Chapter XXIV: Appendix: Longstreet (4)

“Years will only add lustre to his crown.”

The Merrill E. Pratt Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, of Prattville, Alabama, paid a tribute of respect to the memory of General James Longstreet, by adopting the following resolutions:

WHEREAS, Fully cognizant of the fact that there will be many tributes of condolence offered, tributes that thrill with eloquence and lofty sentiment, yet there will be none more sincere or more truly heartfelt than that offered by the Merrill E. Pratt Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy; therefore,

_Resolved_, That in the death of General Longstreet the whole nation lost one of its truest statesmen, while the South lost one of its greatest chieftains and one of its stanchest friends.

_Resolved_, That while we deplore his death, we bless and praise the Glorious Giver for the gift to the Southland of such a patriot as General Longstreet, a patriot whose fame time cannot wear away, and years will only add lustre to his crown.

MRS. JAMES D. RISE,
_President_.
MRS. J. A. PRATT,
_Corresponding Secretary_.

* * * * *

(_Tom Smith Camp._)

“He was the last survivor of the South’s great warriors.”

MR. COMMANDER AND COMRADES,--Your committee appointed at the last meeting of this Camp to draft resolutions expressing our sorrow and grief at the death of Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, respectfully report as follows:

Lieutenant-General Longstreet was the commander of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, and the last survivor of the great warriors upon whom that rank was first conferred when the Confederate armies were organized into corps. He was known as the “Fighting General,” and, with the exception of the battle of Chancellorsville, was with General Lee in all his campaigns from the Seven Days’ fight around Richmond until the war ended at Appomattox, save only when incapacitated a few months by wounds received in the battle of the Wilderness in 1864. He was loved and respected by his soldiers, and the surviving veterans of his corps have always honored their leader and are mourners at his grave.

_Resolved_, That we who knew him and followed him through the dangers and trials of protracted war claim the privilege of paying our tribute of heartfelt sorrow to the memory of our dead commander.

_Resolved_, That we extend to his widow and surviving children our sympathy in their affliction.

_Resolved_, That this memorial be spread upon the records of this Camp, and that a copy be sent to his bereaved family.

THOS. M. SMITH,
J. C. CAUSEY,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_J. E. B. Stuart Camp._)

“General Lee leaned on him as a strong arm of defence.”

In the death of General James Longstreet passes away one of the most prominent generals of the Southern Confederacy. He was born in Edgefield District, South Carolina, January 8, 1821. When ten years old, in 1831, he moved with his mother to Alabama, and from this State he was appointed to the United States Military Academy, from whence he graduated in 1842. He was assigned to duty at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, in 1842-44; on frontier duty at Natchitoches, Louisiana, 1844-45; in the occupation of Texas, 1845-46; and in the war with Mexico. Here he was wounded, was promoted several times for gallantry, his courage being observable on all occasions. He faithfully discharged his duties as an officer of the United States until June 1, 1861, when he resigned and entered the service of the Southern Confederacy. His career is well known to his comrades, and is a part of the glorious history of our Southern cause. He was a brave soldier, a superior officer, brave and true, and one of the hardest fighters of the Army of Northern Virginia. General Lee had implicit confidence in him, and leaned on him as a strong arm of defence in the most desperate fighting and splendid generalship. Longstreet was a man of the front, where he stood to execute orders the most difficult and hazardous, and did not lay aside his sword until his leader surrendered his shattered forces, until there was no more fighting to do. He was cool, deliberate, and yet generous. It became an acknowledged fact that where Longstreet and his brave men were, was sure and desperate fighting. He stood in line of battle ready for engagement when the surrender came, loosening his grip on his faithful sword only when the war had ended.

We honor him for his works’ sake, and bow our heads in memory of his wonderful achievements, his devotedness to duty, and love for our great Southland.

_Resolved_, That this memorial be spread upon the minutes of this Camp, a copy furnished the family of our deceased comrade, and a copy furnished such papers as may wish to publish the same.

Done by order of J. E. B. Stuart Camp, No. 45, U. C. V., Terrell, Texas, January 16, A.D. 1904.

VIC. REINHARDT,
_Adjutant_.

* * * * *

(_Horace King Camp._)

“He was one of the most persistent and determined fighters that
any country ever produced.”

Your committee appointed by Horace King Camp, No. 476, U. C. V., Decatur, Alabama, to prepare resolutions expressive of their profound sorrow at the death of Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, of Confederate army fame, beg leave to report,--

First, That in General Longstreet’s death we have lost one of the bravest generals who fought on either side of the Civil War--one whom the great Lee called the right arm of the Army of Northern Virginia. He was one of the most persistent and determined fighters that any country ever produced.

Second, He was independent, self-reliant, watchful, devoted to the cause he espoused. He never flinched from unexpected difficulties, and showed his readiness to die at his post if need be. He was a man of superb courage. “He not only acted without fear, but he had that fortitude of soul that bears the consequence of the course pursued without complaint.” In the presence of death, the good man judges as he would be judged. In the grave should be buried every prejudice and passion born in conflict of opinion. Fortunate are we, indeed, when we become great enough to know and appreciate the great. Longstreet was brave enough to follow the path of duty as he saw it, no matter where it led. In speaking words of love and praise over his grave, we honor ourselves. May we with gratitude remember the good that he has done. May he rest in peace.

_Resolved_, That a copy of these resolutions be sent the family of the deceased, and that they be spread upon the record of the Camp.

W. W. LITTLEJOHN,
SAMUEL BLACKWELL,
_Committee_.

The foregoing resolutions were adopted by a rising vote of the Camp, January 14, 1904.

W. H. LONG,
_Commander_.
W. R. FRANCIS,
_Adjutant_.

* * * * *

(_New York Highlanders._)

“We had reason to respect him as a foe.”

