James Longstreet (1821–1904) was a Confederate general of the American Civil War. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy he served in the Mexican–American War, where he was wounded. In June 1861, he resigned his commission to join the Confederate Army. He significantly contributed to most major Confederate victories in the Eastern Theater, primarily as a corps commander under General Robert E. Lee. Longstreet's most controversial service was at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, where he disagreed with Lee and reluctantly supervised several unsuccessful attacks. Afterward, Longstreet was briefly sent to the Western Theater, but returned to the east in 1864, where he was seriously wounded by friendly fire, recovered and returned to the field. After the war he worked as a diplomat, civil servant, and administrator. In 1874 he led African-American militia troops against the White League, an anti-Reconstruction group. Many modern historians consider him among the war's most gifted commanders. (Full article...)