http://www.loyno.edu/~history/journal/documents/josh.PDF
No General in Civil War history saw his post-bellum reputation plummet farther or faster than
Confederate General James Longstreet. The man who outranked even Stonewall Jackson in the
army of Northern Virginia, was subsequently ostracized by his old comrades because he dared to
join the hated Republican party after Appomattox. By throwing his lot in with a bi-racial party of
African Americans, northerners, and other supporters of Reconstruction, he was seen as a traitor to
the white Southern cause. Had Longstreet remained aloof from the political sphere, he would have
entered into the pantheon of Confederate heroes at the side of Jackson and the deified Lee. Instead,
while living in New Orleans he chose a very different path. Unraveling this mystery and seeking the
General’s motivations for this self-destructive political shift is a challenge requiring careful
examination. In this way it becomes clear that James Longstreet voiced his unpopular opinions
because he honestly believed that in cooperating with the Union the South could be more swiftly
healed.
Joe