that name before either - but wow, a great find, that letter written by General Longstreet!

But something else also strikes me here ...
The good general says in his letter to Goree: "My mind was so occupied in active operations, that as soon as one thing was accomplished or passed, I dismissed it from my mind, and in that way shall overlook many interesting and minor details if I can get no assistance from you. "

While in the preface of his book "From Manassas to Appomattox", published in 1896, he says that he is "so constituted, temperamentally" that he almost exactly recalls every detail of the "great struggle" and therefore the delay of 30 years did no damage to his memory ... interestingly, here he also avoids the word "war" .

View attachment 124611
https://archive.org/details/frommanassastoap00long_0

I think Goree will not have taken offence, as he was always the loyal friend, but now I have to wonder how much of the events described in his book really was remembered by Longstreet and how much originated from the memory of Goree ...

You have to remember, he sent most of his records to Lee and then a lot of others were damaged in a fire. He had to rely on his subordinates to supply him with the facts. Through kindness and an act of God his records were gone.

 

[AndyHall]

The term "civil struggle" in reference to the war appears in a number of both northern and southern newspapers, going back to 1861. I think they were all trying to figure out exactly what to call it.

 

[huskerblitz]

The term "civil struggle" in reference to the war appears in a number of both northern and southern newspapers, going back to 1861. I think they were all trying to figure out exactly what to call it.

I was amazed when I see ads in Kentucky newspapers advertising books on the History of the Civil War...and this was in the years during the war!

 

[JOHN42768]

I was amazed when I see ads in Kentucky newspapers advertising books on the History of the Civil War...and this was in the years during the war!

"The early bird gets the worm"

 

[huskerblitz]

"The early bird gets the worm"

I suppose so. Not sure if the ad is one any of the pages I've saved, but I think it was a book publisher wanting people to pre-order from them. I'll look to see if I can find the ad. I've come across it a number of times in either a Frankfort or Louisville paper.

 

[John S. Carter]

That's new for me. It's close to the classic "the late unpleasantness". I kind of like i"t although I still think "war of rebellion" is most descriptive.

"War of Southern Independence" .Rebellion is rather negative from a Southern view.

 

[John Winn]

"War of Southern Independence" .Rebellion is rather negative from a Southern view.

Well, as a southerner, I can only say that in my view 'rebellion' is the most accurate. But I am happy for you to use whatever seems most accurate to you. The war, whatever we call it, is over.