Longstreet at Blackburn's Ford (updated)

On the morning of this date in 1861, few people had heard of Confederate Brigadier General James "Pete" Longstreet, and that day's skirmish at Blackburn's Ford would not make him famous, either. [Correction: Yesterday's date, i.e. it was July 18, 1861.]
Four years later, he had proven himself one of the war's great generals, successful on almost every field until the last days of action, with one great and well known exception in early July 1863. But at Gettysburg the Confederate defeat was caused by Robert. E. Lee's rejection of Longstreet's excellent advice.
Longstreet was a good friend of Grant before the war, and their friendship resumed the day after the surrender when Grant, still at Appomattox, saw Longstreet and greeted him warmly. The only time they met in battle against each other was in 1864 at Wilderness, where Longstreet's corps almost carried the day before he was wounded.
After the war, Longstreet was a courageous fighter for the rights of African-Americans. This did not endear him to the "Lost Cause" school of Confederate historians and myth-makers, led by the former general Jubal Early. It is perhaps noteworthy that Longstreet's victory at Blackburn's Ford was diminished by an accidental attack on his troops from Col. Early's reinforcements.
It was at Blackburn's Ford that a Union shell struck the kitchen of Wilmer McLean's house, helping persuade that gentleman to move west to Appomattox. Lee would surrender to Grant in McLean's parlor on April 9, 1865.

(Update later on July 19:) Not long after Lee's death in 1870, Early famously and unfairly blamed Longstreet for the defeat at Gettysburg. At that battle, Longstreet's corps took huge losses in its attacks on the Union left and center on July 2 and 3.
 In-between, on the evening of July 2, it was Krzyzanowski's Charge which dislodged Early's men from their incursion on the Union right, at East Cemetery Hill.