Lewis Addison Armistead was born in New Bern, N.C., but later raised in the mountains of Virginia on a family plot.  Gen. Armistead was considered a shy man to many of his classmates at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.  Armistead’s graduation from West Point is a conflicting topic between sources.  On Jan. 29, 1836, Armistead tendered his resignation to the school for an incident of cracking a plate over a classmate’s head (1).  Gen. Armistead was still able to serve his country do to the affluence of his father, Gen. Walker Keith Armistead, and his uncle, N.C.Rep. Edward Stanley.  The use of political powers in this instance is as common today as it was during the antebellum age. 

                  Armistead and Gen. Hancock of the Union had become acquaintances before the period of the Civil War and carried that relationship into conflicts against one another (2).  Armistead has been criticized and even accused of betraying the confederacy for his relationship with Gen. Hancock; an issue that needs further review.  Gen. Armistead became a prominent figure in the Confederate Army serving as Col. of the 57^th Virginia Infantry regiment under Gen. Robert E. Lee (2).    

                          Armistead was a key player during the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, under the command of Gen. George Pickett.  Armistead led his brigade farther in the charge than any other confederate force and is commonly known as “High Tide of the Confederacy (2).”  During the battle, his longtime friend, Gen. Hancock, had been leading the defense.  A key issue between Gen. Armistead and Gen. Hancock’s relationship is the fact that they were together when Fort Sumter was fired on in April 1861 (3).  Armistead’s loyalty to the South drove him to fight on the side of the Confederacy, while his friend, Gen. Hancock, decided to defend the Union.  The importance of this situation is the implications of what might have happened if Gen. Armistead had chosen to fight along side his friend or vice versa. 

                     There are many facets to the life of Gen. Armistead that I believe can be developed into a comprehensive understanding of the times of a southern General.  What was the importance of his relationship with a Union General?  What were consequences of his elite status that allowed him to be privileged enough to be appointed to such a high ranking position?  What do the effects of those decisions have on the southern culture today?  These questions are but a few that will lead to a comprehension of the chronological events that have led to current living situations in the South. 

(1) Thompson, Cynthia Buck.  “Brig. General Lewis Addison Armistead, C.S.A.” (July 2004): 1 Netcom, accessed 15 September 2005, available from http://pw2.netcom.com/~buck1755/lewarm.htm

(2) Wikipedia.  “Lewis Addison Armistead.”  (31 August 2005): 1 Wikipeda, accessed 14 September 2005, available from http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_A._Armistead

(3) Price, Edwin.  “Lewis Armistead, reluctant Confederate General.”  (2002): 1 essortment, accessed 15 September 2005, available from http://coco.essortment.com/lewisarmistead_rayh.htm

(1) http://americancivilwar.com/  Sub sitehttp://americancivilwar.com/getty.html -                     A lot of links to other more detailed topics -                     Provides pictures and interactive maps of different situations -                     Provides authors and bibliography statements -                     Lots of credible information designed for k-12 and college age   (2)               http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/warweb.html. -                     Lots of specific information on different subjects -                     Topics are separated in easy to find format -                     Includes a biography on the creators with credible credentials        (3)         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Addison_Armistead                   -           This site provides a strong description                   -           It provides side topics that help relate context to my topic                   -           It’s a .org providing more credibility than a .com & provides pictures                 (4)         http://pw2.netcom.com/~buck1755/laa.htm                  -           Comprehensive information and provides historical photographs                  -           Provides family history important to my research                  -           Includes military history of family Armistead’s regiments list   (5)                  http://docsouth.unc.edu/ -                     Provides credible information and collections composed by UNC -                     Includes written letters of Generals with direct contact with Armistead