Longstreet to the Rescue: The Battle of the Wilderness and the Wounding of James Longstreet

Gettysburg Ranger Karlton Smith offers a fascinating look at one of the pivotal moments of the 1864 Overland Campaign. On the morning of May 6, 1864, the second day of the battle of the Wilderness, Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia were on the verge of collapse. At the critical moment, Lt. Gen. James Longstreet and his First Corps came swinging onto the field "like a fine lady at a ball." Ranger Smith examines the impact of Longstreet's attack on the morning of May 6, the circumstances surrounding Longstreet's wounding, and what the Confederates thought could have happened if Longstreet had not been wounded.

[@VSdrummer010]

Ranger Karlton Smith has such a fluid and informative way of presenting...he's great.

[@alexkalish8288]

In my opinion Longstreet was excellent in Tennessee, his attack was the decisive event in the thrashing of the army of the Cumberland. The discord in Bragg's army was endemic and he was caught up in it. Longstreet saved the army of northern Virginia on this occasion . As for the comments about Grant generalship below - they have not studied military history. Grant was a superb general in every way, I rate him above Lee in strategy - both were fantastic on the field in their troop deployments.

[@bryanwiedeman3154]

As as a retired Army SGM with time in 2nd Ranger Bn and a certain SMU, the comments about Grant being incompetent is insane…you want a commander that pushes you forward for victory to make the sacrifices of the past to be not in vain…

[@chadelliot2021]

Great content, thanks for sharing. Just wish the speaker spoke clearer. Hard to understand what he’s saying at times.

[@citizenbobx]

Yes! Feel bad making the observation, because maybe he can't help it, but even when the topic is interesting, I can't make it through his lectures.

[@lawrencemyers3623]

I also found him hard to understand so used the CC option which helped out quite a bit as they corrected Smith when he made a mistake. (Example: he referred to the 12th VA as the 21st, mixed up the Mexican-American War with the Spanish American War). Overall, a good lecture.

[@Yausbro]

excellent and informative video

[@ArchieRLib]

Brilliant. Thank you.

[@josephsextoniv]

Can this guy not talk?

[@colerainfan1143]

None of us are worthy of judging these fine men. Longstreet was both loved and respected by Robt E Lee, and that should be good enough for the rest of us. What I am left with is the incredible bravery and courage that was commonplace in the men of those times.

[@nickroberts6984]

@Patrick Ancona Wow, I've never heard this pointed out...very interesting !

[@AngryDogPerformance]

@5:45 - I'm shopping for houses in that area, and I saw Longstreet's headquarters about a mile from a house I was going to buy. Very excited at the time. Now I happen to watch this and get the backstory for it. Super cool!

[@bryanwiedeman3154]

Lee and Longstreet were close friends the duration of their lives….a son was named Robert Lee Longstreet….quite basing your Longstreet hate on a movie

[@daveloth5795]

omg! Longstreets description of his unjury makes me impressed that soldiers are spiritual beings before the flesh and blood they command

[@wes326]

Lost an ancestor in this battle fighting under A.P. Hill. Thanks for sharing.

[@Mr22657]

Can you guys understand what this dude is saying?Pick someone who doesn't have tobacco in his mouth please.

[@MrMenefrego1]

Does this guy have marbles in his mouth or something? ENUNCIATE, PLEASE!

[@haroldgeorgeibelljr]

Fully enjoyed

[@andrewevans5750]

Even if Longstreet succeeded, the South lost Shiloh. By that point, Grant could have retreated and let George Thomas and Sherman clean up house. I think it was George Thomas who absolutely crushed an army at least as large as the army of Northern VA with proven commanders. It was the only time Nathan Bedford Forrest lost and he lost an entire army. He also held the entire confederate army at Chikamauga to a draw (probably would have lost day 2 though). The East Coast version of battle would have cost Lee so dearly fighting in the West and deep South where Napoleanic tactics were on the way out as early as Shiloh. Vicksburg and Verdunne probably looked pretty similar in terms of trench networks and then there is the battle of Franklin. It would have been interesting to see what the West would have been if Thomas couldn't flank Southern armies out of existence. That and Western commanders were being given repeating rifles that allowed single regiments to stop entire brigades (perhaps the real secret behind the Thomas U-curve).

[@rigulur]

people be sayin he's a bad speaker: bruh he's got a Utahn accent, get used to it xD

[@josephsextoniv]

Its longstreet, not wongs-tweet

[@LeeHoFooks]

This dudes voice is not made for public speaking.

[@tomtonkyro7209]

Interesting lecture. The speaker's mild lisp and swallowing his words is distracting, however.

[@ninurtathricemajestic7179]

Tom Tonkyro well he’s not a water walker.

[@h.j.d.2624]

Wow. Something good from a U.S. government office. Yankee office no less.

[@h.j.d.2624]

***** Nice to see ya again John.

[@h.j.d.2624]

***** Shoot.

[@h.j.d.2624]

***** That is correct. The best is Stonewall's death bed mention. Especially since Stonewall and A.P. Hill did not get along. A.P. was a special general.

[@h.j.d.2624]

***** To much responsibility. Lost my focus for a bit.

[@h.j.d.2624]

***** Sickness isn't an excuse for poor performance. Your memory outlasts the best of them John.

[@TDavis-ml6kl]

Longstreet was always a Prima Donna. Without Lee he was mediocre.

[@FetchTheSled]

He was the only level-headed Gen in the CSA bunch. The war would have been over much sooner without him.

[@TDavis-ml6kl]

Would have been over much sooner with him in command of Lee's Army. He'd ask a Lt Col. if he should attack. Incompetent

[@colerainfan1143]

T. Davis Nobody's perfect, but one thing's for sure: you don't know squat about this topic. Incompetent? That would be you, not Longstreet.

[@davidcrumpler3881]

T. Davis

[@kevinsanchez7885]

+T. Davis So was Grant. Without endless resources he would have been stomped early on. He lost 60000 men in 6 weeks. Cold Harbor anyone?