Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1889-07-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
Gov. Lee on Gettysburg.
Il Handsome Tribute to the Southern
Soldiers.


In his recent address at Alexandria. Va,
Gov. Lee. after depicting several famous bat
ties, made the following reference TO the charge
at Gettysburg;
Ia our day, have We any instance which can
rival not only the daring deeds 1 have de-
scribed, but where the private soldiers did their
fun duty even though they must have known
that,
''somc one had bluudered."
Leave Thermopylae, Waterloo and Balak-
lava, and go with me to tho red heights Of Get
tysburg. It is the Sd of July 1868, two hostile
armies were in parallel lines and had been
fighting for two days.
Tho previous operations had demonstrated
the fact that the Northern army was superior
in number and position, was acting on interior
lines and had both fanks so posted and pro-
tected as almost to be impregnable.
The Commander of the Southern army could
do one of two things-rctreat or attack 1t is
too late now TO get around either flank of the
army in his front, or to attack either of them
with probability of success. SO iutting point
of the Cemetery ridge was selected, where there
was slight depression over which q road
runs. The Southern wedge must be driven in.
and through the Federal left centre there
If the Federal army could be cut in two and
the separate wings overwhelmed in detail, the
battle would be decisive and the victorious
army might march to point between Balti-
more and Philadelphia involving az possible
result, the fall of Washington and Baltimore
and large reinforcemeDts from Maryland II
was a splendid conception. Nupoleonic in its
audacity and worthy of the genius of the old
masters of war. 1.-THE South was within a
stones throw of peace at Gettysburg" says a
writer. The battle turned the military tide for
it was practically lost to the Confederate
troops. The waters of Southern success had
reached the high water mark and from that
time continued 70 ebb until lost in the sea OF
eternity.
Gems Longstreet A. p. Hill and EweIl. were
the corps commanders at Gettysburg To the
first named was committed the assault. Col.
Taylor, Gen. Lees adjutant general, as well as
, Cols. Yenable and Long of the same staff are
on record as saying that they knew It was
planned by Lee for LongstIeet to assault with
his whole corps. that being the next in line to
his left, and Hill in his official report says tina;
he was ordered to send one half of his corps as
a support to Longstreet's corps" in such as.
sault. 1t was the army commanders inteu-
ton to leave to the chief of his first corps the
tactical formation for attack, but whether tn;
advance was platoon, then u company. ther
q regiment to be followed by brigades and d.
visions, it was clearly his purpose that III,
whole corps should support the advance guart
reinforced by half of the next corps aye Il
necessary. with the whole army. He did no
/ specify by name certain divisions TO assault
/ Such matters of details are generally left Il
subordinate commanders. As the column o
attack was organized, there was no NOR,
change of writing success upon its brave ban
ners than that the three hundred Spartan
conld kill Persians by the Million or six hun
[ dred hoTseuien ride over the ramparts Of Sc
bastapooI, or the wings of the French eagle
| of the old Guard Of Napoleon could victorious
/ ly flap over the whole army Of Wellington
/ Examine the formation of the charging col
umn. Two brigades of Picketts division
! Kemper's and Garnett's. with Heth's division
under Pettigrew. were placed in the front line
Armistead's brigade of Pickett's division was Il
the second line as well as the brigades of Ian
and Scales under General Trmble, who wer
behind Pettigrew's right. WiIcox's brigad
was placed on tine extreme right Of the lin
( and il seems were charged with the duty o
! protecting the right marching flank of the col
urnn from attack He marched too much t
the right and did not participate in the charge
So it appears there were Eve brigades in tn
front line supported by three brigades in th
rear. One of General Piekett's brigades, IN
der our gallant General Core, was left in Viz
ginia at Hanover Junction. The three bri