Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-08-22
General LOngstreet.


General Longstreet said
II was once dining with Horace Greeley,
and he asked me if it was not necessary TO
swear at your men and 'whoop them up l
replied that l thought not. There is nothing
like quiet assurance and confidence. A gen
cral need never be noisy, and 1 think quiet
troops are the best fighters. / once sent out
brigade to occupy certain point As it
was mounting n little crest it came full upon
immense masses of Federals. The men were
panic-stricken and thought l had made mis-
take in ordering them forward. They halted
irresolute and then dropped down upon the
ground 1t was important that they should
advance and make a feint, at least. / there
fore rode quietly through their ranks on the
crest and there, halting my horse, adjusted
my glasses and calmly surveyed the scene in
front. turned carelessly around and, as
expected, there was my brigade at my back,
every man in position, ready for anything
| confident and assured.
AT another time, in the heat OF the battle
Of Chattanooga, General Beming of Georgia,
one of the bravest men / ever saw, came
charging up TO me in great agitation. He was
riding captured artillery horse, without any
saddle, with the blind bride Oh, and was us
ing rope trace as a whip. His hat was gone
aud he was much disordered. General, he
said, my brigade is utterly destroyed and
scattered. Is that soy I asked, quietly /,
utterly destroyed, you sayY Yes, sir he
replied gone all to pieces! His great
heart was nearly breaking. l approached
him and said, quietly Don't you think you
could find one man, generaly One man =
he said in astonishment, 4 suppose I could.
What do you want with him 2 Go and get
him, said, still quietly laying my hand on
his arm, and bring him here then you and
| and he will charge together. This is sacred,
general, and we may as well die here as any
where He looked at me curiously a mo-
ment, then laughed, and, with an oath, lash
ed his horse with his rope trace, and was off
like flash. In few moments he swept by
me at the head of a command that he had
gathered together somehow or other, and he
was into the fight again"
The correspondent then asked the general
whether the Southern motives were not
stronger than those of the Union troops, and
the general said
81 think not The sentiment in favor Of
the Union and the memories that cling about
the old flag were just as strong, if not strong
er, than the love of the soil Of the States and
the feeling aroused in defending homes.
remember myself that after the battle of
Chattanooga, General Breckenridge made a
speech congratuiating his men at being able
for the first time in their lives to sleep on the
me for it. The next day some one remarked
that must feel very proud of this. l replied
that the war and all connected with it filled
me with ineXpressible sadness and that / felt
just il was being congratulated for whip
ping my own brother. The truth is, the sol
diers on both sides were nerved by lofty and
desperate emotions, and knew from the first
that there would be heroism displayed by
both armies and that the struggle must be
prolonged and strenuous"
The general said he thought the invasion of
Pennsylvania was wise plan, but the disas-
trous battle of Gettysburg changed it. Said
he, Il felt then that We were beaten. l con-
sidered it simply question of time. Once
after this was there n chance-a bare chance
of saving the Confederacy. This was after
the battle of Chickamauga, which was in
many respects the most brilliant victory of
the war. The enemy was more thoroughly
put to route here than before or since. If
there ever was an occasion that demanded
pursuit pell-mell this was the time. The
Federals were rushing back on Chattanooga
in the utmost confusion. 1t was a bright
moonlight night and our people were anxious
to pursue. We might actually have entered
Chattanooga with the flying Federals, and
thus recovered the key TO Georgia and East
Tennessee General Bragg declined to fol-
low up his advantage. The enemy rallied. re-
formed, and Bragg was driven back to Mis-
sionary Ridge. had talk with Mr.. Davis
shortly after Chickamauga. l told him that
there was no hope for the triumph of our
arms. He was much discouraged and finally
grew petulant He said he never remember
ed having seen such a movement as propos-
ed at Chickamauga. l replied that if his men,
ory would carry him as far back as the first
Manassas he would see such a movement.
He replied very tartly, and We had some sharp
words. These were arranged, however, and
we parted on good terms"
In regard to the Confederate leaders, Gen
eral Longstreet said, Il am inclined TO think
that General Joe Johnston was the ablest and
most accomplished man that the Confederate
armies produced. He never had the oppor-
tunity accorded to many others, but he show
ed wonderful power as tactician and a COM
mander. do not think that we had his equal
for handling an army and conducting cam
paign. General Lee was a great leader
WISE deep and sagacious. His moral influence
was something wonderful But he lost his
poise on certain occasions No one who is
acquainted with the facts can believe that he
would have fought the battle of Gettysburg
had he not been under great excitement or
that he would have ordered the sacrifice of
Pickett and his Virginians on the day after the
battle. He said to me afterwards. Why didn't
Wilderness, when our lines had been driven
in and was just getting to the field General
Lee put himself at the head of one of my
brigades, and leading it into action my men
pressed him back and l said to him that if
he would leave my commands in my own
hands l would reform his lines. His great
soul rose masterful within him when crisis
or disaster threatened. This tended to dis
turb his admirable oquipoise. loved Gen
Il 4 n. l. I
we're his memory. He was great man, born
leader, wise general but l think Johnston
was the most accomplished and capable COM
mander that We had"
As to the Union leaders, General Longstreet
said exactly what any one knowing his his
tory since the war would have expected him
to say-"Grant was incOmparably the great
est He possessed an individuality that i'm
pressed itself upon all that he did. McClel-
Ian was a skillful engineer, but mover rose
above the average conclusions of his council.
sherman never fought great battle, and dis
played no extraordinary power. But Grant
was great. He understood the terrible power
of concentration and persistency. How stub
bornly he stuck TO Vicksburg and to Rich
mond! lie concentrated all his strength,
trained his energies to a single purpose, and
then delivered terrible sledge- hammer blows,
against which strategy and tactics and valor
avail nothing. He knew that majorities
properly handled must triumph in war as in
politics, and he always gathered his resources
together before striking"
In regard to the Appomattox surrender he
said, For some time l had felt that We were
fighting against hope. l kept my lips closed
and fought ahead in silence. For the week
preceding the surrender fought almost with
out ceasing. l was covering Lees retreat,
while Gordon opened a way for him in the
front. l had Fields division, all that was left.
The Federals pressed upon us relentlessly and
We fell back, fighting night and day, inch by
inch, covering the slow retreat Of our wagon
trains. Our lines were never once broken or
disordered. My men fought with the finest
regularity and heroism. Wherever l placed
a brigade there it would stand until ordered
it away. l was among my men constantly,
so that l knew little of the general situation.
Early in the morning General Lee sent for