Joe, I;m not an apologist for Ol' Pete, but my folks served in his corps. He was not widely denigrated until after Lee died. Apparently at least some people believed Lee would have defended longstreet. Grant was Longstreet's best friend at the Point, and was introduced to his wife, julia Dent, by Longstreet, her 4th cousin. Longstreet was best man at their wedding. Those family and friendship ties, and his treatment after the war, might account to some degree for his post war career. Stan