The Woundings of Jackson and Longstreet

The circumstances were eerily similar: both Confederate lieutenant generals had led successful flank attacks through the dark, close woods of the Wilderness when they were accidentally shot by their own men. For both Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet, it seemed as if “the evil genius of the South” hovered “over those desolate woods,” one Confederate staff officer lamented.

How did those woundings impact the Army of Northern Virginia? What were the implications for Robert E. Lee? 

Take a look at the newest “War Department” video from the Civil War Trust: “The Woundings of Jackson and Longstreet.”

Doug Ullman and Kris White are joined by ECW’s Chris Mackowski and historian Don Pfanz, author of the ECWS title No Turning Back: A Guide to the 1864 Overland Campaign. White, Mackowski, and Pfanz have been deeply steeped in the stories of Jackson and Longstreet their entire careers and have much insight to offer about these parallel stories.

During the course of the interview, Chris made a comment that he later reflected on in a post, “Jackson’s Wounding: The Best Thing to Happen to Lee at Chancellorsville.”

You can also check out Kris and Chris’s two-part ECW series, “Forgotten Casualty: James Longstreet Wounded in the Wilderness” as well as an excerpt from their book The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson that focuses on Jackson’s wounding.