Commentary

The following chronology of the major events in Longstreet's life were forwarded to me by John Longstreet Rhymes, a descendant of Sarah Jane Longstreet, James Longstreet's youngest sister.

Document


        T I M E   L I N E         James Longstreet              1105.C
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        1821    Born on paternal grandfather's plantation near
                Edgefield, South Carolina on January 8th
                Returned home near Gainesville, Georgia
        1830    Went to live with Uncle Augustus as prot‚g‚
        1833    His father died in cholera epidemic.
                When Mother & family moved to Somerville, AL, he
                remained with his uncle Augustus in Augusta, GA
        1838    Received appointment to US Military Academy
                Superb physique, voted Most Hamdsome Cadet
        1842    Graduated, 54th of 56. Breveted 2nd Lt. US Army
                Assigned to Fourth Infantry, Jefferson Barracks,
                Missouri, Col John Garland, Commanding
        1842    Severely wounded at Chapultepec in War with Mexico,
                promoted to Major
        1848    Married Maria Louisa Garland, March 8, Lynchburg, VA
        1848    John Garland Longstreet born December 26
        1862    Three of their four children, Augustus, James &
                Mary Anne, all died in Richmond of scarlet fever
        1862    Brilliant performance at Antietam, September
        1862    With Lee at Fredericksburg, defeated Burnside
        1863    Gettysburg, July 1-3, Pickett's bloody charge
        1863    Chickamauga, large-scale Confederate victory
        1864    Near fatal wound in the neck at the Wilderness,
        1865    With General Lee at Appomattox, April 9
        1866    Longstreet, Owen & Co, cotton brokers in New Orleans
        1870    Appointed Louisiana Adjutant General
        1874    New Orleans, riot, September 14
        1878    Appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, GA
        1879    Appointed Postmaster, Gainesville, GA
        1880    Appointed US Minister (Ambassador) to Turkey, May
        1881    Appointed United States Marshall, GA -1884
        1884    Extremely active writing and lecturing
        1889    His wife, Maria Louisa, died on December 29
        1892    His house burned with "every relic he had of the war"
        1896    Published his memoirs "From Manassas to Appomattox"
        1897    Married Helen Dortch in Governor's Mansion, Atlanta
        1898    Appointed US Commissioner of Railroads in January
        1904    Died in Gainesville, Georgia on January 2
                Buried in Alta Vista Cemetery, Gainesville, on the 6th
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Source: John L Rhymes