HEAD-QUARTERS SEVENTY-NINTH REGIMENT,
NEW YORK VOLUNTEER HIGHLANDERS,
VETERAN ASSOCIATION.

WHEREAS, It has come to our knowledge that our esteemed Honorary Member, Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, late of the Confederate army, has passed to that bourne from which no traveller has ever returned; and

WHEREAS, We had reason to respect him as a foe with whom we were often in conflict, and to whom we sometimes had to yield the palm of victory, and especially do we remember the gallant fight he and his tried veterans made at Fort Saunders, Knoxville, East Tennessee, on November 29, 1863, when we were victorious only after he had thrice been repulsed; and

WHEREAS, We also remember with pleasure the reunion of the Blue and the Gray held at Knoxville in 1890, where we again renewed our acquaintance with the General and his gallant band, but under far different and pleasanter circumstances--they were our foes in 1863, our friends in 1890; and we also recall the many hours we passed in his company when we fought our battles over and over again, and where we had the pleasure of placing upon our roll the name of General Longstreet as an honorary member; therefore, be it

_Resolved_, That in his death we feel that there has passed away a gallant soldier and gentleman, who in the conflict and struggle of the Civil War, where so many gave their lives to defend the cause which each espoused, we learned to respect, and in peace we learned to love; and we therefore extend to his widow and family in their bereavement our heartfelt sympathy, committing them to the loving care of the Divine Master, who alone can comfort them in their affliction.

FRANCIS W. JUDGE,
_President_.
CHARLES CRAWFORD,
_Secretary_.

* * * * *

(_Camp Frank Gardner._)

“He won for our armies a world-wide reputation.”

CAMP GENERAL FRANK GARDNER, No. 580, U. C. V.,
LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, January 14th, 1904.

WHEREAS, This is the first meeting of this Camp held since death has claimed as one of its victims the distinguished Confederate soldier, General James Longstreet, who departed this life on the 2d day of January, 1904, at Gainesville, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, This Camp recognizes the great services rendered to the cause by the brilliant soldier, and desires to render its meed of just tribute to the memory of the gallant officer and commander; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That in the death of General James Longstreet we mourn the loss of one of the most illustrious of the great generals who led our armies to victory on many a hard-fought field against almost overwhelming odds, gaining for our devoted armies a world-wide reputation that ranks them among the best soldiers of the age.

_Resolved_, That these resolutions be entered in the records of our Camp as a memento of our admiration and appreciation of this distinguished general and citizen, and that a copy be sent to the family of the deceased.

C. DEBAILLON,
_Captain Commanding_.
P. L. DECLOUET,
_Adjutant_.

* * * * *

(_Pat Cleburne Camp, No. 436._)

“The Gettysburg charges are not supported by authentic history or
satisfactory evidence.”

WHEREAS, It has pleased Almighty God to call to him the immortal soul of General James Longstreet, lieutenant-general in the Army of the Confederate States of America, whose record as a broad-minded citizen and conscientious, upright, and honorable officer in the various civil positions he has held, is only excelled by the great service he rendered his country, as the soldier and general, whose bravery, fortitude, ability, and devotion to duty was excelled by none whose fortunes were cast with his, beneath the “Stars and Bars;” and

WHEREAS, There is among certain ones in the South a disposition to reflect upon his fidelity to the trust imposed upon him at the battle of Gettysburg, and place upon his shoulders the blame for General Lee’s loss of that engagement; be it

_Resolved_, That we deprecate the spirit that would induce one Confederate soldier to stoop from the pedestal upon which history has placed him, to deprive another of the honor to which he is justly entitled.

_Resolved_, That we heartily approve of the course taken during his life by the late General Longstreet,--in ignoring the attacks and calumnies heaped upon him by those who were his comrades in arms,--as showing the true greatness of the man.

_Resolved_, That we further believe, when the true facts are known, an admiring and grateful people will place him second only to the immortal Lee, who, though all the facts were known to him, exhonerated Longstreet from all blame, saying, “The fault is mine.”

_Resolved_, That this Camp do hereby attest its belief in his fidelity, ability, and high moral character, and that the so-called Gettysburg charges are not supported by authentic history or satisfactory evidence.

_Resolved_, That we here extend to the family of General Longstreet our heartfelt sympathy in this, their, and their nation’s loss, and that one copy of these resolutions be mailed to Mrs. James Longstreet, one be printed in our local papers, and another be spread on the minutes of this Camp.

Respectfully submitted,
JAMES R. KEITH.

The above resolutions were adopted by Pat Cleburne Camp, No. 436, U. S. C. V., of Cleburne, Texas, at a regular meeting of that Camp, held on Sunday, January 24, 1904.

JAS. R. KEITH,
_Commandant_.
W. F. BLACK,
_Adjutant_.

* * * * *

(_Pat Cleburne Camp, No 222._)

“He was a true and tried leader of men.”

_To Pat Cleburne Camp, No. 222, Waco, Texas_:

Your committee respectfully recommend the following resolutions as to General Longstreet:

WHEREAS, We have heard with deep regret of the recent death of General James Longstreet, commander forty years ago of the First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate States army; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That in the death of General James Longstreet the country at large has lost a true and tried leader of men, and the Confederate Veterans have parted with a comrade and commander in whom they reposed implicit confidence and one ever ready to defend his cause against any foe, foreign or domestic.

_Resolved_, That the war that has been and is being waged on the military record of General Longstreet for failure to do his duty at the battle of Gettysburg is not in keeping, in our opinion, with the record as it is made up from the reports of General Lee, commander-in-chief of the Confederate army in that conflict. If General Longstreet had failed to execute the orders of General Lee, and been the cause of the defeat of the Confederate army, as is charged, we believe he would have been court-martialed and dismissed from the service instead of being retained and trusted on down to Appomattox, as he was.

