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Righting the Longstreet Record at Gettysburg: Six Matters of Controversy and Confusion
Following up on the award-winning Longstreet at Gettysburg , this collection of new essays addresses some of the persistent questions regarding Confederate General James Longstreet's performance at the Battle of Gettysburg. Influential interpretations of his actions are evaluated for historical accuracy, drawing on often overlooked primary source material. Points of contention about Longstreet's July 2, 1863, attack are examined, along with the roots of the Longstreet-Gettysburg Controversy and the merits of Helen Longstreet's early 20th century attempt to address it.
- GenresCivil War
214 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2023
11 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Cory M. Pfarr
3 books6 followersCory M. Pfarr works for the Department of Defense. He is the author of the award-winning Longstreet at Gettysburg: A Critical Reassessment (McFarland Publishers, 2019), Righting the Longstreet Record at Gettysburg: Six Matters of Controversy and Confusion (McFarland, 2023), in addition to John Quincy Adams's Republicanism: "A Thousand Obstacles Apparently Stand Before Us" (Massachusetts Historical Society, 2014). He is an associate editor for North & South Magazine, has written articles for North & South Magazine and Gettysburg Magazine, and appeared on the Pennsylvania Cable Network and C-SPAN American History TV. He lives in Fallston, Maryland with his wife and four kids.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 6, 2023
Review – Cory’s Book
The fight at the Peach Orchard and Longstreet’s two-division assault against the Union left flank at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, never fails to conjure strong emotions and perspectives from students of the Civil War. “I believe it is now conceded that the advanced position at the Peach Orchard,” wrote James Longstreet to his friend, Daniel Sickles after the war, “taken by your corps and under your orders saved that battlefield to the Union cause” (p. 31). Civil War buffs can now enjoy Cory Pfarr’s latest book on Longstreet at Gettysburg, his second book titled Righting the Longstreet Record at Gettysburg: Six Matters of Controversy and Confusion. His 2019 publication Longstreet at Gettysburg: A Critical Reassessment received wide acclaim. Cory currently lives in Maryland and works for the Department of Defense.
A visit to the Gettysburg National Military Park can be a thrilling experience. The iconic and memorialized features such as the Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, Little Round Top, and Pickett’s Charge can instill strong sensations about our rich historical past. Students of the battle often grapple with decisions made by Lee and Meade, both positive and negative. One individual who stirs strong emotions among Civil War enthusiasts is Lee’s “Old Warhorse,” James Longstreet. In Cory’s first book, he cast a wide net in his overall assessment of Longstreet’s performance at Gettysburg. His second book provides a much more nuanced and focused series of essays on six major subjects that generate strong debate in the world of Civil War enthusiasts. These subjects include:
(1) The Reverend Jones Pens an Essay: Examining the Roots of the Longstreet-Gettysburg Controversy
(2) A Letter to General Sickles: Longstreet’s July 2 Attack
(3) The Force of Circumstances: Reconnaissance Activities on Longstreet’s Front, July 2
(4) A Severe Case: Diagnosing the Treatment of Longstreet’s Countermarch
(5) Under Hill or Longstreet? Anderson’s Division on July 2
(6) Suppressed No More: Helen Longstreet’s Lee and Longstreet at High Tide
Cory conducts a detailed analysis of all six of these issues, using a variety of primary sources, oftentimes juxtaposed against reputable and time-honored secondary sources. Of course, much of the criticism of Longstreet’s actions or inactions at Gettysburg came to breath after the war and Lee’s passing in October 1870, which Cory goes into some depth throughout the book. Author/historian/Podcaster and Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide, James Hessler, concisely identified the main theme of the book in his foreword. As Cory spoke, Hessler explained, on the contents of his first book, “[he] found himself often directed to certain common topics during question-and-answer sessions or reader interactions. Pfarr believed that public confusion on these topics (those listed above) often stemmed from misleading assertions published in popular battle histories. To address these concerns, Pfarr has crafted six new Longstreet-related essays for this volume.”
