The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-28
GENERAL E. M LAW
70 Address the Association Of the Army
of Nnrthern Nirrinin.

70 Address the Association of the Army
of Northern Virginia.
General L. NJ. Law will deliver the ora
ton before the Association Of the Army Of
Northern Virginia. in tine hall Of the House
of Delegates, this evening.
The reputation OF this commander for The
skillful handling of troops was 30 doubt
largely owing to habit he had of picturing
every change in the landscape as % possible
battle-field and making mental dispositions
for attack or defense. The constant eXer-
else of This faculty. unless. indeed. it was q
natural intuition, enabled him. with singu-
lar precision. % view his own line. from
the standpoint 90 the enemy, and thus his
forecasts Of field movements were often So
surprising i'm their accuracy as 90 seem like
prescicnce.
4 notable example 10! this was given ai
second Manassas. when BE- indicated the
precise point 40 which Pope would deliver
his assault on jackson, and urged upon
Hood the Importance Of planting artillery
on q knoll which would sweep the flank 0i
the predicted battle line. And. sure enough.
Pope formed his columns ia dead flank o.
the point i'm question. and delivered u.,
magnificent charge just as iong4trcets BAT
teries came INTO position there. The fInk
was instantly hurled back IN disorder, while
Jackson simultaneously poured in his mus
kerry along the front ana im a few moments
those stately lines OF blue were scattered
like dry leaves in q tempest.
ON the closing day at Gettysburg Dee fore
saw the likelihood Of a cavalry charge from
beyond the base OF Round Top. and by e
deNter0us disposition Of the broken rem
nants of his brigade hc destroyed or cap
lured the whole command.
Q 4 f,.I D. 4
hammcring our front. Law held am en-
tronched salient which was really weak.
but which from the enemy's view point
might easily seem AN mpOrian, key iO our
position. ON hen. assigned 90 that part of
the line Law made 70 prompt and careful en-
animation ui eie!d and hastily dug a rifle
pit in rear of the angle. thus shorten
ing and STRENGTHENING the whole line
lie then Withdrew Eis troops, leaving
ON the outwork only a thin line
Of skirmi-hcr- whom Doe instructed
90 retreat in disorder at % given signal.
These dispositions were barely completed.
when the enemy. began formation for
charge in c0lumn. the ma,-ed troops came
forward with weight which seemed lire.
sistible. Their h1nt covered the whole
length a the salient. and they were prohi-
bly, more than twenty ranks 80 depth. They
came on vita measured tread. drums beat
inc and flags flying. a more majestic spec
tacle never adorned the field OF war, and 10
seemed like mJdnes, 10 throw in their path
way The puny obstacle OF two little brigades.
Nevertheless. the handful OF skirmishor
sped their bullets into the onward moving
mass. aud though the gap. were incossani.
Vet they instantly closed again. and tine
effect produced 0a the whole body seemed
no more iIan the FLASHING of Iain-drops
against tine hul ot "a snip. soon they Were
within charging distance. when. az signal
from Law. the Shirln'-Aer, sprang 10 their
feet and scuttiei back like startled rabbits
- the trlc line Of defense. The effect ou
the enemy was magical.
They Thought the "rebeis" were hyiu-.
and with hOdr>e shout and mighty surge.
th.yast host rushed ON. Selling with eNult-
aui cheers the coveted salient whose trench
az sunset was o. Dee their grave. LEA no &C.
ton OF tGe war WAS The disparity of losses
so marked as iu this aii iir.-not even at ,he
-unkm road in front OF Mayre's Ilill. go
fredlricksburg General Laws loss WE
practically nothing luasmuch a. il did nos
exceed the average casualties of a reserve
line. while That Of The enemy has mo- parallel
in the annals Of modern war.
But ID was NOS merely or chiefly i'm de-
fence that this soldier attained the most i'm
p0rtant ends. Ills spirit was essentially
aggressive, and though cautious and yigi-
lent Ia preparation, yet in action he was
sudden. swirl and bold. He was D.
routine commander bag always alert g.
10 seize or make opportunities, and bi-
mode Of war may be as easily illustrated hl
q icW incidents OF a single battle rs by q
detailed record Of his four years If service
Take. for example. the second Manassas
Lees army was cut in two and Pope had
hurled Doll. whole force upon jackson.
LOngStrect was pressing 10 the rescue. hut
was blocked m lhOrog shiaro Gap. "A strong
hold which had been seized by the enemy.
Successive assaults had been made hy the
head of the column. bat they proved fruit
less, and The troops went into bNOuac hy
the roadside. Law. who bad the rear
guard, marched his brigade past the whole
corps. gathering such information as De-
could without halting his troops. Arrived
az the Gap, be called mp his scout. and
,harp-shootcrs, body OF athletic men. and
tod them 90 find way over th. mountain
to make -calin. ladders OF themselves if
need bc-aud Ice would follow with his bri- |
gadc. In less than half an hour the scouts
had crossed the mountain. the enemy gave
way, and longstrccts wing Of the army
filed through the Cap.
A few hour, sleep and then il was race !
for the deliyerance OF jackson. whose troops |
uNu l'NN-Ul anu manu- tftttt lA-Ail lAAl - y
until sleep was OyerpOWering Them in the |
very act If battle. Law was assigned 10 |
the head o. the column. The country was |
infested by the enemy. For days past oI r |
couriers had been shot and robbed of their |
by meIrwearlng the Confederate /
gray. Communication between tn fWo /
wings Of the army had been completely -c- /
yercd. aud tine sound OF battle gave no clue |
20 the position Of friend or foe.
Under these circumstances an average
would have deemed il prudent
10 keep within reasonable support If the
main body, and feel his way. General
Law threw toward "A line VI ilankers at
rapid march. moved his whole brigade az a
swinging stride along the highway and
instructed mounted officer with little
guard of rifllemen 70 forge ahead toward
The sound Of the guns and report the situa-
lien 10 jackson. by half past ten in the
this was done, and AT noon Law
was covering the " arrenton turnpike in
front OF GrOyet N. with his left flank shak-
ing hands with Jackson's right. Hoods,
Texas brigade came ia TO line soon after
wards, and los the middle OF the afternoon
Ihe whole army was united and in position
The golden moments thus saved and
Tossed into the quiyering scale OF battle
turned what must Otherwise have been i'll
eyitable disaster into one Of the most brill
ant victories Of the war. might men,
ion another incident OF the same battle. in
which Laws swift decision at critical
uncture gave decisive results; bat it was
he Generals business 10 win victories, and
[ is enough TO know that he had persis-
ent habit Of doing II.
From The first Manassas. where, with
lrm shattered from wrist to elbow, he held
he gallant old Fourth Alabama for more !
han an hour against the Hank movement Of I
he Federal army, mp to the closing scenes J
4 the struggle. when he fell disabled in the
renches before Richmond his record il the
ecord of The Army OF Northern Virginia,
nd one cannot be written without tae
ther.
There is reason to fear that his address on
his occasion may be somewhat dry and