Justin's+KWL+and+Historical+Figure+Packet

-Lasted for 3 days -Helped turn the tide of the war in the Union’s favor -Confederate defeat -Pickett’s charge was a Confederate attempt to break the Union line on the last day of battle, but was repulsed with over 50% casualties -Lee ordered the charge, Longstreet had overall command, and Pickett commanded the division that advanced the furthest. || -Were there any alternatives to Pickett’s charge -Were there any moments where the South could have won the battle -What were some actions that doomed the Confederate forces to defeat? -What were some immediate consequences to the battle || -After-action reports by various generals -Diaries or journals of soldiers that participated in the battle -Various essays and books by historians -Battle maps || **-**It was the first battle where the numbers of troops in either side were similar -Lee was basically blind as Jeb Stuart’s cavalry had gone off -Lee had insufficient staff to maintain quick communications with his subordinates || **__ Famous Americans __** ** James Longstreet ** **Date of Birth:** January 8, 1821 **Place of Birth:** Edgefield District, South Carolina **Family:** He was the fifth child of James L. Longstreet and Mary Anna Dent. He would have four more sisters by the time he was 9, and his two older siblings, William and Anna helped him learn horseback riding and fishing. He became close with his uncle, Augustus Longstreet, who would later help him enroll into West Point. **Childhood:** Longstreet spent most of his childhood on his parent's plantation in Georgia until the age of 10. His father wanted his son to be a military leader, so he sent his son off to his brother, Augustus Longstreet (James's uncle) in Georgia, who was a gifted speaker and Methodist preacher. Longstreet's father died about 3 years into the education, and so Longstreet became even more attached to his uncle. In his memoirs, he barely mentions his mother while writing about his uncle. **Education:** Longstreet enrolled into the United States Military Academy, better known as West Point, in 1838 and graduated in 1842. He excelled in his physical activities but lagged behind in academics, placing 54th in a class of 62. His class included prominent Civil War generals such as William Rosecrans, George Pickett, and Daniel Harvey Hill. He also became close friends with Ulysses S. Grant who was in the class of 1843. Due to his academic ranking, he was placed into the infantry as a second lieutenant. **Adult Life:** He served with the 8th Infantry with distinction in the Mexican-American War, and married Louise Garland when he returned to the states in 1848. He served frontier duty in Texas until the civil war, where he resigned from the United States Army and joined the Confederacy. **Important Events:** His first combat experience was in the Mexican American War (1846-1848), where he served first under General Taylor then General Scott for his campaign into Mexico City. Upon storming the walls of Chapultepec with the American flag, he was wounded in the thigh. He passed on his colors to George Pickett, who reached the summit and planted the flag. When Lincoln was elected in 1860, the southern states began to secede, starting with South Carolina and 6 other states in the next few weeks. As his uncle was a firm believer in states’ rights, and his mother still lived in Georgia, he decided to resign from the Union Army and joined the Confederacy. He played a minor role in the first Battle of Bull Run, and then went on to fight in the Battle of Seven Pines under Joseph Johnston, then under Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days battles. Under Lee, he served with distinction in the Second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. On July 3, during the Battle of Gettysburg, he was in overall command of Pickett’s Charge, which haunted him in the later years. After Gettysburg, he went on to serve in the Western Theater until Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. **Why is this person known:** He was one of the prominent southern generals of the Civil War, and is often considered the best corps commander in the whole war. His reluctance to follow Lee’s orders at Gettysburg, his supervision of the disastrous Pickett’s Charge, and his conversion to the Republican Party after the war with Ulysses S. Grant damaged his reputation in the South for almost a century. **Most Interesting Fact:** After the Civil War, he joined the Republican Party and supported his old friend Ulysses S. Grant in his run for presidency, which alienated him from many southerners. He received criticism from former Confederate generals for his actions at Gettysburg, and never quite received the recognition many other Confederate generals received in the South. **Hero or Celebrity:** Today, Longstreet is regarded as a hero by many Americans, not only for his excellent military record, but also for his actions after the war. He denounced slavery and worked with Grant during the Reconstruction, which earned him the hatred of many southerners but has left a positive mark in modern history. **__ Sources Used __** "Longstreet, James." Encyclopædia Britannica. __Encyclopædia Britannica 2009 Student and Home Edition__. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009. "Longstreet Bio, Confederate Military History." __The American Civil War Home Page__. 30 May 2009 . Tumblin, J. C.. "KCWRT - James Longstreet." __DiscoverET.org__. 30 May 2009 . Nash, Steven. "New Georgia Encyclopedia: James Longstreet (1821-1904)." __New Georgia Encyclopedia__. 19 Oct. 2006. 30 May 2009 .
 * I am Gettysburg **
 * **What I know** || **What I want to learn** || **Where I can find answers** || **What I have learned is** ||
 * -Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War