Anyone acquainted with the Battle of Gettysburg certainly is familiar with the Longstreet-was-slow-on-July 2nd discussion. That Longstreet pressed to move around the Union left and pouted the rest of the day when he did not get his way. Cory does an excellent job addressing this very issue, laying out a solid, well-referenced argument that refutes or at least gives one cause to reconsider Longstreet’s actions on that Thursday. As Cory pointed out there is little historical record that describes Longstreet’s every movement in the morning and afternoon hours of July 2nd. Consequently, many historians have filled in those gaps on what Longstreet may or may not have been doing. Accordingly, “historians should not assume that absence necessarily translates into inactivity, talking to no one, or examining nothing” (p. 67). In fact, in the morning and early afternoon hours of July 2, there were multiple reconnaissance operations in place. Captain Samuel Johnston’s dawn mission around the Round Tops typically attracts the most attention. Yet, as Cory pointed out, “nearly all historians have solely drawn attention to Johnston’s early morning reconnaissance, not his late-morning-to-early-afternoon assignment to locate a concealed route” (p. 76). This subject alone, these reconnaissance missions, is well worth the read alone for this new body of work.
Another part of that fateful July 2nd that draws reflection is the actions by Major General Daniel Sickles and moving his III Corps out to the Peach Orchard along the Emmitsburg Road. While this review will not dive into exact details here on this subject, Cory summarizes his findings that “In essence, Longstreet held that Sickles’ presence and resistance at the Peach Orchard not only drew blood, but created a temporary buffer that served to buy the Federals critical time for reinforcements to arrive” (P. 34). The movement of Sickles and the “magnetism” (p. 65) of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters near Big Round Top and Lee’s reaction to these movements make for intriguing reading as Cory makes his case for the afternoon of July 2nd. Sickles added, “I simply advanced out on the battlefield and seized Longstreet by the throat and held him there” (p. 64).
In closing, Cory Pfarr’s book Righting the Longstreet Record at Gettysburg: Six Matters of Controversy and Confusion offers the reader an excellent examination through the use of primary and secondary sources. Any serious Civil War or Gettysburg enthusiast should place this book on their shelf, next to their frayed copies of Coddington, Sears, Trudeau, or Pfanz. And when visiting the Gettysburg National Military Park or simply doing their own research, they’d be richly rewarded using this book as their reference. This book does not disappoint and bequeaths reasoned logic through research and examination, leaving the reader with a much clearer understanding and appreciation of Lee’s “Old Warhorse,” James Longstreet at Gettysburg.
The fight at the Peach Orchard and Longstreet’s two-division assault against the Union left flank at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, never fails to conjure strong emotions and perspectives from students of the Civil War. “I believe it is now conceded that the advanced position at the Peach Orchard,” wrote James Longstreet to his friend, Daniel Sickles after the war, “taken by your corps and under your orders saved that battlefield to the Union cause” (p. 31). Civil War buffs can now enjoy Cory Pfarr’s latest book on Longstreet at Gettysburg, his second book titled Righting the Longstreet Record at Gettysburg: Six Matters of Controversy and Confusion. His 2019 publication Longstreet at Gettysburg: A Critical Reassessment received wide acclaim. Cory currently lives in Maryland and works for the Department of Defense.
A visit to the Gettysburg National Military Park can be a thrilling experience. The iconic and memorialized features such as the Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, Little Round Top, and Pickett’s Charge can instill strong sensations about our rich historical past. Students of the battle often grapple with decisions made by Lee and Meade, both positive and negative. One individual who stirs strong emotions among Civil War enthusiasts is Lee’s “Old Warhorse,” James Longstreet. In Cory’s first book, he cast a wide net in his overall assessment of Longstreet’s performance at Gettysburg. His second book provides a much more nuanced and focused series of essays on six major subjects that generate strong debate in the world of Civil War enthusiasts. These subjects include:
(1) The Reverend Jones Pens an Essay: Examining the Roots of the Longstreet-Gettysburg Controversy
(2) A Letter to General Sickles: Longstreet’s July 2 Attack
(3) The Force of Circumstances: Reconnaissance Activities on Longstreet’s Front, July 2
(4) A Severe Case: Diagnosing the Treatment of Longstreet’s Countermarch
(5) Under Hill or Longstreet? Anderson’s Division on July 2
(6) Suppressed No More: Helen Longstreet’s Lee and Longstreet at High Tide
Cory conducts a detailed analysis of all six of these issues, using a variety of primary sources, oftentimes juxtaposed against reputable and time-honored secondary sources. Of course, much of the criticism of Longstreet’s actions or inactions at Gettysburg came to breath after the war and Lee’s passing in October 1870, which Cory goes into some depth throughout the book. Author/historian/Podcaster and Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide, James Hessler, concisely identified the main theme of the book in his foreword. As Cory spoke, Hessler explained, on the contents of his first book, “[he] found himself often directed to certain common topics during question-and-answer sessions or reader interactions. Pfarr believed that public confusion on these topics (those listed above) often stemmed from misleading assertions published in popular battle histories. To address these concerns, Pfarr has crafted six new Longstreet-related essays for this volume.”
