Longstreet was a Confederate general, who following the defeat at Gettysburg became the scapegoat of the Confederacy’s loss. Longstreet was the commanding officer in charge of Pickett’s Chrage. As a result of the disastorous effects the charge had and the fact that other officers considered Longstreet insubordinate for his reluctence to lead the attack (he never even formally gave the order to charge. Overcome with emotion, he nodded his head, which was taken as a sign by Pickett. Earlier in the War, Longstreet had been a loyal soldier, and served as one of Lee's most trusted subordinate officers. Lee called Stonewall Jackson Stonewall Jackson his right hand, but Longstreet was referred to as “My Old War Horse”. At Second Manassas, Fredricksburg, Antietam, and many other important battles, Longstreet’s skill as a tactician. Following the Battle of Gettysburg, Longstreet was severely wounded by his own men in the Battle of the Wilderness. He recovered fully, and was back at Lee’s side until the end of the War. During Reconstruction, Longstreet became a Republican (the party of Lincoln), an act considered sinful by many Southerners. This increased the blame placed on him for “losing” the War. Another reason for his use as scapegoat for Gettysburg and the loss of the War is that no one could blame Lee. Someone else had to be found, and as second in command, who better than Longstreet?
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