"The Legacy of James Longstreet"

 

He was Lee's senior lieutenant and commander of the legendary first corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. Outranking even the renowned and revered "Stonewall" Jackson, James Longstreet is certainly among the most fascinating figures in American Civil War history. When viewed beyond the breadth of his lifetime through the historiographical looking-glass, this figure becomes perhaps the most controversial of the war. Contained within Civil War, Postbellum and American military histories are the paradox and irony of the man - seedlings which sprouted the controversial harvest now an inseparable part of his legacy.

This presentation will utilize two opposing philosophies of historical endeavor to offer a fresh look at the conception and development of the legacy as it is recognized today. Combining a historical survey of Longstreet the soldier with an investigation into the post-war creations of "The Lost Cause" and Longstreet's vilification creates a vantage point for insight into the politics of American culture as it influences the historical endeavor.

This month's speaker, Robert Istik, has been a member of the Inland Empire Civil War Round Table for eleven years. He has been a Civil War reenactor since 1989, and participated in several large-scale east coast reenactments including Pickett's Charge on the actual field for the 1993 Turner Pictures film "Gettysburg."

Rob is a Principal Engineering Technician for the County of Riverside, and has been accepted in the Master's Degree Program in History at the University of California, Riverside.

Please join us as we learn more about this fascinating general.

Janet Whaley
Program Chair

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