Longstreet Monument Unveiled In Gainesville, Ga.
January 2002
GAINESVILLE, Ga.

A new monument of Gen. James Longstreet was unveiled Oct. 28 at the site of his former home in Gainesville, the town he moved to in 1875. The monument is at the site where his home burned in 1889 under what was described at the time as mysterious circumstances.

The monument was endowed by the estate of the late L. Denton Hadaway, sculpted by Gregory Johnson and erected by the General James Longstreet Chapter 46, United Daughters of the Confederacy, of Gainesville. It is a non-equestrian life-size statue of the general with his foot on an ammunition box, one hand on his beard with the other holding his order book.

Many descendants of General Longstreet were in attendance. Great-grandson Dan Paterson gave the keynote speech. Mrs. Jamie Longstreet Paterson, the general's granddaughter, unveiled the new monument along with Johnson and members of the UDC monument committee.

The Blue Ridge Rifles Camp 1860, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and 1st State Line provided color guard and a 21-gun salute respectively. The 27th Georgia Regiment, Sons of Confederate Veterans, provided ushers. Attendees included members of the Longstreet Camp 1289 SCV of Atlanta, Ga.

Additional Longstreet descendants in attendance included Clark Thornton, a great-great-grandson; and great-grandsons David Whelchel and James Randolph Paterson. George Wangerman, city councilman, represented the City of Gainesville. Civil War enthusiasts, politicians and reenactors also attended.

After the ceremony Taps was played by a bugler followed by reenactors providing the 21-gun salute concluding with an emotional rendering of "Dixie."

"Inspiring," said Whelchel. "I feel like he's home again right here."

General Longstreet was Gen. Robert E. Lee's second in command of the Army of Northern Virginia and a battle-hardened leader of its 1st Corps. His campaigns included 2nd Manassas, Gettysburg, Chickamauga and the Wilderness and he was present at the surrender at Appomattox. He settled in this northeastern Georgia town after the war and ran the Piedmont Hotel. Members of the Longstreet Society, the organization which is raising money to reno-vate remnants of the Piedmont, were also in attendance.

Longstreet died Jan. 2, 1904, and was buried in Gainesville's Alta Vista in a flag-marked grave.