South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-11-15
Gov. Lee on Gettysburg.

gov Ice on gettysburg.
In his address nj A'oxandria, Va,
Gov. Lee. after depicting suveraf IA
NOUS battles. ma ie tue following 70
ereucc % the cusrge at Getty sbu,g:
In our day, have We any iustance
which can rival not only the daring
deeds I have described, but where
the private soldiers did their full du-
" even though ihey must have known
that
Some one had Numbered
Leave Thermopylss, Waterloo and
Balaklava, and GO with me to the rcd
heights OF Gettysburg. 1t is the 3td
Of July. 1862. two hostile armies were
| in parallel lines and had been fight
ing for two days.
The previous operations had dee
monstratcd the fact that the Nor.
thern army was superior In number
aud position, was acting on Interior
lines aud had both TANKS SO posted
and protected as almost to be i'm
pregnab!e.
The commander OF the Southern
afmy could do one Of two things-re,
treat or attack. II Is too late now to
get around either flank OF tho army
In his front, or to attack either or
them With b probability of succ ess,
so jutting point on the Cemetery
ridge was selected. where there was a
oil. ut depression over which road
runs. The Southern wedge must be
driven In, and through the Federal
left center there.
II the Federal army could be cut
In two and the separate wings over.
whelmed in detail, the battle would
be decisive aud the victorious army
might march to point between Phil.
adelphia and Baltimore. involving, us
possible result, the fall of Washing.
ton and Baltimore, and large rein.
forcemen's from Maryland. 1t was a
splendid conception, Napoleon:c in
its audacity Ind worthy the genius OF
the old masters Of war. The South
was within stones throw Of peace
| at Gettysburg, says O writer The
battle TUNED the military tide; for
1T was practically lost TO the Confed.
crate troops. The waters Of South.
ern success hal reached the high wa
ter mark an from that time cont;n.
I'D to ebb until lost in the sea Of G.
ternity.
Gen. Lnngstreet. A. p. Hill ADD
Ewell were the corps commanders at
Gettysburg. To the first named was
committed the assault. Col. Taylor,
Gen. Lees acknowledgement, as well
as Coils. vcnable aud Long, of the
same staff, are on rec I'd as saying
that they knew it was planned by
Ice FOR Longs.reet to assault with
his whole corps, that being tie nexi
in line with his left, and bill in his
official report says he was ord ,red TO
send one half his corps as Support
to Longstreeps corps in such assault.
1t was the army commanders inten-
tons to leave to the chief of his FIRST
corps the tactical formation for at.
tack, but whether the advance was q
platoon, then a company. then a reg
iment to be followed by brisa les and
d'visions, it was c'eatlf his purpose
that the whole corps should support
the advance guard reinforced by half
Of the next corps; aye, il necessary.
with the whole army. He did not
specify by name certain divisions to
assault Such matters Of details are
generally left TO subordinate com.
manders. As the column of attack
was organized, there was no more
chance Of writing success upon It's
brave banners than that the three
hundred Spartans could kill PERSIA
Dy the millions, or six hundred
hofsemen could ride over the rams
parts of Sebsstopol or the wings of
the Frenei eagles Of the Old Guard
of Napoleon could victoriously flap
over the whole army OF Wellington.
Examine the formation Of the char.
ging column. Two brigaies Of
Pickeits division, Kemp,r's AMI
Garnet's, with Heth's division under
Pet,igrew, w.re placed in the front
line. Armisteed's brigade OF Pick
ett's division was ia the second line.
as well as the brigades OF Lsne and
Scales under General Fri mble, who
wore behind Pettigrew's right. VIII.
cox's brigade was placed on the ex
IRENE right of the line and IL seems
were charged with the duty OF pro.
tecting the right marching fink OF
the column from attack. lIe march,
ed too much to'the right aud did hot
participate in the attack. SO IL ap.
pears there we're Eve brigades IN the
front line supported by three brig
AIDES in the rear. De OF General
P,cketvs brigades, under our gallant
General Corse, was left in Virginia at
Hanover junction. The three brig.
AIDES present numbered aboui 1900
men Hills briEa ie had suffered
much 10 that FIRST days fight, and
we're depleted.
They probably numbered wi b the |
two bfigades In their rear between
seven and eight thousand meo.
This would make the attacking force
at the start little over twelve thou
Sand, but the distance was so far and
the grouod was Sd clear, tie artillery
Gre in front and on both 4 INKS so