The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-01-06

"It is to be presumed that before pre-
pairing an address that was to assume q
historical chara cter, Mr.. Everett had
obtained accurate knowledge OF all that
transpired within the Federal lines
from the most authentic sources, end
doubtless he presents a true picture OF
the actual condition Of things"
| II Gen. Lee was responsible for the
delay, the effects OF which were 30
graphically described by Mr.. Everett;
| If, in fact, his mind was undecided and
vascillating as to when, where and how
| he should begin, then his conduct ON
| that occasion was at war with his whole
character and history. Who can believe
| it? / repeat here remark / have made
on another occasion when vindicat1ng
| Gen. Lee against charge Of want OF
decision and boldness in action .There
| is another reason, which to me is q
most potent one; and that is, because
/ know that the boldest man in his
strategic movements and his tactics ON
| the field of battle, in all the army of
Northern Virginia. Stonewall Jackson
not excepted, was Gen. Robert T.. Lee"
[ cannot believe, therefore, that he
omitted to do anything necessary to
| carry out his avowed purpose OF attack
| ing the enemy at very early hour on
| the morning of the I'd, which every con-
| sideration so imperatively demanded.
except to supersede Gen. Long
| street with another commander OF the
First Corps; and then the question
arises; Where could one of sufficient
/ rank have been found?
Gen. Longstreet, or his annalist, has
copied from the Military Annals Of
Louisiana o book I never heard OF
| before, an absurd story about Gen.
Hays having sent for me at the close OF
| the fight on the 1st, and urged an i'm
mediate advance on the heights, in
which it is said that, though I agreed
with Hays, / refused to allow him to
seize those heights, because orders
Lee through Ewell to advance no
| further than Gettysburg, il we succeed
ed in capturing that place. AS I have
shown in my Review" I received no
orders whatever on that day from either
! Gen. Ewell or Gen. Lee until after the
whole fighting was over, except the
| simple order on the march to move to-
wards Gettysburg. the previous orders
being to concentrate at CashtoWn.
Gen. Longstreet says, In this connec-
ton "Gen. Hays told me ten years
after the battle that he could have
seized the heights without the loss Of
ten men," How mistaken Gen. Hays
was in making such remark will
abundantly appear from the facts I have
already given In my Review" and the
statement of Bates in regard to the pre-
| cautions taken by Steinwehr, whose di-
vision, of 1000 men, occupied the heights
| Immediately confronting Hays, whose
| brigade was considerably less than 1400
strong at the close of the fight.
| Gen. Longstreet further says, after
giving his evidence to prove that no
order was given for an attack at sunrise:
"Having thus disproved the assertions
Of Messrs. Pendleton and Early in re-
gard to this rumored order for O. sunrise
attack, it appears that they are worthy
OF no further recognition; but it is diff
cult to pass beyond without noting the
manner in which, by their ignorance,
they marred the plans of their chief on
the field Of BATTLE"
| After referring to the removal of some
seven pieces OF artillery from one part
of the field to another, as the manner
rance" ''marred the plans" Of Gen.
Lee, Gen. Longstreet is made to say:
| "Gen. Early broke up Gen. Lees line
of battle on the I'd Of July, by detach-
ing part OF his division on some unealIed
for service, in violation Of Gen. Lees
orders, and thus prevented the coop
erative attack Of Ewell ordered by Gen.
Lee."
This statement must have been COM
piled by Gen. Longstreet's annalist
| from the copy Of his assault on me
which was furnished, for Gen. Long
street himself would hardly have reit-
Grated it after I had so effeetually e1-
ploded it in our controversy. My OFF,
cial report, as we'll as the very full state
| ment contained in my Review" show
that two of my brigades were placed, on
| the afternoon of the 1st, before
Gen. Lee came to our part. of the
line, on the York road, to guard
against a flank movement appre-
were in the line on the I'd at all, but
Gordon's brigade was sent for on the
I'd, Stuart's cavalry having arrived,
and got back just as Hays and Hoke's
brigades were moving to the assault OF
Cemetery Hill. The repetition of this
statement is simply ridiculous, and
shows how hard Gen. Longstreet and
his apologists are pressed. Gen. Long
street has not disproved the assertion
made by Gen. Pendleton that an order
| was given for the attack at sunrise.
That assertion, made by Gen. Pendle-
| ton, and not by myself, was contained
in an address delivered by him one year
after mine had been delivered. Gen.
| Longstreet has merely shown that four
OF Gen. Lees staff officers knew OF no
such order, but neither did they
huOW WudO OluOL WhS BIfCn, HOA
| when any order was given for
| the attack He omits to give very sig
nificant part Of Gen. Longs letter, which
tends to show that some order must
| have been given for an attack early on
the morning of the I'd. The question,
therefore, rests On an issue of veracity
between Gen. Longstreet and Gen. PEN
dleton. The latter was Gen. Lees chief
of artillery, who had very important
| Il1ti6l tn nnrfnTpo in TnOarH fn nnatiDO
the artillery for the impending battle,
and it was very natural that Gen. Lee
should communicate to him the tine
when the battle was to open, and
| what orders had been given in
regard thereto. It was not neces-
sary to communicate the same
| facts to the staff officers, whose state
|