The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-16

things would have assumed very DIFF
ferent phase IL 0en. Lee had taken Gen.
L0hgstreet's suggestions 10 move OIL by
the right Hank, Tor In moving that way.
with oil our trains, In the face of the
enemy, we would have exposed our
selves to almost certain destruction.
Meade was then trying to find q way to
attack our left, and II Ewell had let 90
and attempted to get OF, he would have
been upon US like m avalanche.
Three days afterwards we we're on
abled 10 move off by the right flank. be.
cause EweIls corps had been moved
around to seminary Ridge during the
night Of the 81. and. tho enemy had
been SO badly crippled that he was
afraid to move out agaiust'us More
over, by moving out on the Emnetts-
burg road towards Frederick we would
not have been between Meade and
| Washington. That route is west ~ tho
| Monocaey. whereas the routes to Wash
ington are Gust ri that stream, one by
Middleburg and another. more circuit
Gus. by Westminster. and we would
have had to cover both roads to cut
Meade of from Washington. To do
which we would have had to make n
wide circuit. while Meade had the inner
and shorter line.
But to return to Gen. Longstreet's
letter How is " that that letter is cor
foborative of or IN sympathy with that
of Gen. Ice to Mr.. Davis, for that In the
one no has references TOT IL that noble
letter, lately given To the world by Col.
Chas. q. Jones, IN which our great Com
,nander shows such sublime sslf-abns-
gation. he says;
"Everything. therefore. points to the
| a A.. t,., Il
commander. and ! tho more anSiously
urge tho matter upon your Escellency,
from my belief that n younger and abler
man than myself can readily be OBJ
tanned. know that he will have ~
gallant and brave an army Rs ever ex-
listed to second his efforts. md 1t would
be tho happlest day 81 my life to see Mt
its head u worthy leader one that
would accomplish moro than ! could
perform. aud all that have wished.
IT, Is to be presumed that this is the
part ri the letter to which Cen. Long
street thinks his bears "corroborative
and sympnthstic relations eorrobora
tive, because IT, shows that ~ younger
and ADLER man COud have been obtained,
aud sympathetic. because IL Indicated
the same desire to have thnt ADLER and
younger man assigned to the command
md in fact pointed to him, and MS
much ns said. Enoc homoi NgN. JAMES
| IoaasTnEEv.
IT that is not what he means. then /
cannot conceive what Is his meaning.
But the fact Is that while I'LL of us
know that " younger man might hove
been easily obtained, none Of us be-
lisvs word Of General Lees selfde.
probation, however sincere no may
think he WINS. nor do We believe that mn
nbler or more worthy leader could have
been found in oil this wide world and SO
thought President Davis.
Longstroet's lstter in sympathy with
General Lees. CretLnt JidaGDue 1peiia
No true Confederate soldier oan read
General Lee's letter without feeling his
heart glow with increased love mud nd
miratiop for our grand old Chieftain.
Listen MT him
II hope your sxcellency will attribute
my request to tho true reason, tho do
sire To serve my country, md do oil in
my power TO insure tho success Of her
righteous canse.
who cnn read General Longstreet's
letter to his uncle without n smile MT It's
extreme cgotism md folly. and the con
yction that the only pnlliation for It's
publication Is the excessive stupidity of
the net
Tho defense of the First Corps by him
against mn imaginary nttack Ii ridicu-
lous. Who has ever thought Ut assail-
ing it's reputation 7 Its superb fighting
qualities, and It's many gallant achieve
ments are readily acknowledged by MI.
It's reputation is not bound up In that Of
its commander, though IT did n vast denl
to give him the reputation no gained.
why then lug It's reputation into this
quarrel TINT he has undertaken with
General I'itz Lee, General Pendleton,
Mr.. Jones and myself2 It In because
he feels that his cause has need of Its
support.
ally. they hre too contemplate to re-
uuiro farther notice than the remark
that, when he comes TO that part of his
work, his big guns degenerate into mere
pop-crnckers.
He has given long extract from den.
| Mendc's report, md In n foot note To his
communication he says.
~ hope that Gen. Mendes allnsion to
Gen. EarIy's battle on his Gen. Meadc's)
right may be duly noted"
| It is very evident that he is under q
misnpprehcnsion MS to which pnrt Of
Mehde's report refers TO my attack on
his line, and out OF regard for the portion
Of my old command engaged In that
nttack, and from no consideration for
myself, it gives me pleasure to duly note
| meihlc p uliSloh W tuC abtsb1h Iutb1S
by Hays and Hoke's brigades, he says
"An assault was, however, made
about 9 y. m, on the. Eleventh Corps
from the left OF the town, which was
repealed by tho assistance OF troops
from the Second and First Corps"
This h NIL that Meade says In regard
to that assault, and 1t appears that 1t
required, In addition to the Eleventh
Corps, troops from two other corps,
to rcpel my twobrigades. Others
have spoken more definitely about
that attack, and among them Gen
eral Gibbon, who, In his testimony,
page 44O-1, says:
"After we had rcpulsed one attack
there was heavy firing over on the right
OF Cemetery Hill. / received q message
from General Howard, commanding the
Eleventh corps, asking for reinforce
ments Just about the same time General
Hancock became alarmed at the con
tinucd firing, and desired mo to send q
brigade, designating Colonel Carrolls,
and afterwards three other regiments
from my division, to the assistance Of