Longstreet is becoming the scapegoat. Lee will never be blamed for any losses. "The Old Man is becoming untouchable." Armistead sums up the feelings for Lee when he tells Longstreet they don't need any help as long as Lee is there to lead them.
Even Longstreet cannot fight Lee. He melts when Lee nurtures him, and he feels protective when he sees Lee feeling weak. Longstreet knows Lee needs to hear the truth and is angry with himself when he does not speak it.
Longstreet is rough around the edges, and although he is an emotional man, he does not always express it well. For example, Longstreet notices that his aide, Moxley Sorrel, is wounded. Sorrel frequently irritates Longstreet, but Longstreet attempts concern: "Take care of yourself, Major. You aint the most likable man I ever met, but you sure are useful."
Longstreet struggles with emotion in general. He feels deeply for Armistead's suffering and wants to touch the man, comfort him. But Longstreet can't do it until they joke about hitting Early with a plate back in the old days. Then, with the emotional spell broken by a joke, Longstreet can lightly touch Armistead, once. Longstreet is in emotional pain, but can't let it show. The depression is deep — so many men dead, Hood's accusing eyes, his dead children — and Longstreet tries not to think about any of it. He stays away from his feelings.
