Page "James Longstreet" Paragraph 42

Longstreet was criticized for the slow pace of his advance toward Knoxville in November and some of his troops began using the nickname " Peter the Slow " to describe him.

Burnside evaded him at the Battle of Campbell's Station and settled into entrenchments around the city, which Longstreet besieged unsuccessfully.

The Battle of Fort Sanders failed to bring a Confederate breakthrough.

When Bragg was defeated by Grant at Chattanooga on November 25, Longstreet was ordered to join forces with the Army of Tennessee in northern Georgia.

He demurred and began to move back to Virginia, soon pursued by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman in early December.

The armies went into winter quarters and the First Corps rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia in the spring.

The only real effect of the minor campaign was to deprive Bragg of troops he sorely needed in Chattanooga.

Longstreet's second independent command ( after Suffolk ) was a failure and his self-confidence was damaged.

He reacted to the failure of the campaign by blaming others, as he had done at Seven Pines.

He relieved Lafayette McLaws from command and requested the court martial of Brig.

Gens.

Jerome B. Robertson and Evander M. Law.

He also submitted a letter of resignation to Adjutant General Samuel Cooper on December 30, 1863, but his request to be relieved was denied.