_Resolved_, That we deplore and deeply regret the action of the Savannah Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy in refusing a floral offering to be placed on the bier of General Longstreet. His heroic conduct as a soldier of the Confederacy, his wounds and sacrifices in our glorious but disastrous struggle for freedom, would have certainly entitled him to the slight token of gratitude as he was passing out from among us forever.

GEO. CLARK.
JOHN C. WEST.
M. B. DAVIS.

* * * * *

(_Cobb-Deloney Camp._)

“At the end of the unequal contest he sheathed a stainless sword.”

WHEREAS, It has pleased an all wise Providence to remove from this life Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, commander of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, and second ranking officer in that army; and

WHEREAS, In all the eventful campaigns of that army, from Manassas to Appomattox, General Longstreet was a conspicuous figure, enjoying the full confidence and affection of our peerless chieftain, General Robert E. Lee, whose own right arm leaned on him for support; and

WHEREAS, In our second struggle for independence he displayed sincere devotion, great military skill, serene courage, and an indomitable will and resolution, which has shed honor upon Southern arms and added lustre to the imperishable fame of Southern soldiers; and

WHEREAS, He shed his blood freely in our behalf, and at the end of the unequal contest sheathed a stainless sword which for four years had flashed in the front of battle and victory.

_Resolved_, That we mourn with deep sorrow the death of this illustrious leader, and will ever cherish with gratitude and admiration the memory of his example, his sacrifices, and his heroic achievements.

_Resolved_, That we tender to his family our sincere sympathy in this great bereavement.

_Resolved_, That a page be set apart in our minutes upon which these resolutions shall be recorded, and that a copy be sent to the family of General Longstreet.

Copy from the minutes of Cobb-Deloney Camp, United Confederate Veterans, Athens, Georgia, January 14, 1904.

WM. G. CARITHERS,
_Adjutant_.

* * * * *

(_Mayor and City Council, Atlanta, Georgia._)

“He was ever loyal to duty and the Southern cause.”

WHEREAS, Lieutenant-General James Longstreet died at his home in Gainesville, Georgia, on the 2d day of January, 1904; and

WHEREAS, As a Southern soldier General Longstreet won imperishable fame and glory as a corps commander in the armies of the Confederacy during the fateful days of the ’60’s, and was held in the highest esteem and confidence by the knightly and matchless Lee, and was ever loyal to duty and the cause of the Southern Confederacy; be it therefore

_Resolved_, That we have heard with sincere regret of the death of this gallant gentleman who in his lifetime exemplified in the highest degree the courage, chivalry and patriotism of the South, upon a hundred of his country’s battle-fields.

_Resolved_, That in common with all citizens of the Southland we lament his demise and honor and revere his memory for his great service to his country and his people as a soldier of the Southern Confederacy. No braver heart beat beneath the Confederate gray, no more heroic soul paid allegiance to the Stars and Bars. Honor to his memory! Peace to his ashes!

_Resolved_, That this resolution be entered upon the minutes of the General Council and a copy thereof, certified to under the hand and seal of the clerk, be forwarded by him to the family of the distinguished dead, and that the City Hall flag be lowered to half-mast on to-morrow the 6th instant.

Adopted by a unanimous rising vote.

GEORGIA, FULTON COUNTY,
CITY OF ATLANTA.

I, W. J. Campbell, clerk of Council of the city of Atlanta, do certify that the attached is a true copy of a resolution adopted by the General Council of said city on January 5, 1904, the original of which is of record and on file in the office of said clerk of Council.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand and seal of office, this January 11, 1904.

W. J. CAMPBELL,
_Clerk of Council_.

* * * * *

(_Camp Walker._)

“We deplore and deeply regret the action of the Savannah
Daughters.”

The committee appointed to express the views of Camp Walker, U. C. V., No. 925, on the military record of General James Longstreet, beg leave to report as follows:

WHEREAS, We have heard with deep regret of the recent death of General James Longstreet, commander forty years ago of the First Army Corps, A. N. Va., Confederate States army; therefore

_Resolved_, That in the death of General James Longstreet the country at large has lost a true and tried leader of men, and the Confederate Veterans have parted with a commander in whom they reposed implicit confidence, and one ever ready to defend his cause against any foe, foreign or domestic.

_Resolved_, That the war that has been, and is being waged on the military record of General James Longstreet for failure to do his duty at the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is not in keeping, in our opinion, with the record as it is made up from the orders of General Robert E. Lee, commander-in-chief of the Confederate army in that great conflict. If General Longstreet had failed to execute the orders of General Lee, and had been the cause of the defeat of the Confederate army, as is charged, we believe he would have been court-martialed and dismissed from the service, instead of being retained and trusted, on down to Appomattox, as he was.

_Resolved_, That we deplore and deeply regret the action of the Savannah Chapter, Daughters of the Confederacy, in refusing to supply a floral offering to be placed on the bier of General James Longstreet. His heroic conduct as a soldier of the Confederacy, his wounds and sacrifices in our glorious but disastrous struggle for freedom, would have certainly entitled him to this slight token of gratitude as he was passing out from among us forever.

M. V. ESTES,
J. B. McFADDEN,
J. G. RAMSEY,
_Committee_.

Resolutions unanimously adopted by order of the Camp.

J. S. HOLLAND,
_Commander_.
JAMES G. RAMSEY,
_Adjutant_.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, January 11, 1904.

* * * * *

(_Longstreet’s “Boys.”_)

“A noble, heroic, and spotless soldier.”