Anyone acquainted with the Battle of Gettysburg certainly is familiar with the Longstreet-was-slow-on-July 2nd discussion. That Longstreet pressed to move around the Union left and pouted the rest of the day when he did not get his way. Cory does an excellent job addressing this very issue, laying out a solid, well-referenced argument that refutes or at least gives one cause to reconsider Longstreet’s actions on that Thursday. As Cory pointed out there is little historical record that describes Longstreet’s every movement in the morning and afternoon hours of July 2nd. Consequently, many historians have filled in those gaps on what Longstreet may or may not have been doing. Accordingly, “historians should not assume that absence necessarily translates into inactivity, talking to no one, or examining nothing” (p. 67). In fact, in the morning and early afternoon hours of July 2, there were multiple reconnaissance operations in place. Captain Samuel Johnston’s dawn mission around the Round Tops typically attracts the most attention. Yet, as Cory pointed out, “nearly all historians have solely drawn attention to Johnston’s early morning reconnaissance, not his late-morning-to-early-afternoon assignment to locate a concealed route” (p. 76). This subject alone, these reconnaissance missions, is well worth the read alone for this new body of work.
Another part of that fateful July 2nd that draws reflection is the actions by Major General Daniel Sickles and moving his III Corps out to the Peach Orchard along the Emmitsburg Road. While this review will not dive into exact details here on this subject, Cory summarizes his findings that “In essence, Longstreet held that Sickles’ presence and resistance at the Peach Orchard not only drew blood, but created a temporary buffer that served to buy the Federals critical time for reinforcements to arrive” (P. 34). The movement of Sickles and the “magnetism” (p. 65) of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters near Big Round Top and Lee’s reaction to these movements make for intriguing reading as Cory makes his case for the afternoon of July 2nd. Sickles added, “I simply advanced out on the battlefield and seized Longstreet by the throat and held him there” (p. 64).
In closing, Cory Pfarr’s book Righting the Longstreet Record at Gettysburg: Six Matters of Controversy and Confusion offers the reader an excellent examination through the use of primary and secondary sources. Any serious Civil War or Gettysburg enthusiast should place this book on their shelf, next to their frayed copies of Coddington, Sears, Trudeau, or Pfanz. And when visiting the Gettysburg National Military Park or simply doing their own research, they’d be richly rewarded using this book as their reference. This book does not disappoint and bequeaths reasoned logic through research and examination, leaving the reader with a much clearer understanding and appreciation of Lee’s “Old Warhorse,” James Longstreet at Gettysburg.
September 3, 2023
A follow-up to his brilliant, Longstreet at Gettysburg (McFarland, 2019), Cory Pfarr once more takes on the myths and misinformation surrounding Lieutenant General James Longstreet and his performance at the Battle of Gettysburg. Published as a series of essays, these controversies are systematically broken down as he delves into the origins of each, exposing where the rumor and bias of the controversy originated from.
James Longstreet did not do himself any favors when he supported the Grant Administration after the war and became a Republican. Easily the most prominent former Confederate to do so, Longstreet’s supposed “betrayal” of the South, and his support for rights for the formally enslaved, earned him the ire of influential former Confederates, such as Jubal Early, and institutions such as the Southern Historical Society.
How the controversy was established is looked at in depth in the first essay. How it even began is very much up for debate, but the author lays out a compelling argument for how a post-war interview Longstreet gave in 1866, was misconstrued as an attack on Robert E. Lee’s generalship. This in turn opened a flood of criticism from those who had served in the Army of Northern Virginia following Lee’s death in 1870. The ensuing war of words continued primarily through newspaper articles, but also the papers of the Southern Historical Society and the essays of the Confederate Veteran’s journal.
Pfarr’s second essay was a surprise as it dove into the post war friendship between Longstreet and Major General Daniel Sickles. While friendships between former Civil War adversaries is nothing new, the candor of their letters and the mutual benefit these men received from each other, was. This went as far as Longstreet publicly agreeing with Sickles about his advance to the Peach Orchard and that positions importance to delaying the Confederate advance on July 2. The generals supported each other regarding their decisions on July 2, 1863, in both their post war writings and speeches.
The third essay begins a series of writings relating to Longstreet’s movements on July 2. How the movements in preparation for Longstreet’s assault have been misunderstood by both the general’s contemporaries and modern historians alike, as well as the timing of the assault.
