James Longstreet (1821-1904) was born in Edgefield District, South Carolina. At sixteen Longstreet received his appointment to West Point from a cousin, who happened to be a member of Congress. West Point must have been a difficult place for a young man that was used to having servants doing everything for him. While he excelled in things that required physical exertion he struggled with the mental. Longstreet graduated in 1842, near the bottom of his class, just ahead of his friend, Ulysses S. Grant.

After graduation, Lieutenants Longstreet and Grant were both stationed at Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis. While there Longstreet introduced Grant to his cousin Julia Dent. Five years later Julia became Mrs. Grant.

Longstreet served under General Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War. On September 13th, 1847 while attempting to carry the Regimental colors over the fortifications of Chapultepec he was wounded in the leg. Lieutenant George Pickett took the colors from him and carried them over the wall to victory.

In 1848 Longstreet returned home with a months leave and married Marie Louse Garland, the daughter of his brigade commander. They had ten children.

He became Paymaster for the Old Army in Albuquerque, New Mexico, believing that he would never take up arms again with this post. There is some question as to why he took this duty, perhaps it was to keep his large family fed and housed.

At the out break of the Civil War Longstreet resigned his commission as a Major and arrived in Richmond Virginia on June 29th, 1861. He intended to continue being a Paymaster but with the lack of West Point graduates in the southern army, he was commissioned a Brigadier General under P.T. Beauregard at Manassas Station.

In October he received the newly created rank of Major General and took over a division still under Beauregard which consisted of his old brigade, a Virginia brigade, and South Carolina Brigade. A year later Longstreet received his promotion to Lieutenant General and command of the First Corps the Army of Northern Virginia which was under the command of Robert E. Lee.