![]() Longstreet’s West Point roommate and cousin, Fred Dent, was from nearby, and a visit to the Dent house led to a meeting between Fred’s sister, And yet, somehow, Sam and Pete became good friends.Īfter graduation both were posted to Jefferson Barracks, Mo. “Sam” Grant, when he arrived a year later, stood just an inch over five feet, and was slight, scrappy and silent – “A ploddingĮnigma,” as one of his biographers described him. Longstreet was over six feet tall, well built and handsome. By the time he entered West Point, “Pete” Their backgrounds could not be more different: Grant grew up in small-town Ohio Longstreet was born in South Carolina and was raised a Southern gentleman in Georgia. Neither man was known for being an extrovert one of their few commonalities was a love for horses over people.Įven more stunning was the fact that they fought on opposite sides – Longstreet for the Confederacy and Grant for the Union. This is one reason the friendship between Gen. Most senior commanders tend to be solitary figures, at least in public. Such as the one between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, or between George Marshall and Sir John Dill. Those we know about are atypical and asymmetrical, There are many famous generals and admirals, but very few famous friendships in American military history. This is true especially for those at the highest levels. But again, they are not very well understood or discussed. Military friendships and loyalties are among the strongest because in many cases they are literally ones Yet unit cohesion in battle is a tricky thing to measure, let alone compare.Ī related quality – a subset of unit cohesion, let’s say – is person-to-person friendship. Defending your unit has been shown to exceed a willingness to die for family, cause or country, and even the fear of capture. Social scientists tell us that soldiers fight for one another more than for any other reason. Disunion follows the Civil War as it unfolded.
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