Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-06
THE LOST CAUSE.
Unbiased Views of the Noted ex-Confed-
crate General I,onpstreet

crate General Longstreet.
John II. Beadle, publishes in the Rock
vile (Ga.) Tribune an interesting interview
with General Longtreet, in which the noted
ex-Confederate said
Il never doubted the final success of the
Confederates till after Chicamauga,' said
he. After that | knew we were beaten
Just as well as knew it after Appomatox.
1t was simply a question of figures-like a
man in galloping consumption; every
ounce he loses is lost forever-no machinery
in him to restore it. But you Western
boys are all wrong about your armies The
best army you had was the army of the
Potomac"
Considerably aStonished at this, / asked
why it was so often defeated.
Because it always fought at the greatest
disadvantage, was badly Generated and
was opposed to our best. Just see how
quick it came on top as soon as it met us
with equal advantages"
He then traced on the ground the plans
of the various battles in Virginia, and
showed that the Confederate advantages
balanced proportion of three to one in
the two armies and rendered their victory
certain. Where the Federals had any ad-
vantage whatever, he knew in advance
that defeat was certain; at Gettysburg,
for instance. which he considered the great
est blunuer of the Confederates After
that he added, - went to Chicamauga.
with the assurance of our Government
that if we whipped Rosecrans We should
have all the available forces to drive him
back to the Ohio or destroy his army. The
Richmond folks failed to keep this prom
Use and so we sat down there and waited
till the Federals got strong enough 10 drive
rs away. Then knew that the end was
near. Such chance could never come
again
General Longstreet has been in thirty-two
pitched battles, known and noted iii his
tory. besides many skirmishes He gradu-
ated from West Point early enough to be a
Lieutenant III Texas in 1911, and then Ad-
iutant of the Eighth United States Infantry,
in which position he took part i'll every
battle in Mexico, except Buena Vista. At
Molino Del Rey his regiment had 135
wounded in the thigh, but was able TO join
in the closing battle and entrance into the
city. Atthe Wilderness he was shot through
the right breast and shoulder which wound
has lately deprived him almost entirely of
the use OF his right arm. Otherwise he is
in fine health, and remarkably well pre-
served for q man up in 60. He laughed
with boyish glee at the bombastic histories
of the first battles in MeXico-at Palo Alto,
for instance, said he, the total American
loss in killed, wounded and scared half to
death, was less than fifty.
We ali remember how, the first two or
three years of the war, all the talk in the
North was the Union Generals did nothing
right, while the rebels managed with Won
derful ability. 1t is amusing now to hear
that the same sort of talk was even more
common on this side of the line. The
General says the Confederacy was lost by
three great blunders, blunders that every
cadet at West Point Is taught TO avoid in
his first lessons The first was the loss OF
Fort Donelson, which could have been
saved and Grant completely broken up in
thirty hours by an advance from Bowling
Green. The second was at Gettysburg. The
third was the failure to reinforce and follow
up the victory of Chicamauga. After that
neither bravery nor strategy could save the
Confedcracy 1t was q gone case.