The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-02-09
A Talk with Longstreet.

"Gath," of the Chicago Tribune, has recently
had talk with the reconstructed Confederate
General Longstreet. He says:
met General Longstreet few evenings ago,
and had good opportunity to determine what
manner of man he is, 80 far at least as his con-
versation and appearance went. Longstreet
street is one of the most perfect types of pro-
fessional soldier. He was born in South Caro-
lima, but is of Georgia extraction, and he says
that his family name is German. He is q,
nephew of the celebrated Judge Longstreet,
author of the Georgia Scenes" which, in their
day were considered to be an unique contribu-
tion to our periodical literature.
He wears plain dress, and his whole pres
ence has nameless selfpossession and self-re-
spect which is not unfrequent amongst South
ern 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 pal
pable that he has lost any of the zest ard hearth
ness which used to distinguish him as mem-
ber of the "Lost Cause" He says nothing
which indicates his regret at the part he took,
but on the contrary, seemed to have docile
sort of fondness for his military life and promi-
nence during the rebellion. He evidently con-
siders Joe Johnston's to be the first military
reputation of the South, and he speaks of all
the Federal Generals with respect, accounting
even for McClelan's failure in the Peninsula,
/ asked him if it were true, as has had been re-
lated that at Gettysburg he advised the turn
ing of the Federal position on Cemetery Ridge:
He said "yes;;" that on the third day he had
proposed to General Lee to extend his line SO
as to cover the roads leading back; toward
ton of the Federal position. "No," replied
Lee, "the enemy is right there, and we must
fight him." Longstreet says that he sat upon q
fence and watched with field glass Picket's
Division making that celebrated but fatal
charge, and that he felt satisfied that the Gene
terry Ridge could not be carried. asked him
what he would have done had Lee permitted
him to turn Round Top to the right and he re-
piled that he should have moved By forced
marches directly upon Washington city. Long,
street says that both sides in the civil war COM
mitted mistakes when they put engineer officers
at the head of large armies, and that the prop
critics which make a Field Marshal are not
those required in an 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 at Hagers-
town and make fight. He always speaks OF
the Federals in discussing these war matters as
the enemy. He does not believe that McClel:'
Ian could have got into Richmond if ne had
been bolder in his Peninsula campaign, but
says that at later period of the war there
were several occasions when the city might
have been easily captured. He thinks Gettys-
burg was, on the whole, the best fight of the
war; thinks it fortunate that Meade had re-
placed Hooker in command of the Federal ar
my there. He spoke of number of instances
where the Federal troops had behaved as well
as anybody could expect soldiers to behave, and
that his own troops, which were collected from
nearly all of the States, were as good as he
wanted. He has not a particle OF bitterness
for anybody in the South or North; seems to
admire General Grant, and talks over the whole.
subject philosophically.