Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-01
WHO BLINDrRED AT GETTYS-
BURG?


WHAT GEN. ROBERT 2 LrE SAID ABoUr osrTU-
BURS-THE APPLICATION Oh IT TO GEN. LONG,
STREET pIsINGESroUs- coSrsI-
BUTTON To THE uIsroeY OF the BATTLE.
To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
Governor Lees speech at Alexandria r.
opens a question which had already been set
tied in a more legitimate form Of historical
discussion than that Of popular speech. Ny
recollection leads me 10 think that that dashing
cavalry officer was not present az the battle 90
gettysburg, aud am all the more inclined 70
that belief when he applies the name Gene
terry Ridge TO the topography OF the Feders
IelI Al my memory serves me truly. the Con-
iederate acceptance limited that name 20 the
nh IN front OF Gen. Ewen BE that. however,
as ~ may, my purpose here does NOT include
the governors personal knowledge of she field,
but Is confined TO his citation from THAI grand
man, the commander-in chief Of the army u
northern Virginia.
General Robert Z. Lee is said 70 have de-
clared that Gettysburg would have been a con-
federate victory had he been supported by
Stonewall Jackson. That statement cannot be
held fairly to apply OUTSIDE its prina facie
meaning-that TO the attack of Jackson'. sue
cessor, Gen. Ewel. That brilliant officer COM
manded the Stonewall corps. and directed
a movement which, had il succeeded
would have been Jacksonian-that Of
turning the Federal right near the cemetery.
Applied, though Gen. Lees reference clearly
was, TO Gen. Ewell il involves no reflection ON
even that brilliant officer. save only so far as ID
may have contemplated the cause of his subss-
quent removal from the command his phvsi-
cal disability. After the return from Gettys-
burg he was superseded by Gen. Lee because Of
that disability. He was retired in favor OF
Gen. Early. In presence of these considera-
tons Gov. Lee will pardon me for saying that
the application to Gen. Longstreet Of the state
ment which he cites from Gen. Lee. seems 70
me to be disingenuous.
The grandeur of the Confederate army
makes contention over its defeats Illuminating.
Where all acted nobly, where she whole story
is glorious, there is something ungracious i'm
coming before the public in the fastening Of
responsibility for a single disaster. This is
even painfully true when the challenge to
censure comes in the form OF an alternative
between two Of the grandest personages Of
that grand story-Lee and Longstreet
was on the field of Gettysburg. I rode up
to the confederate line before the opening Of
the battle. With an eye trained by my
profession, that of an engineer. to the OBJ
seryatlon of topography L beheld for the
first time the ground embraced subsequently
in the attack OF Hin and Longstreet. No man
OF healthy sympathIes, seeing that ground
with trained eyes, could have failed to feel as I
felt then. sense of shock at the hurling of an
inferior force OF even demigods against a vast
army standing on the defensive in that nat
ural fortress L bear with regret this testi-
mony to the impression made by my examina-
ton at that time of the mile and a quarter OF
open approach TO the JoSs which ran at the
base OF the steep slopes and knobs which had
been converted into entrenched curtains cop-
meeting basuons, delivering not only direct
fire, but also cross-irel That Gen. Long,
street should have advised, as the letter from
Gen. Lee, which be has published in self-de-
Tense, states against that attack, supplies q
Justification OF my impressions at the time
that the discrimination to attack the Federal
army IN their chosen position originated in
some disturbance of the balance of q mind
whose discretion tended ordinarily TO even
cautlon-that of Gen. Lee.
The delivery Of battle at Gettysburg was felt,
after the event, TO have been an extraordinary
mistake. Accepted as such by the confederate
officers generally, the only question raised
about 1t during the retreat was as 10 the expla-
nation. Excessive confidence in his army was
said to have been the source of that error; but
that seemed to me then. as it does now. an up-
acceptable supposition IN the case of a man Of
Gen. Lees mental repose. The other ex-
PLANTATION offered then is, l think, the true one
that the bridge across the Potomac cut, bod
les of Federal cavalry in our rear. our own cav
airy away, Gen. Lee finding himself so far
from las base IN presence of an uncrippled
enemy, struck at HIM in an alarmed sense of
the danger Of delay. BE that, however, as ID
may, IN my humble opinion, nothing can be
more idle than an attempt to make the disaster
at Gettysburg a question of detail or to shift
the blame from the shoulders on which even
the muse OF history will lay it with garlands-
those of Gen. Lee. Ii any special evidence
OF the general truth be necessary II may be Of
fered III the fact that when the splendid bri.
gade Of Alabamians led by Gen. c. NJ VIII
cox, retired torn and bleeding. their COM
mander having approached Gen. Lee in
great distress-it was said in tears-was reas-
sured with soldier sympathy by that magnani-
NOUS man in the declaration 'Cadmus 1 am
the one to blame MISSISSIPPI