Monday, March 15, 2010
Good bye, Sam.
I find it interesting that the regular fighting men are so expendable. "Longstreet felt an overwhelming wave of saddness. They're all going to die. But he could say nothing." "Good bye, Sam. You're right. You're the best I've got. If I lose you, I don't know what I'll do. God bless you, Sam." Sure, Longstreet was sad to know that so many were about to die, but he doesn't stop it. He knows it will be a slaughter and he tells them to go. I know there was no other way, but it is so depressing.
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I too found this section of the book very sad. Longstreet tried to convince Lee not to attack, but in the end he sat back and saw his nightmare become reality. What a horrible thing to have to live with.
ReplyDeleteTui,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, but I wonder how much Longstreet could have done to stop it. Disobeying a direct order from Lee could have landed him in prison or even gotten him kicked out of the army. Did Longstreet allow it, because he hoped the charge would be successful or because he really had no choice but to accept it?
I understand there is not much he could have done differently. Would it have been worse that he were released from his army duties than to have so many men die, so many families devastated by his call. He knew they were were dead before they left him.
ReplyDeleteHow many other times have situations like that happened in war? Is it common to send so many to their deaths knowing there was no other way? I don't know because I have not studied many wars.
If you read the Afterword under Longstreet, it gives you some insight "Longstreet gives as his opinion what he believes to be true: that the battle was lost by Robert E. Lee." Longstreet was considered a "turncoat" for his efforts to rebuild the south and his comments about Lee. My impression is that he followed a direct order after expressing his opposition.
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