New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-26


ored and much beloved by all fair hearted
men.
Ny allueion to the inclemency of the
weather seems to have excited the special
indign alton of General Early. He says:
If the night OF the first of July, 1863, was
a wet night, or if drop of rain fell on
that light, venture to assert that the
fact was not kn0 wn to a solitary individual
among the many thousands on both sides
who slept on the fields.
My recollections of that night are differ
ent from his; that the weather was bad;
that our camp was wet and disa-
greeable; that Colonel Freemantle COM
planned Of it because he could not get
his fine cavalry boots off. But we should
no. depend upon memory for events Of such
minor Importance, nor allude TO them, I'M
less sustained by some part Of the record
of the times, l find in report that has
been published since the war, said to be a
supplementary report OF General Lee, in
dorsed by General Early, the following
paragraph:
The advance of the enemy to the latter
place (Gettysburg) was unknown, and the
l
conducted with view to the co mtOrt Of
the troops.
The diary of Colonel w. NJ. Owen, at
that time adjutant of the Washington Ar
tillery, at Greenwood, July !, says:
Ewell and Hill have preceded Us toward
Gettysburg. dispatch from Colonel
Sorrel tells US that they have met the
! enemy and have worsted him. During the
day it has been raining continually.
Received orders to move toward Gettys-
burg just before dusk.
The oracle of Gettysburg denounces an
extrac. made in my letter of the seventeenth
of February, from General Lees official re-
Professor Bates.
Again, he says:
have shown, by General Lees own
, statement, that his orders were for Long
street to make the principal attack, while
the other troops were to make demonstra-
tiOns to be converted into real attacks
when occasion offered. which occasion
would certainly have been offered by sue
cess in gaining commanding positions on
, the left. His attack certainly failed of the
success anticipated from it, and hence, the
whole plan of battle was thwarted.
t General Lee says of the same:
That officer General Longstreetl was d.
.. rected to endeavOr to carry this position,
while General Ewell attacked directly the
high ground on the enemy's right.
f After q severe struggle, Longstreet sue
, ceeded in getting possession Of and holding
the desired ground.
Still Incredulous upon a point made in
one of my papers, General Early submits ii
to lis friends in his characteristic classic
sentiment, "Credat Judaeus -ApellG."
, Strange to cay, the oracle asks, When
| was it that General Longstree: got up!' To
crafty him, let Us admit that / came up in
the afternoon of the first, and reported tC
f General Lee, awaiting orders.
General Early says that these orders
: were given that afternoon for daylight at
: tack on the second. Colonel Taylor, Colone
t Venab BILE. Colonel Marshall and Genera
i Long, the latter General Lees reconnoiter
q ing officer. and all his nearest and most trust
ed assistants, disclaimed any knowledge
i of such order. say that such thing wat
n revere ;ntmated. Colonel Venable say!
| more:
/ Abou. sunrise on the second Of July
: was sent By General Lee 10 General Ewel
: to ask him what he thought of the ad
vantagas OF an attack on the enemy's posi-
i Ion Colonel Marshall had been sent will
q similar message on the night of the frs
of July to General Eweln General Ewel
made me- ride with him from point to poin
g of his linee, so as to see, with him, the ex
3 act position of things. Before We go
). through with the examination of the enc
my's position, General Lee came himself Il
General Ewelrs lines. In sending tn,
q message to General Ewell, General Let
+ was explicit in saying that the question wa
whether he should move all OF the troop
round on the right and attack on that side
By his counsel he induced General Lee
to abandon move that promised fruitful
i, results, and adopt most hazardous par
ailel battle. His counsels prevailed ant
. we failed. So General Early lost the bat
tie in council. His own confessions show
tina. he lost it in the hour of battle and il
the moment of victory. He says.
When Longstreets guns Ope ned, Ewell'
also opened and continued to fire for SOM
9 time, and his divisions we're held in readi
t. ness for assault.
9 Afterwards General Early, disregardin!
:. orders, threw two of his brigades off OF
- | SOuc OK poulsiOu " tuO AOai, Oioho W lh'
t line. and cut OFF cooperation by the divi
n sion on the right, thus taking from Genera
8 Ewell half of his corps at the moment tn
t latter was forced to make his fight. S
n that
J. Though johnson was making good pro
!, | cress in h,s attack, there was no movemen
on my right, and the enemy not being
: pressed in that direction, concentrated OF
D nv two brigades in such overwhelming
It force de TO render it necessary for them t.
y retire. Thus, after having victory in thei
grasp, they were compelled to relinquifh it
l. because General Lees orders had sgail
y failed 20 be carried out.
o General Lees official report states tina
= General Ewell was ordered to attack stimuli
y taneously with me. The canse Of his fail
: ure to do go is row evident as well as thu
d cause of the signal failure of the attacl
T that was finally forced upon him BY re
newed orders.
No wonder that General Early awaited
i himself of the moment of political preju.
II dice to seize a victim who might be used al
a screen to his own person. No wonder tina
:. he devotes years of labor and circumlocu
ton to discredit the report from "Head
- Quarters Army Northern Virginia, July 81
1863" to general s. General, Adjutant cnt
Ias3ector General" signed "R. +. Lee
, General, Richmond, Virginia. as .hasty
premature and untrus and to i'm
pose upon the public magazine