The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-16
THf pArrLE on dlErrYsBtRo. ]

Concluded

ICynciutled
Having shown that the battle Of Get
tysburg was lost by the delay that 0ca
cured on our right on the vi. tho utes-
ton arises, who was responsible for that
delay2 Does any one believe that II WIS
Gen. Lee? " he was the responsible
party, then his conduct on that occasion
was at war with his whole history He
| hnd determined to make the principal
attack from our right. aud he had SO.
| lected Longatreets two divisions to
make that attnok, supported by one ut
Hill's divisions. and he had sent direo-
| lions To the troops not MP on the even
! Ing Of tho LIST TO hasten their march.
| I.ongstreet camped four miles In the
rear on the night OF the tst. In his re-
port, Gen. Longstreet. Immediately
after the passage before quoted. says +.
Laws brigade was ordered forward
10 his division during tho day, aDd
| joined about noon on the second. Pre-
vlo,is 70 his joining, ! received ihstfuc-
| lions from the Commanding General to
move. with The portion Of my command
| That whs up. around to gain Tho Einetts-
| burg road on tho enemy's left. The
enemy having been driven back by the
corps Of Lieutenant Generals Ewell and
| A. +. Hill tho day previous. had taken y
strong position. extending from the hill
| ut the Cemetery along tho Eininetts-
| burg road Fearing that my force was
too weak to venture to make an attack.
| ! delayed until General Laws brigade
| joined It's division. Az soon after his
arrival ns we could make otr prepare
tions. the movement was begun. Engi-
| neprs sent out by the Commanding
General and myself. guided us by u road
| which would have completely disclosed
the move. Some delay ensued IN sock
| Ing more concealed route. MoIaw's
division got into position about o'clock
| u. m. Hoods division was moved
further 10 our right and got into position,
partially envelopiDg the enemy's left. p"
He does not soy when he got NJ. nor
nj what time no received tho order. but
he did receive II before the arrival OF
Law. and aa Gen. Ice had determined
that he should make tho attack. and
we'll knew the vital Importance OF time.
IL II 10 10 presumed That no sent the
order ut the earliest moment practical
bio. lie had sent 10 Ewell his ihstr,io-
tions Yearly In tho morning. informing
him that Gongstteet would make the
attack from tho right. and ordering him
| To make demonstration Mt tho same
| time. Is IL not fair to presume That the
order reached Gen. Longstreet quito na
soon M IL did Ewell2 Though ordered
to mike the movement with tho troops
that were ~. he determined TO walt
until Law got up. Here IL ono delay nc
knowlodged. II took him four hours
after Law got ny to got into position;
The day before, I.odes had marched
twelve miles and engaged the enemy by
two y. m. and my division had marched
fourteen miles and engaged tho enemy
| before three =. IN, How js " That Long
street took so much time to get ready
There ate some Other data from which
we chn form M opinion as to who was
responsible for tho delay. Con. Ewell
says IN his report.
II was ordered 10 renew my attack ut
| daylight Friday morning. aud rs John
sot, q position was the only ono afford
ing hopes Of doing this to advantage, he
was reinforced by Smiths brigade %
Earlys division. and Daniels md
Kodes told) brigadcs OF Rodos divis-
ion.
"IInlf IN hour nfter Johnson attacked
ION Friday morning.. and whom too late
10 recall him. ! received notice TINT
Gen. Longstrset would not attack until
ten o'clock: but as IL turned out. his Mt
tack was delayed until aftor two
| o'clock
Still delaying unaceountnbly on the
third Whose fault WIS IL then2
Swinton, In his Campaigns Of the
Army Of tho Potomac makes tho FOL.
lowing remarkable statements:
On page 30 no says: Indeed, in on
tcring on the campaign Gen. Loo OK.
pressly promised his corps commanders
that he would not assume tactical Of
fsDsive, but force his antagonist to ut
tuck him. Having. however, gotten n
taste Of blood In tho considerable sue
cess Of tho frat day. tho Confederate
| commander seems to have lost that
euuipoiso In which his faculties com
monty moved, ard he determined to
give BATTLE
There Is u foot note to this statement
IA follows
"This aud subsequent revelations OF
the purposes and sentiments OF Leo !
derive from Gen. Longtrect. who In n
| full and FREQ conversation with the
much light on the motives and conduct
Of Leo during this campaign."
On pagos 3iO-l he says:
"Longstrcct, holding tho right OF the
Confederate limo. had one flank securely
posted on the Emmettsburg road, so
That no was really between tho Army Of
tho Potomac and Washington. and by
marching towards Frederick could I'M
doubtedly have maneuvered Meade out
Of tho Gettysburg position. This ope.
ration Gcn. Longstrcct, who forebOded
the worst from IN attack on the army
In position, and was anxious to hold
Gen. Lee to his promise, begged in vain
to be allowed to execute"
To this there III u foot note as follows
| ''The officer named Is my authority
| for this statement"
| On page 35s there IL this foot note:
1.-THE absence OF Pickett's division on
the day before made Gen. Longstrcet
very 10th to make the attack; but Ice.
thinking the Union force was not all up,
would not wait. Longstreet urged In
reply that this advantage tor supposed
advantage. for the Union force ,Das all
up,) was countervailed by tho fact that
he was not I'LL up either, but tho Confed-
crate commander was not minded to de-
lay. My authority Is again Gen. Long
street."
That Swinton Is mistaken in saying
the Union force was all up is shown by
the testimo ny l have already quoted.
Swinton's book was published ten years
ago, and Gen. Longstreet has never dis
avowed the foregoing statements, that
am aware Of. They are therefore pre-
sumed to be true, and il so, they throw
u food Of light on the question as to who
was responsible for the delay which took
place in the attack Gen Lee was urg-
ing the attack, and Longstreet was hold
l q l.