Wednesday, October 11, 2006


This is a statue of General James Longstreet, Lee's favorite general whom he called his "old warhorse". Notice that the statue is not on a pedestal, and it's in a secluded area off the main road. This hints at unpretentiousness on the part of Longstreet. Reminds me of John McLaren, the primary architect of Golden Gate Park, who hated statues and when forced to put them in the park located them in low key sites. His own statue in the park likewise has no pedestal.

Longstreet was uneasy about Lee's strategy at Gettysburg, but he obeyed orders and committed his men as directed. Though he was considered an outstanding general, he had mixed results at Gettysburg. Lee, a standup bloke, took the blame for the defeat, saying "it was all my fault". I've heard he was not feeling well at the time of the battle, and that may have affected his judgment.

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