Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-03-10

CUTTING OFF THEIR COAL. :
Gen. Lees attempt 60 Destroy tbe
Coal Works i'm Pennsylvania.


Coal Works i'm Pennsylvania.
From the N. Y. Sunday Courier.l
One of the chief motives of General
Lee s. campaign, which Iculmiuated in
the battle Of Gettysburg, was 70 pene-
trate the coal fields Of Pennsylvania.
That this design was penetrated and de-
feated is mainly due to Governor Ran
dolph, of New Jersey. From sure
sources of information in the South,
Governor Randolph, who was then Presi-
dent of the Morris and Essex railroad,
learned Lees purpose, and ,hastened to
Illustrate it. Randolph's patriotism was
quickened by the fact that pretty much
his whole fortune was engaged in coal,
and Lees success would be his ruin,
Il Under these circnmstances,a and by
prodigious efforts, Randolph succeeded
in convincing Stanton of Lees design.
He also convinced Gov. Seymour, and
thence resulted the hasty movement of
the New York militia to Pennsylvania.
When Lee crossed the Potomac on his
last northward march, Uncle Sam had
on hand only FIVE days full supply of
coal Could the coal mines be reached,
and even temporarily ruined, every
steamer and iron-clad would have been
forced to withdraw from the Southern
coast in less than week, the blockade
raised, and the South reyictualized and
supplied with material of war. A.aa
,Ewell and Early were perfectly fami-
liar with the part Of Pennsylvania to be
reached. To them, with light column
of about $4,000 men, was committed the
task of moving rapidly to the coal mines,
DESTROYING THE WORKS, lt..
flooding the mines, and tearing up the
railroads. Lee was to interpose be-
tween the rear of this column and Cen
eral Meades army, to maneuver and
avoid battle till the object of the raid
was accomplished. Had it succeeded
the rebellion would have been put upon
its legs again and the war indefinitely
prolonged. ,....r, IA
Governor Randolph Saved the Union, !"
if ever man did, by communicating the
intelligence which led to the rapid move
ment of the New York militia. Before
EwelI and Early, with their columns
could reach the Susquehanna in suffi-
cient force to pursue their real design
and dash
FORWARD TO THE COAL FIELDS,
the New York militia were in position,
and fairly covered with earthworks on
the southern banks of the Susquehanna,
Gen. John Even, with his brigade, was
pushed forward to Carlisle. Gen. Hail.
with division composed of the Twenty
second, Thirty-seventh, Eighth, and one
or two more New York city and Brook
lyn regiments, the Sixty-ffth from Buff
falo, New Jersey regiment, and one or
two regiments of Pennsylvania Reserves,
held the line of earthworks in front Of
Harrisburg and the turnpike to Carlisle.
Brigadier General Charles Yates, with
his brigade and some batteries of ar
tillery, took post at the junction of the
Susquehanna and Juniata.
Ewell felt the line pretty much for its
whole length had a sharp skirmish with
Even, and found that he could not cross
the Susquehanna without exposing him
selfto be attacked in flank and on an ex-
tended line of march. Rumor, too, had
magnifed the numbers of the New York
militia, and whilst the whole force onthe
Susquehanna never exceeded r,s
FOURTEEN THOUSAND MEN
Of all arms, Ewell and Early supposed
themselves threatened by at least fifty
thousand men. The combined militia Of
New York, Pennsylvania and New Jer-
sey, SO hastily moved to the front, was
commanded by General 1" Badly Smith,
and it was his able handling Of a very
crude force, but one which stood FIRE Ike
veterans, which, deceived the Confed-
crate Generals. Completely misled and
alarmed, Ewell and Early called in all
their detached parties, and retreated
hastily upon Lees main body beyond
Gettysburg. The New York militia
saved the coal mines, and by doing so
were the real instrumentality which
brought the war to an early conclusion.
q Perhaps, if the present coal war goes
on, it would not be unwise to move them
again into Pennsylvania, and rectify
matters between the miners and the coal
and railroad companies and the CON
sumers -tt ..tf L-