OBITUARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7301, 5 January 1904, Page 3

OBITUARY.

DEATH OF A CONFEDERATE GENERAL. TJnitftd Press Association— By Eloctrio ■ Telegraph— Oopyright. (Received January 5, 9.47 a.m.) ■NEW YORK, January 4. Tho death is announced of General James Longstreet, a notable Confederate general, in his eighty-third year(James Longstr«et was born in South Carolina in 1821. He joined the army oi the United Stateß in his twentieth year, and waa engaged on frontier duty, in which ha distinguished himself. He waa through all the campaign, against Mexico, and for gallant conduct in two battles was promoted first to a captaincy and then to a majority. When; the civil war broke out he ( chose the sido of the South, and was commissioned brigadier-general in the Confederate Atmy. He did brilliant service at the first battle, Bull Run, where he.com. manded a brigade. On General Joseph E. Johnston's retreat before M'Clellan at j Yorktown, Longstreet commanded the rearguard, having been made a major-general. On May 5, 1862, he made a stand at WilJiainsburg, and .was at once attacked by Heintsselman., Hooker and Kearny. Hs held his ground until his opponents were reinforced by Hancock, when he was driven back into his works. He took part in the seven days' battles around Richmond, and, at tho i'econd batt-ls of Bull Run, when in command of tho Ist -Corps of the Army c-f Northern Virginia, came to the relief of General Jackson, when he was hard pressed by Pope's Army, and, by a determined charge in flank, depided the fortunes of the day, At Fredericksburgi he held the Confederate left. In 1863 he was detached with two of his divisions for service south of James River. He commanded tba right wing pf the Army of Northern Virginia at the battle of Gettysburg, and tried' to dio-' spade Lee from ordering the disastrous charge on the third day. When. Lee retreated to Virginia- Longstreet, with five brigadies, w&si transferred to the Army of : Tennessee under Bragg, and at the battle of Chickamaugo- held the left wing of the Confederate Army. Early in 1864 he rejoined Lee, -and was wounded by the fire of his own troops in the battle of the Wilderness. He commanded the lßt Corps of the Army of Nprthern Virginia in all the operations in 1864, and was 1 included in the surrender at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. He was known in the Army as " Old Pete," . and was considered v the hardest fighter in the Confederate service. After the war, General Longstreefc established his residence in New Orleans, where he engaged in commercial business. }•>