The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1888-05-09
Decoration Day-1he March To
Gettysburg. -p

by the death of Stonewall Jackson,
will forever stand as an enduring
monument of the imperial genius of
LEE. Longstreet's corps, one of the
three corps which composed his
army, was away to help the Western
army. No field of battle in modern
times had witnessed so great a dis
parity of numbers. The fiankmove
ment to the Wilderness so brilliantly
executed by Stonewall, was the sole
conception of the peerless military
intellectof LEE. Stonewall solemn
ly, seriously, and earnestly, protested
against it; but LEE was infiexible.
The smallest army that ever on this
earth, in modern times, dared so
audaciously and rashly to win vic
tory, achieved, against overmastering
numbers, a most brilliant success.
Hooke was defeated by two critical
circumstances the flank movement
Stonewall executed withs such sig
nal rapidity, andthe failure of Sedge-
wick to effect junction on Hook
er's left. 1t was these maneuyers
solely the conceptions Of LEE, that
ranked him at once among the great
est of military strategists of any age.
But the character Of the soldiers
who achieved the successes of Chan
cellorsyille, and won the admiration
of the world at Gettysburg, were
moldedin the camp andon themarch.
No where was the true character of
the Southern soldier ever exhibited
better than on the long march to
Gettysburg and the long orderly re-
treat from that ill-starred field back
to the banks of the historic Kappa
hammock from which they set out.
Looking back to the Rappahan-
mock, we can see what the imperial
genius Of LEE had accomplished.
When he set out upon the northern
expedition, he was confronted BY one
of the largest armies the Federals
ever had in the field. Winchester,
Martinsburg, Harper's Ferry and Der
ryyille wereheld BY heavy garrisens.
The cavalry were in splendid eondi-
tion, LEES imperial genius marched
his army over the Blue Ridge and
across the Shenandoah and Potomac
rivers. The mountain passes and the
fords Of the rivers might have been
efectually blockaded. The wholeof
the lower valley of the Shenandoah
was in the possession Of the Feder-
ais. Yet starting from the glorious
fields Of Charlottesville, LEE guided
his army across themountains, along
the valley, and over the rivers, with
out encountering serious opposion.
Except some desultory encounters
chiefly by cavalry, and Of no mo-
iifent, hss narehed his army from
Chancellor's field Of victory to Get
tysburgs fatal heights. without re-
,sistanee.
But the character Of the march to
and from that fatal field, has indel-
IDLY stamped upon that army the
true and lofty character Of soldiers
IA the widest and bet nearing Of
IN, word. Pennsylvania as inyad-
ed, but 1t was an invasion t6Sbe car
ried on by an army representing the
Christian and enlightened young
Republic that was struggling To
FIX her star in the armament Of ma
tons. The war was against the
armed forces Of the Federal govern
ment: not against the people Of
Pennsylvania. Soldiers, in battle
array, were 10 be assailed according
10 the usages Of modern civilized
warfare, non-combatants were, on
no account, 10 Be troubled. Pro.
lection was granted 10 the citizens
Is 10 their persons and property,
All supplies forthearmy were eithel
paid for or q proper voucher given
10 be settlsd hereafter. The irregu.
lar pillage Of the country As well q
The laying waste Of the country IN
line Of battle, Was strictly forbidden
death, merciless, stern. and unrelent
ing, was the doom Of the bummeI