“I was a member of Longstreet’s corps for three years,” said General McGlashan, in the preface to his resolutions, “I followed the fortunes of that corps, served with it, saw its work, saw its sufferings, its victories, and its grandeur of behavior on every battle-field from Seven Pines to Appomattox, for I was fortunate enough to be wounded at only one fight, and if any one in so humble a position as I was could say anything about his leader, I think I can.

“You all know the reputation of Longstreet’s corps; you know the glory of its service and what it accomplished on many battle-fields, and you cannot dissociate General Longstreet from the glory and reputation of his corps.” General McGlashan was here interrupted by cheers. Continuing, he said, “We are concerned with nothing that may have been said of General Longstreet after the war; we are here to remember him as a great Confederate general and leader.

“When General Longstreet, in his old gray coat, came to Atlanta in 1886, Jefferson Davis received him with open arms; there was no lack of confidence or acceptance there, and it is not for any others to say what Lee and Davis left unsaid.”

General McGlashan then introduced the following resolutions:

WHEREAS, It hath pleased our Almighty Father to call to himself, in the fulness of years, our beloved comrade and leader, General James Longstreet; be it

_Resolved_, That in the death of General Longstreet, we have lost a true and gallant comrade, an able and victorious leader of the Confederate hosts in the past, whose deeds are among the proudest memories of the South; the South a noble, heroic, and spotless son; the nation a true citizen who reflected honor on whatever cause he undertook; and the world a great soldier whose fame will survive with the annals of the Lost Cause.

_Resolved_, That we extend our deepest sympathy to the family of our deceased comrade in their great bereavement, and that a copy of these resolutions be sent them.

* * * * *

(_Floyd County Camp._)

“The patriot who gave his all.”

ROME, GEORGIA, January 12, 1904.

MRS. JAMES LONGSTREET,
Gainesville, Georgia:

MADAM,--At a meeting held to-day of Floyd County Camp, United Confederate Veterans, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

WHEREAS, Our honored and beloved fellow-comrade of the United Confederate Veterans, Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, quietly and peacefully died at his home in Gainesville, Georgia, on Saturday, January 2, 1904, and recognizing in him the true man, the good citizen, the soldier without fear, the patriot who willingly offered his all and shed his own blood on his country’s altar, and the man who feared nothing but God; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That the Floyd County Camp, No. 368, United Confederate Veterans, while bowing to the ever-wise, always loving decrees of God, are deeply grieved and sincerely sorry at this the death of another great captain of the Southern Cause; at the same time rejoicing in the confident assurance and abiding trust that he has, only a little in advance of us, passed “over the river and is now sweetly resting under the shade of the trees” with Lee, Jackson, Beauregard, Johnston, Polk, Gordon, and the thousands of others who grandly and gloriously followed the same dear flag.

_Resolved_, That these resolutions be spread upon the minutes of this Camp, that a copy be forwarded to the family of our deceased comrade, accompanied by our sincerest and deepest sympathy.

THOMPSON STILES,
G. W. FLEETWOOD,
M. W. BRATT,
A. B. S. MOSELEY,
J. H. CAMP,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_Camp Niemeyer Shaw, Berkley, Virginia._)

“His life full to the brim of manly principle.”

This Camp has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Lieutenant-General Longstreet.

His life had reached the full measure of human probation; but it was full to the brim of manly principle, heroic service, and dauntless courage. Loyal to his Southland and to all the interest committed to him by his country, he maintained his integrity of character and the unbounded confidence of all right-minded men to the end.

Tried in the school of civic life and in the crucible of battle, he filled a creditable page in the fateful and tragic incidents of the sixties, and then shared all the privations common to his fellow-comrades in helping to rehabilitate the homes of a people wrecked by the scourge of civil war.

As a Camp we desire to re-express our unbounded confidence in his military career and in his unswerving devotion to the best interests of mankind.

Having passed through the gate which is ajar for all humanity, we mournfully bid the old commander and veteran of the “Lost Cause” a final adieu.

J. A. SPEIGHT,
J. S. WHITWORTH,
J. L. R. HARRIS,
_Committee_.

E. L. COX,
_Commander_.

* * * * *

(_Camp Ben McCulloch._)

“His fame and glory belong to the South.”

WHEREAS, It has pleased Almighty God to remove from this earth our distinguished comrade, General James Longstreet; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That we deeply lament the death of our comrade, and shall ever cherish and revere his memory.

_Resolved_, The ever memorable relief of that arch hero “Stonewall” Jackson, when hard pressed by overwhelming forces of the enemy at the second battle of Manassas, by which prompt action pending defeat was turned into glorious victory, entitles General Longstreet to a lofty pedestal in the Temple of Fame.

_Resolved_, We honor and revere our deceased comrade not only for his great military achievements, but for the personal solicitude and care that he always had for the welfare and comfort of the private soldier, causing all who served under him to regard him with unbounded confidence and affection.

_Resolved_, The fame and glory of General Longstreet, one of the last of the great lieutenants of the incomparable Lee, belongs to the South, especially to those who, like him, fought for its independence, and by them it will be kept and cherished as one of its precious treasures.

“Sleep, soldier, sleep, thy warfare’s o’er.”

J. B. WOLF.
ED. F. ENGLISH.
W. M. McGREGOR.

I certify that the above is a copy of the resolutions spread upon the minutes of our Camp January 13, 1904.

JAMES B. MOORE,
_Adjutant_.

CAMP BEN McCULLOCH, U. C. V., CAMERON, TEXAS.

* * * * *

(_John B. Gordon Camp._)

“Courage and honor his characteristics as soldier and citizen.”

_Resolved_, That the John B. Gordon Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Atlanta, Georgia, has heard with great sorrow of the death of General James Longstreet, which occurred at his home at Gainesville, Georgia, on the 2d day of January, 1904.