Continuing this topic, the fourth and fifth essays take traditional narratives, as well as the modern historians who have parroted them, to task for the controversies surrounding the movement of Longstreet’s Corps during the second day of Gettysburg. The fourth essay deals with the march itself and how it has been misinterpreted since it occurred. The fifth, with confusion in the narrative regarding Longstreet’s order of battle and the use of Major General Richard H. Anderson’s Third Corps division.
Finally, Cory Pfarr brings forward Helen Dortch Longstreet, James Longstreet’s second wife and defender of his wartime record. The author argues that this remarkable woman, who worked as a riveter during World War 2, and her defense of Longstreet is just as valid a source as any other post war writing by those who wished to damage Longstreet’s image.
All of these subjects are covered in immense detail and those who are interested in the complexities and a defense of James Longstreet are encouraged to look into this work, you won’t regret it.
James Longstreet did not do himself any favors when he supported the Grant Administration after the war and became a Republican. Easily the most prominent former Confederate to do so, Longstreet’s supposed “betrayal” of the South, and his support for rights for the formally enslaved, earned him the ire of influential former Confederates, such as Jubal Early, and institutions such as the Southern Historical Society.
How the controversy was established is looked at in depth in the first essay. How it even began is very much up for debate, but the author lays out a compelling argument for how a post-war interview Longstreet gave in 1866, was misconstrued as an attack on Robert E. Lee’s generalship. This in turn opened a flood of criticism from those who had served in the Army of Northern Virginia following Lee’s death in 1870. The ensuing war of words continued primarily through newspaper articles, but also the papers of the Southern Historical Society and the essays of the Confederate Veteran’s journal.
Pfarr’s second essay was a surprise as it dove into the post war friendship between Longstreet and Major General Daniel Sickles. While friendships between former Civil War adversaries is nothing new, the candor of their letters and the mutual benefit these men received from each other, was. This went as far as Longstreet publicly agreeing with Sickles about his advance to the Peach Orchard and that positions importance to delaying the Confederate advance on July 2. The generals supported each other regarding their decisions on July 2, 1863, in both their post war writings and speeches.
The third essay begins a series of writings relating to Longstreet’s movements on July 2. How the movements in preparation for Longstreet’s assault have been misunderstood by both the general’s contemporaries and modern historians alike, as well as the timing of the assault.
Continuing this topic, the fourth and fifth essays take traditional narratives, as well as the modern historians who have parroted them, to task for the controversies surrounding the movement of Longstreet’s Corps during the second day of Gettysburg. The fourth essay deals with the march itself and how it has been misinterpreted since it occurred. The fifth, with confusion in the narrative regarding Longstreet’s order of battle and the use of Major General Richard H. Anderson’s Third Corps division.
Finally, Cory Pfarr brings forward Helen Dortch Longstreet, James Longstreet’s second wife and defender of his wartime record. The author argues that this remarkable woman, who worked as a riveter during World War 2, and her defense of Longstreet is just as valid a source as any other post war writing by those who wished to damage Longstreet’s image.
All of these subjects are covered in immense detail and those who are interested in the complexities and a defense of James Longstreet are encouraged to look into this work, you won’t regret it.
January 3, 2025
This is an excellent series of six essays on Longstreet at Gettysburg. It follows his excellent book, Longstreet at Gettysburg, by examining in detail many of the questions he received while on the lecture circuit promoting the first book. It is very well written and researched. Again, the only downside I found was the use of endnotes instead of footnotes. This is obviously a quirk of the publisher instead of the author. It hurts in these two books and the author is dismantling mythology and supplanting it with verifiable first person accounts. Being able to verify his assertions is hampered by having to always refer to the back of the book rather than the bottom of the page. It is very disruptive. An excellent book.
November 15, 2023
This is a fantastic follow-up to Longstreet at Gettysburg that gets to the heart of many of the controversies surrounding the General and others in the AoNV. While firmly on the side of Longstreet in many of the essays, the author takes an academic view that is credibly sourced to dismantle historic Lost Cause mythology. Some of my favorite essays were on the 2 July reconnaissance and the final essay on Helen Longstreet and her defense of her husband.
August 12, 2023
General Longstreet has long been the perfect scapegoat for Lost Cause apologists. This second volume continues the author’s systematic demolition of the negative criticism of the general, which his contemporaries (with their own agendas, not least of which was elevating R. E. Lee to near-deity status) and which later historians and authors perpetuated. It is gratifying that assiduous attention to primary source records of individual, governmental and military does much to shed light on this man so unfairly vilified and rectify his place in history. Well researched and written.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews