The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-17
THE SECOND BULL BUN.

How I.onestreet Disobeyed orders and Car
ricd the Gay at Manassas-farans ~
,----..-an,.. Tn Those Leading to the Por-
ter Trial II
WAsH1vsroN, Jan. General Longstreet'
nv request OF the National Republican senoS
chat paser the following letter
ATLANTA, Ga, Dec 30, 1SS2-
<,epersa o. 8. Grant, New York:
sfYDEAE sIE-It occurs to me that an seconnl
of ir1 parallel circumstances psssing in the Army
Of Northern Virginia before and during the sec |
ond Manassas 10 those leading to no Flu JONI |
FssE trial may Sygp Gs paper RISg Referring 70
hfs5ase IL is but just, however, 70 ADMIT tssas
Y argument Of those VINO hqIo . - riIi,srv
: ndpoint conclusive. but they seem TO Ignore
even recognized custom of war that suPecior
Jrcers are not confined TO the rule that no. ds an
y - os GRIND machine liUited, under au GU
> instances TO letters of ORDERS OF las cneei OUT
IeexPected ana reg gu iy1, - rTesec No
do,-6t ecSes have occurred in your experience
Where offcers were as deserving OF reprOot LOT
IsiiioS ~ osT orders Early on the 2sth;of Au-
gust 1862 at the head of my column GriVeo III
striking oistanee OF tne Ps Fo ~ = a1S CEN
eral Jackson's wing o. the Army o. heItheIn vi
einis. Upon seeing the approach OF our column
the Fedezal troops were Withdrawn 70 deiensiF {
1oSifio1 a little retired Before noon, a testified
nv myself and others before the Sc1oneld Board
rrr0 I'd
son's rgat ct right angles 70 the NsI1SA tOu
pike aid extending 70 and beyond the Manassas
CAP Railfoad. AS soon as dePloyed, 0eperal
Lee sitsc- Intending to execute his plan, ]
asked trae to recOnnOitPe the new pOsluen anu
ground intervening Mter the IeeohnS t W;
fee vas likely TO be such az tOcause apprehension
Of a fstlEre he did not seem satisfied ana wa
Considering the prOpriety OF making 1-s ORDERS
more definite when information was received
from General Stuart Of the s,pproSen o the + ea-
eral troops upon my ,F Fsh seld ms ssr t6e lime
hut vhen It appeared this aorce was
hardly strorg enough ,. for an an at, attack CT
gurr6d AS the day YVES lar Speht[ suggested
force reesnnosssa zee al nighttall ana pIepalalOi.
for aetion of the day iollo"log, Inls va ,i ~
Genera Lee and myself the battle thouIa LOT De
made at this point Sc HlthuTeH EoouL III
night 10 the ground we had occupied before eul
ADVANCE. Next day the FedeTais renewed tht
battle against Jackson. AS we were not engaged
nor seriously threatened rooe o.. ia y
my line In search Of an opportunity W 'aAe N!
snare of the battle and found a number
of my officers collected at asOlnt rom mhlcL
they had fair view of the masses swelling "
against Jackson From this point IL was evident
that's few batteries having enf-aoe hre could
dispeIse the attack ana sore o. ouI
Meanwhile a message came from GenerAI JACK
sOn asking for reinfOrcements. ana arrest I'm
nediately after came an order from General Le'
TO send some Of my brigades 70 Jackson. IL olc
not seem probable that the troops coule
reach Jackson III TINE II sent
AT the same time there were nt
doubts Of our dispensing the attach
by the fire Of our artillery Under E1e eircuin
stances felt inpelled 70 disregard inc orders anC
operate on my own judgment The IRE OF GU
batteries produced the results anticipated. NneI
the attacking force were dispersed, ny comm
spIulg 70 the charge aud swept the hela. HAD
thus engaged the day before II lSInOIe thah PROD
able Porter would have peeu III season 70 iaAe M
on the wing aud in sll prCba oiIity naye crtlshes
me- Had / stopped % reinforce on the second
day. Il is hardly probable that jackson could nav
held till my troops could have reached MIN
you state, IL not possible for Porter 10 at
tack under the 4:0 order. the failure 10 do which
Wss alleged n BE- his high crime II we ma:
suppose that he received the 0r1e, aG40O sn'
had attacked, he would have given US an oppor
tunity that we were 50 earnestly seeking all tha
DAY, and III the dijOinted condi'Ioa OF llelr arm
all that day the result might have been more sen
than that Of the next day, the 3Jth- Now, !
suppose that nay attack on the afternoon Q
the 3OLh had failed. we shall see that the ev1denc
against me would have been stronger man ina
against Porter Yet with an earnest desire '
meet the orders of my chief, felt was NOR
capable to execute than obey them- AS W
were successful, there was not loom TO 9uesuo
us The only safe rule is 10 be guided Oy you
Judgment in such cases. II IN the exercise
discretion, one becomes the direct cause OF fai
ure he should only be adjudged as failing IN ger
eralship. IL the intention is 10 bring dlsc0mntuI
upon the arms IL is criminal soon after IN
campaign was promoted and assigned as SenlC
Lieutenant General of the Cont deTate Army
With the highest respect, your most ooeolei
servant JAMES LONGSTREET.