His life was one of fealty and devotion to the cause for which he fought, while courage and honor were his characteristics both as soldier and citizen.

It can truthfully be said of him: He was great among our many illustrious leaders of the Confederate States army,--than which there can be no higher tribute paid to man,--and after having bravely served his country during its darkest hours, accepting the arbitrament of the sword in a spirit that history now adjudges to have been commendable, he became a good citizen of our reunited country.

_Resolved_, That as an expression of the high regard in which we, the sons of the men who followed the lead of this great captain, hold his services to our Southland as a soldier, and as a testimonial of our regard for his character as a man, direct that these resolutions be spread upon the minutes of our Camp, and further that the secretary be directed to forward a copy of the same to the family of the deceased, with whom we sympathize in the hour of sad bereavement to which Providence in His wisdom subjects them.

H. F. WEST, _Chairman_,
HUGH W. DORSEY,
C. H. ESSIG,
W. B. LADVALL,
A. J. McBRIDE, JR.,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_Alexander H. Stephens Camp._)

“The beau-ideal of soldier and patriot.”

ATTENTION, COMRADES:

When men conspicuous for sublime action, such as heroic conduct, goodness or greatness, or other lofty attainment are called to pass over the “river of death,” it is a patriotic duty for surviving comrades to give expression to their grief. It needs not the building of a pantheon or vote of a senate to give them a place among the immortals, to keep alive their illustrious acts and virtues. Most certainly it is not necessary in the case of Longstreet,--“Old Pete,” as he was lovingly called by comrades who followed him unflinchingly through four years of warfare. “Old Pete” is dead, yet he lives in the hearts of his old corps and will continue to live in history, poetry, and song, the beau-ideal of a soldier, patriot, and a lover of liberty. Yet like all men who attain to eminent merit and conspicuous sublimity, he lived to realize the truthfulness of the poet, that

“He who ascends to mountain-tops shall find
The loftiest peaks most wrapt in clouds and snow.
He who surpasses or subdues mankind
Must look down on the hate of those below,
Though high above the sun of glory glow,
And far beneath the earth and ocean spread;
Round him are icy rocks and loudly blow
Contending tempests on his naked head,
And thus reward the toil which to those summits led.”

Such was the fateful experience of our beloved Longstreet, a corps commander and lieutenant-general in the Army of Northern Virginia. To him obedience to constituted authority moulded and shaped the ideal soldier and citizen for his distinguished life service; and became the reasons for his acts in rigidly observing his Appomattox parole. We know that he was one of the bravest of the brave and truest of the true.

Unanimously adopted by the Alexander H. Stephens Camp, U. C. V., Crawfordville, Georgia.

* * * * *

(_Marengo Rifles Chapter, U. D. C._)

“One of the hardest fighters in Lee’s army.”

WHEREAS, The Great Commander-in-Chief has called “over the river” the gallant Longstreet; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That Marengo Rifles Chapter, U. D. C., mourns with the entire Southland the death of that daring, brave, and fearless soldier, General James Longstreet, who was one of the strongest supports, and one of the hardest fighters the peerless Lee had in his army; that his fame will ever be cherished by this Chapter as well as by all who “wore the gray.”

_Resolved_, That we sympathize with the widow of the great leader, to whom a copy of these resolutions will be sent by the secretary.

MRS. GEO. W. LAYLOR.
MRS. BENJAMIN F. ELMORE.
MISS MARY R. CLARKE.

* * * * *

(_Jeff Lee Camp._)

“The war-horse of the Confederacy.”

HEAD-QUARTERS JEFF LEE CAMP, NO. 68,
UNITED CONFEDERATE VETERANS,
ADJUTANT’S OFFICE, McALESTER, I. T., January 23, 1904.

WHEREAS, The Supreme Commander of all the hosts has ordered our beloved comrade and friend, General James Longstreet, the old war-horse of the Confederacy, to report at head-quarters a little in advance of us, his fellow-soldiers; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That while we shall miss from our councils and general convention our brother and comrade, the sunlight of whose presence upon the hard-fought battle-fields enabled us to bear more easily our long marches and severe engagements of the four years’ campaign, we know that the order came from One who doeth all things well, and are certain that in the dispensation of eternity we shall concur in its wisdom.

_Resolved_, That so long as our little remnant of life shall hold out, we shall feel a pride in the military record of our brother and comrade.

_Resolved_, That Jeff Lee Camp, No. 68, extend its loving sympathy to the family of our departed comrade in the darkest hour of their lives.

_Resolved_, That these resolutions be entered in the record book of the Camp, a copy of them be presented to the daily and weekly papers for publication, and a copy sent to the surviving widow of our comrade.

W. A. TREADWELL,
J. J. McALESTER,
R. B. COLEMAN,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_John H. Morgan and Bourbon Camps._)

“Full of years and honors.”

At a meeting of John H. Morgan Camp, No. 95, and Bourbon Camp, No. 1368, U. C. V. A., in joint assembly, held in the city of Paris, Kentucky, on the 1st day of February, 1904, the following resolutions were adopted:

The distinguished officers of the Confederacy are rapidly falling before the grim reaper. We are called upon to mourn the departure of one of the greatest soldiers developed in the war between the States, Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, dying full of years and of honors. As a soldier we have the estimate of his chieftain,--“My war-horse.” With this epitaph engraven on his tomb, the niche his name will occupy on “Fame’s eternal camping-ground” is assured; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That our sincerest sympathies be extended to his bereaved wife.

JAMES R. ROGERS,
W. M. LAYSON,
RUSSELL MANN,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_Selma, Alabama, Chapter._)

“A rare combination of fidelity, patriotic principle, and
unsullied integrity.”

