The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-12-08
How Gettysburg Was Lost.

General Z NJ Law q South CSrolina.
writing in the December e,Ist,frg of his
experiences al Gettysburg. tells Of d
: proposition he made 10 General Hoo5
+ for an 4ttsck on the Union "a. and savs
* found General Hood on the ridge
where his line had been formed. com-
nanieafei to hiEl the information ] had
+ obtained, and painted ouf the ease n a
which a movement by the right flank
might he made He coinci9ed fally ID
ay views. but said thai his orders were
: positive 10 aItaek in front. - soon a the
Eeft Of the corps should gei into position.
Z I Therefore entered formal protest
against direct attack, on the gr.Gn,l~
l. That the great natural strength Of the
enemys position IN or front rendered
the result Of direct assault extremely
uncertain ? That. even Il successful, the
victory would be purchased st too great q
saerifice q lie. and our tro lps Ronld be
IN no condition % improve IL 8 That a
front attark was unnecessary,-the occu-
pan Of Round Top during the night by
moving upon il from the south and the
extension Of or right wing from that
point across the enemy's left and rear,
being not only practicable. but easy +
That such movement would compel q
change Of front On the part Of the enemy.
the abandonment Of his strong position
On the heights. and force him to attsek
u in position
General Hood called up Captsin
Hamilton. # his staff and requested me
70 rePest the protest 10 him. and the
grounds on which Il Kas made He then
directed Captain Hamilton 70 find t1en-
erai Longstreet asquickly zs possible and
deliver the protest, and - say TO him
that he Hood indorsed il fully. Haulil-
ton rode of al once, but IN about ten
minutes returned. accompanied by a st&-f
officer oftTeneral Longstre.i, who said to
General Hood, II my hearing General
+ Lon-street order that you begin the Il
tack Al once Hood turned to me and
merely s4id. 10n bear the orders p ] Al
( once moved nv brigade % the assault I
DO not knox whether the Teotesf ever
reached C1ederal Lee. From the brief in
tersal that elapsed between the time II
Wa sent General Longsrreet and the re-
/ ceipi Of the order 10 begin the sTJack, !
+ am enclinei 70 think II did not tfener-
al LonsStreet has since sid that he r.
peateily advised against a front attack
and Suggested movement by our right
flank tie may have thought. after The
/ rejection of this advice by General Lee,
that Il w4s useless % press the matter fur
fher
Just here the hattie q Gettysburg
I was lost % the Confederate arms Il i
useless 10 speculate upon the turn affairs
might have taken Il the Confederate
I cavalry had been in communication with
the re@a II the army. and II Genera
stuart had keTi General Lee informed.
a. he should have lone. ofthe movement
E - Nt&F Efitlt7l an II tf1A-l-tt-l1i4 Az
+ causes Of the Confe5erafe failure on fhaf
/ particular field. We must take the situ2-
I ton jusz a. we find Il. And the situation
/ was as follows. The advance Of the Two
armies encountered each other on the
Isl OF July An engagement ensaed N
which the Confeaerate-- we're victorious.
/ The Federal troops retirgd through
Gettysburg and took position along the
heights east Of the town position
which If properly defended VS. practical
I Iy iulpregnable 70 q direct attack.
The whole matter then resolves itself
into this Generel Lee failed at Getty~-
burg on the 2d and Cd Of July because he
made hisattack precisely when his enemy
wanted him to make II and was most full
/ " prepared 10 receiye It Even had be
succeeded IN driving the Federal army
nom its.stronE position by a general and
simultaneous assault along the whole
front which was the only possible chance
Of success IN that direcfionl, he would
have found his army in very much the
same condition that Pyrrhus found MS
wben. after driving the Romans from the
field q Ascuium, be exclaimed Anoth-
er such victory, and ] an uudone