The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-01
A Talk with L0nEstreet,

"Gath," of the Chicago Tribune, has re
Gently had talk with the reconstructed
Confederate General Longstreet. He says
l met Gen. Longstreet few evening:
ago, and had 4 good opportunity to determ
inc what manner of man he 1s, so far at
least rs his conversation and appearance
went. Longstreet is one of the most per.
feet types of a professional soldier. He was
born in South Carolina, but is Of Georgia
extraction, and he says that his family
name is German. He is nephew Of the
celebrated Judge Longstreet, author of the
Georgia Scenes" which, in their day,
were considered to be a unique contribu.
ton to our periodical literature.
He wears plain dress, and his whole pre-
scnce has a nameless selt-possession and
selt-respect which Is not unfrequent
amongst southern men. He told me that
he never cast vote in his life until last
year. Longstreet discusses with calmness
and good Judgment the military ability Of
his old associates, and it is not palpable
that he has lost any of the zest aud hearth
ness which used to distinguish him as a
member of the. Lost Cause" He says
nothing which indicates his regret at the
part he took, but on the contrary seemed
to have a docile sort of fondness for his
military life and prominence during the re.
bellion. He evidently considers Joe John.
ston's to be the first military reputation OF
the South, and he speaks of all the Federal
Generals with respect, accounting even fol-
McClclan's failure in the Peninsula,
| asked him if it were true, as had been
related, that at Gettysburg he advised the
turning of the Federal position on Cemetery
Ridge. He said eyes" that on the third
day he had proposed to General Lee to eX.
tend his line 30 as to cover the roads lead
ing back toward Maryland, and this would
compel an evacuation of the Federal posi-
ton. NO." replied Lee, "the enemy is
right there, and we must fight him." Long
street says that he sat upon fence and
watched with field glass Pickett's Dvi-
sion making that celebrated but fatal charge,
and that he felt satisfied that the Cemetery
Ridge could not be carried. l asked him
what he would have done had Lee permit
ted him to turn Round Top to the right,
and he replied that lie should have moved
by forced marches directly upon Washing
ton city. Lopgstreet says that both sides.
in the civil war, committed mistakes when
they. put engineer officers at the head OF
large armies, and that the properties which
make Field Marshal are not those required
in IN active General. He does not believe
that if Meade had pursued Lees army
after Gettysburg Lee would have been
beaten, but says he wanted to stand ut Ha-
gerstOWn and make a fight. He always
speaks Of the Federals in discussing these
war matters as the enemy. He does not be-
lieve that Mcclellan could have got into
Richmond if he had been bolder in bis Pc
ninsula campaign, but says that at later
period OF the war there was several occa.
sions when the city might have been easily
captured. He thinks Gettysburg was, ON
the whole, the best fight of the war, thinks
it fortunate that Meade had replaced Hook
er in command OF the Federal army there.
He spoke of u number of instances where
the Federal troops had behaved as we'll as
anybody could expect soldiers to behave,
and that his own troops, which were col
lerted from nearly all the States, were as
good as he wanted. He has not u particle
of bitterness for anybody in the South OF
North seems to admire Gen. Grant, and
talks over the whole subject philosophi.
callv.