SELMA, ALABAMA, January 14, 1904.

The committee appointed January 12, at a meeting of the Selma, Alabama, Chapter, to prepare resolutions in memory of General James Longstreet offer the following:

_Resolved_, That in the shadow of this great sorrow the Selma Chapter joins with the Confederate Veterans, Divisions and Brigades, in submission to Him who “doeth according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth.”

That we recognize in the life and character of General Longstreet a rare combination of fidelity to patriotic principles, an attractive personality, and an unsullied integrity, calling forth from the North high estimation, from the South, warmest love.

That we extend to the family and wife of the patriot soldier cordial sympathy in this dark hour, commending them to the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father.

MISS JULIA CLARKE,
MISS MARY LEWIS,
_Corresponding Secretary_,
MISS E. F. FERGUSON,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_C. M. Winkler Camp._)

“One of the great commanders of modern times.”

WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty God to remove from our midst one who while in life was a brilliant soldier, courteous gentleman, and whose military career in the armies of the South marked him as one of the truly great commanders of modern times; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That in the death of General Longstreet the South has lost a great soldier and a brilliant commander, to whose fame as such nothing can be added, save that he was “the war-horse” of the great Lee.

_Resolved_, That this Camp tenders to the bereaved wife and family its heartfelt sympathy and condolence in the death of the distinguished soldier and citizen, and that the adjutant of this Camp forward to the wife of General Longstreet a copy of these resolutions, and furnish the city press with a true copy of the same for publication.

* * * * *

(_Company B, Confederate Veterans._)

“A tribute of glory on his grave.”

HEAD-QUARTERS COMPANY “B,”
CONFEDERATE VETERANS,
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, January 12, 1904.

At a meeting of Company “B,” Confederate Veterans, the following resolutions were adopted:

WHEREAS, We have heard with great sorrow of the death of General James Longstreet, under whose leadership many of us fought during the great war; be it

_Resolved_, That in General Longstreet the Confederacy had one of her greatest leaders. His ability as such, his bravery, and unwearied zeal won for him a place in our hearts, and we desire as an organization to add our testimony to his worth as a soldier, citizen, and man.

We mingle our tears with those of his family and friends, and place a tribute of glory on his grave.

_Resolved_, That we send a copy of these resolutions to his bereaved wife and family.

SPENCER EAKIN,
_Captain Commanding_.

GEO. H. HOWS,
_O. S._

* * * * *

(_Camp Hampton._)

“His name is associated with almost every Confederate victory won
on the soil of Virginia.”

At a meeting of Camp Hampton, Columbia, South Carolina, Colonel R. W. Shand spoke feelingly of the life and services of General Longstreet, and offered the following resolutions:

The sad intelligence of the death on the 2d of January last of James Longstreet, the senior lieutenant-general of the Confederate States army, has reached us since our last regular meeting. In the language of an impartial historian, his name is “associated with almost every Confederate victory won upon the soil of Virginia,” and he “was trusted by his great leader and idolized by his men.” His fame is gloriously connected with the heroic deeds of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, the splendid victory at Chickamauga, and the East Tennessee campaign; and those who fought under this great fighter have always entertained for him feelings of affection and regard; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That this camp has heard with most profound sorrow of the death of Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, of the Army of Northern Virginia, who bore so large a part in making glorious that immortal band.

_Resolved_, That we tender to his surviving family our most sincere sympathy, and that a copy of this memorial be sent to his widow.

_Resolved_, That a blank page on our minute-book be dedicated to his memory.

These resolutions were heartily seconded by Comrades Jennings, Bruns, Brooks, and Mixon, and adopted by a rising unanimous vote.

* * * * *

(_Confederate Veterans’ Association._)

“No wrong to mar his memory.”

WHEREAS, By the death of Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, on the 2d day of January, 1904, in Gainesville, Georgia, there is removed from our midst another of the few remaining of our great captains, over whose parting we sadly lament; and

WHEREAS, In common with other surviving veterans who served in the Confederate armies where this distinguished dead soldier commanded, believing in the broad principles of truth, and cherishing a feeling of fraternal regard for each other, and being at the same time reminded that by his death we, too, are gradually, but surely, drifting nearer to the brink of eternity; be it therefore

_Resolved_, That we who espoused the cause of the late Confederacy and followed its destinies to the end, and being endowed with a high sense of right and justice towards a departed brother, feel it a duty that is owing to posterity, as well as to ourselves, to look well to future history that no wrong be done to mar the memory of a comrade, be he ever so high or so humble, who served his chosen cause so devotedly and ably as Longstreet did during the four eventful and trying years from 1861 to 1865.

_Resolved_, That we deeply deplore the death of General Longstreet, and do hereby extend to the bereaved family of the deceased the most sincere and heartfelt sympathies of this Association.

_Resolved_, That a copy of these resolutions be furnished the family of the deceased.

THOS. W. HUNGERFORD,
_Secretary_, C. V. A.

WASHINGTON, D. C.

* * * * *

(_Camp Tige Anderson._)

“His heroic and valiant services will be remembered.”

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, January 5, 1904.

The following resolutions were read and adopted at a meeting of Camp Tige Anderson, January 5, 1904.

WHEREAS, This Camp has heard with sincerest regret of the death of our lamented comrade General James Longstreet; and

WHEREAS, We recognize and remember General Longstreet’s heroic and valiant services to our beloved cause.

_Resolved_, That we will revere his memory as one of the best of the friends of the South, one of her best warriors bold--one of her truest sons.

_Resolved_, That we bow with uncovered heads at the Reaper’s call.

_Resolved_, That in the death of our comrade we have lost a true and tried friend, and while the majority of us were of an averse political opinion to that of the General, yet we are generous enough to accord him the right and the fidelity of party affiliation, particularly so when we believe that environments when times tried men’s souls were a terrific pressure brought to bear upon him.

