The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-12
TnE BATTLE OF OETTYtDURa.
Gen. Rood's Explanation OF the Goss q
tho Fight.

Gen. Hood's Ezplnnation of the 1.oss q
the Fight.
From "Adeanee aud Retyeat," ty Gen. J. B
Soon cfter the Let OF June, tI86S) thu
Confederate forces crossed the Rapfdan
Maryland. About the middle. Of the
month we forded the Potomac, which
was so swollen by recent raid that the
men were forced TO uplift their car
| fridge boxes, in order to keep dry thei,
ammunition. Nevertheless, they march.
ed in regular order TO the northern banh
of that beautiful stream, and as they
moved through the deep water the ia.
spiriting strains Of "Dixie" burst forth
from banda of music. Never before, nc,
since, have witnessed such intense en-.
thnsiasm as that which prevailed
throughout the entire Confederate Army
Shortly afterwards we crossed into
Pennsylvania, amid extrayagart Cheers
which re-echoed all along the line. Oui
forces marched undisturbed, and were
massed in the vicinity of Chambersbnrg
where intelligence was received of Gen.
eral Meade's assignment to the command
of the Federal Army.
My headquarters were again in close
proximity TO those of General Lee, and,
after few days devoted to rest and
quiet, /, as usual, rode to pay him my
respects. found him in the same buoy
ant spirits which pervaded his magnifi.
cent army. After the ordinary saluta-
tion, he exclaimed, "Ah General, the
enemy is q long time finding us If he
/ does not succeed soon, we must go in
search Of him." / assured him | was
never 80 we'll prepared or more willing.
A few days thereafter We were or.
| dered to Gettysburg, and to march with
all possible speed. ...f
The following letter which / addressed
| General Longstreet in 1875, gives, up to
the hour was wounded and borne from
the field, on account of the part taken
by my command in the great battle
which ensued:
NEW ORLEANS, La, June %, 1876.
Gen. James Longstree,:
General: have not responded earlier
10 your letter Of April 9th, by reason of
pressure of business, which rendered it
difficult for ne to give due attention to
| the subject in regard to which you have
desired information.
"You are correct in your assumption
chat failed to make report of the
| operations of my division around Suf.
| folk, Va, aud Of action in the battle of
Gettysburg, in consequence of wound
which I received in this engagement. in
juetica to the brave troops under my
| command at this period, / should here
| mention another cause for this apparent
| neglect of duty on my part. Before 1
| had recovered from the severe wound re-
ceived at Gettysburg, your corps lex
| cepting Pickett's Division) was ordered
to join Gen. Bragg, in the West. for battle
against Rosecranz; my old troops-with
whom / had served 80 long-were thus
to be sent forth to another army-quasi,
may say, among strangers-to take
part in { great struggle; and upon
an appeal from a number of the brigade
and regimental officers of my division, /
consented to accompany them, although !
had but the use of one arm. This move,
ment to the West soon resulted in the
battle of Chickamauga, where I was
again so seriously wounded as to cause
the loss Of limb. These severe wounds
in close succession, i'll addition TO the
all-absorbing duties and anxieties at
tending the last year of the wax. pre-
vented me from submitting subsequently,
repart, as likewise one after the battle
of Chickamauga, in which engagement
whilst yon led the left wing-I had the
honor OF commanding your corps to-
gether with three divisions of the Army
of Tennessee, respectively under A. p.
Stewart, Bushrod johnson and Hindmap.
| Thus the gallantry of these troops. as we'll
as the admirable conduct of my division
at Gettysburg. have left unrecorded.
with this apology for seeming neg
lect, l will proceed to give briefsketch,
from memory, of the events forming the
| subject of your letter:
"My recollection OF the circumstances
connected with The attempt, whiist we
| wero lying in front of Suffolk, to reach
Gen. Lee. in time to participate in the
| battle of charlottesville iG very clear.
The order directing your corps to move
to the support of Gen. Lee was received
about the time Hooker passed the Rap
| pahannock. Unfortunately we had been
compelled by scarcity of forage to send
off oug wagons into North Carolina to
gather auppsy from that State. A
short deisy necessarily ensued, as cou-
riers had to be dispatched for requisite
transportation before the troops could
move. Every effort, however, was made
to get to Lee at the earliest moment. IF
my memory betrays me not, you repaired
| In advance of your corps TO Petersburg
or Richmond, having issued. orders for
us to march with all possible speed to
Lee, on the Rappahannock. I was most
anxious to get 20 the support of my old
chief, and made strenuous efforts to do
so but, whilst on forced march TO ac-
complish this object, received intelli-
genco of our victory at Charlottesville,
and of Jackson's mortal wounG. We,
nevertheless, continued our march, and
eventually went into bivouac upon the
Rapidan, near Gordonsville.
AFTER the battle of Chancellorsville
preparations were made for an offensive
campaign.
Accordingly, my troops lcoved out of
camp. crossed the Rapidan 9bont 9th
| juno, 1868, and joined i. tre general
move in the direction of the Potomac.
We crossed the river about the middle
of the same month and marched into
Pennsylvania. Hill's and Ewell's Corps
i w0I1 ia ssivahco, anu nsre reported 10
| be in the, vicinity of Carlisle. Whilst
| lying in camp, not far distant from
| ChambeSburg, information was received
that Ewell and Hill were about to
| come 10 contact witt the enemy near
Gettysburg. ny troops, together with
McLaw's Division, were put in motion
upon the most direct road to that point,
which, after hard march, we reached
before or at sunTiss OH the I'd Of Jeiy.
So Imperative had been the orders 20