As a Camp and as individuals our prayer is that our late commander may “_requiescat in pace_.”

_Resolved_, That our commander appoint a delegation to attend the funeral of General Longstreet, at Gainesville, Georgia, to-morrow, as an official escort from this Camp.

_Resolved_, That a copy of these resolutions be sent by our adjutant to the family of our deceased comrade.

H. P. FOSTER,
_Commander_.
SAM’L FULTON,
_Adjutant_.

* * * * *

(_Sidney Lanier Chapter, U. D. C._)

“We will teach the children of the South the story of his sublime
courage.”

MACON, GEORGIA, January 7, 1904.

MRS. JAMES LONGSTREET:

DEAR MADAM,--The Sidney Lanier Chapter, No. 25, U. D. C., mourn with you and yours over the loss of your illustrious husband. We tender to you and his children our heartfelt sympathy, and promise that we will do all in our power to teach the children of our dear Southland the story of his sublime courage, his devotion to duty, of the willingness of his men to follow wherever he led.

“The strife is o’er, the battle done,
The victory of Life is won.”

Faithfully yours,
ANNA HOLMES WILCOX,
_President_.

* * * * *

(_Troy Chapter, U. D. C._)

“Reverence and esteem for the soldier and gentleman.”

TROY, ALABAMA, January 10, 1904.

MRS. LONGSTREET,
Gainesville, Georgia:

MY DEAR MADAM,--The members of Troy Chapter, Alabama Division, U. D. C., desire that you should learn through us of our deep sympathy in your late bereavement. We feel that we have sustained a personal loss in the death of your noble husband, and would convey to you some sense of our reverence and esteem for the gallant Confederate general and honorable Southern gentleman.

To us the memory of the Confederacy is a sacred trust, and for the men who made its history we entertain an unalterable veneration. For General Longstreet, one of its distinguished heroes, we feel an abiding affection.

That God will bless and sustain you in this trying ordeal is the prayer of the united Chapter.

Sincerely yours,
MRS. L. H. BOWHS.
MRS. JNO. P. HUBBARD.

* * * * *

(_Williamsburg Chapter, D. of C._)

“The defender of our homes.”

The Williamsburg, Virginia, Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy, wishing to do honor to the eminent soldier Lieutenant-General James Longstreet, do unanimously resolve:

1. That we can never forget that on the 5th of May, 1862, General Longstreet held back the advance of the Federal army and protected our homes and firesides from the overwhelming forces of the enemy, as he marched towards the Confederate capital.

2. That at his grave we forget all political differences and remember him as the defender of our homes and as the “Old War-Horse” of the great commander.

3. That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the press and another to Mrs. Longstreet.

MRS. MARGARET CUSTIS HAVERFORD,
_Chairman_,
MRS. I. LESSLIER HALL,
MRS. W. L. JONES,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_Mobile Chapter, U. D. C._)

“His great name and fame precious to Southern hearts.”

MOBILE, January 19, 1904.

MY DEAR MRS. LONGSTREET:

At a recent meeting of the Mobile Chapter, Alabama Division, U. D. C., I was instructed by a rising vote to express to you the affectionate sympathy of the members of the Chapter, in the recent great bereavement which has befallen you in the death of your distinguished husband, General James Longstreet.

In this bereavement you have the sympathy of every Daughter of the Confederacy, who in unison with you weep the great and honored dead.

The conspicuous courage and heroic gallantry of General Longstreet on many a hard-fought battle-field, his never-failing devotion to the Southland, and his eminent services in her cause during the four long years of cruel war will ever render dear and precious to our hearts his great name and fame. Among the many condolences that have come to you from all over the South, none are more loving and heartfelt than those of the Mobile Chapter, whose words of love and sympathy I have been directed to express to you.

In giving expression to their grief and sorrow at the great loss which touches you so vitally, may I venture to add my own personal expression of admiration for your great husband, and of sympathetic love for yourself.

I am, with great respect, yours truly,
ELECTRA SEMMES COLSTON,
_President_.

* * * * *

(_T. D. Smith Chapter, U. D. C._)

“Always true to his convictions.”

DUBLIN, GEORGIA, January 18, 1904.

TO MRS. LONGSTREET AND FAMILY:

The Dublin Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy wish to extend to you and yours their sincerest sympathy, which we, as well as the entire South, feel in the loss of one of her greatest chieftains, General James Longstreet. In his death the South has lost a noble, heroic son, whose deeds will live in the hearts of her people, a soldier, a general whose brave acts have caused every child of the South to honor, love, and revere his memory; a hero in whom the “elements were so mixed that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, this is a man.”

True to his convictions, he acted always after careful consideration as his judgment has shown him was best.

MISS ADELINE BAUM,

_For the T. D. Smith Chapter of the Daughters of Confederacy_.

* * * * *

(_Cobb County, Georgia, Camp._)

“His knightly valor won for him a diadem of glory.”

The committee appointed to give some appropriate expression of its high appreciation, love, and honor for General James Longstreet, the great leader of Longstreet’s corps, C.S.A., and of our deep sorrow at his death, and to report and recommend suitable action by this Camp, respectfully submit the following:

General James Longstreet was a native of South Carolina, born of an illustrious family, distinguished alike for intellectual strength and nobility of character. His love for his native State and the South was inherent and strengthened by associations, early education, and environments. In keeping with his natural tastes and fitness for his chosen profession, his education was completed at the military school of the United States at West Point, where he developed that strong and wonderful intellectual power of perception, combination, and comparison, coupled with cool self-possession, knightly valor, and lofty ambition, which in the field of terrific war and deadly battle won for him, the armies he led, and the Southern Confederacy his diadem of glory, as enduring as the history of the struggles of nations in freedom’s cause.

General James Longstreet was the friend, comrade, and companion of the matchless Lee, Generals Joseph E. and Albert Sidney Johnston, of the incomparable Stonewall Jackson, Leonidas Polk, John B. Gordon, and the other great leaders of the Confederate army; and was inspired with the same love of his native State and the South.

His love for his subalterns and privates of his army was as true and sincere as that of father to son. Many of the members of this camp knew him personally in the tent and on the march, on the battle-field, and in the dreadful charge; heard his commands, witnessed his noble deeds, and listened to his kind words of encouragement and sympathy. He was our comrade, our friend, and our great leader, and there is a sting, a sense of bereavement, which finds some solace in the flowing tear and the glorious hope that we shall meet again. He was a Christian soldier.

IN MEMORIAM.

_Resolved_, That we regard it a duty which we owe to posterity that the State of Georgia, all surviving Confederate veterans, and especially those of Longstreet’s corps, should provide an equestrian statue of General Longstreet, to be erected on the Capitol grounds at Atlanta.

_Resolved_, That a committee be appointed by the Commander of this camp to inaugurate the movement and take all necessary steps to secure such a statue.

_Resolved_, That Camp No. 763, U. C. V., tenders to the widow and family of our beloved chieftain our heartfelt sympathy in the hour of their bereavement and sorrow.

_Resolved_, That a copy of the foregoing be forwarded to the family.

_Resolved_, That the action of the Camp be published in the Cobb County papers.

J. A. L. BORN,
W. J. MANNING,
B. A. OSBORNE,
L. S. COX,
WM. PHILLIPS,
_Committee_.

* * * * *

(_Atlanta Camp._)

“His name and fame are the heritage of the American people.”

Atlanta Camp, No. 159, United Confederate Veterans, in the following report pays glowing tribute to the memory of the late General James Longstreet, who died on January 2, at his home in Gainesville, Georgia.

In the death of General James Longstreet, there passed away a notable and commanding figure of the Army of Northern Virginia in the late Civil War.

His history and service are indissolubly connected with all of the great movements of that army.

It would not be within the purview of this memorial to attempt to even epitomize the part he took in the many great battles. Coming into that struggle with a prestige and honor which shone with brilliant lustre on account of his intrepid bravery and gallantry as an officer of the army of the United States on many fields in Mexico, and being withal an educated and trained soldier, a majestic man, of mild manners and speech and of leonine courage, his very name throughout the army and the whole country was a tower of strength. From first Manassas to Appomattox, his command and leadership held the first place among the great army corps of the greatest army that was ever marshalled in this or in any other country. Made a lieutenant-general in the early part of the war, the conspicuous bravery, skill, and reliability shown by him in the very crisis of the battles of Williamsburg and at Seven Pines, and other great conflicts before Richmond in 1862, won for him from General Lee the sobriquet of the “Old War-Horse.”

After General Lee had planned the advance on General Pope, and after Jackson had passed through Thoroughfare Gap to the rear of General Pope, and when he was heavily engaged and sorely pressed, Lee and Longstreet were passing through Thoroughfare Gap. After a spirited contest at that mountain-pass, Longstreet’s corps moved like a majestic stream on to the plains of Manassas, where his lines were quickly formed. Striking the enemy with the “hand of Mars,” the thunder of his guns greeted the ear of Jackson, giving hope and succor to his forces as the sound of the Scottish bagpipes heralded the approach of the relieving column to the beleaguered garrison at Lucknow. The well-directed assault which he made in General Pope’s front crowned the Southern arms with complete victory.

LOYAL TO THE SOUTH.

The Southern cause had no more loyal supporter nor courageous soldier than General Longstreet, as the honorable wounds and scars which he carried to his death abundantly attest. He had the unbounded confidence of his commander-in-chief. The history of that great war gives but one record of Longstreet being absent from his command, and that was on account of serious wounds received on the field of the Wilderness in May, 1864, where, in preparing to lead in person his forces against General Hancock’s corps, he momentarily halted to receive a word of congratulation from General Micah Jenkins, of South Carolina, when Longstreet’s own men, mistaking these two generals, with the little group of horsemen composing their staff surrounding them, for the enemy, fired, killing General Jenkins and wounding General Longstreet in the throat and shoulder, from which he was ever afterwards maimed.

We would not omit to mention that in 1863, when several of his divisions were ordered from Virginia to Georgia to reinforce the Army of Tennessee, on his arrival in Atlanta, and when at the old Trout House, at the junction of Decatur and Pryor Streets, where the old Austell building now stands, he was called to the balcony of the hotel to speak to the large and enthusiastic multitude of soldiers and citizens who thronged every inch of the two streets, he said “I came not to speak; I came to meet the enemy.” The inspiration of his presence and this short and pithy declaration called forth from the assembled multitude the exclamation, “What a magnificent looking man and soldier.” How well he fulfilled his mission in the battle of Chickamauga history makes no mistake in its record. How his forces were hurled against those of General Thomas, and how his army turned the tide of battle into victory, are too well known to need repetition. In this battle, like others where he led, his advance was stubborn and decisive.

He followed with unfaltering bravery and devotion the fortunes of the Confederacy until the last drama was enacted at Appomattox, and was a member of the last council of war held in the woods on the night of April 8, 1865, and was the senior commissioner, on the part of the Confederate forces appointed by the commander-in-chief, to arrange the details and terms of the surrender of that little shattered band which, through fire and smoke, hunger and cold, had stood by the flag of the Confederacy through all the trying ordeals of four years’ grim and bloody strife.

IN THE VERY FIRST RANK.