The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-28

| cover that he could get iroHI W. - fhe
| batteries. md so that the centre o. ~
| a.sati,Ipg column would arrive ~ .uI
solvent OF the enefnyls position, ~ -.
| IfcketCs line 10 be the guide am 80, "
tack the Inc OF the enemy u 1e,nd az
| and General Pettigrew, In commallu -
Ueths division, moving on the saihe nv ~
! as General Pickett, was TO assauit ~ .
| salient at the same moment. - In
| division was arranged, Two DIsa .It,d
| the front line. supported by ms MI nIadd
! brigade. and Wilcoxs brigade, wag ordefeu
| 10 move in rear Of his right hank, 10
protect Il from any force that me teInn,hs
might attempt 10 move against ~ Rri1a.
| division under the command OF DIR a.
| dier-C;eneral Pettigrew, was arranged y.
two lines. and these, supported by ,ppd Do
| OF Maior-General Penders dlVislCh' ~
| MatOr-Ceneral Trimble. ABOUT %hIa,gej
| General Pickett, who had been ~ 10
| hind our batteries. reported ma ,ost
/ troops were In order and o. ~ tne LA
| sheltered ground. ,a,de,'s nosltion
| + found that he had ADVISED beheI a.
| pickett that the time fad srrlt .e c,a en-
| the attack. and ] gave the oruer a w
| eral Pickett 20 advance 10 w o1nyn,,ni
| / found then that our supply OF dlii' l III,
| tlon vas 90 short that the batteries couiu
not reOpen The order for tns 49,,
which / could not favor ulu,I III
ausnires would have been revoked maa
I felt that I had that privilege. NJ
aa.arce y-ae made In very handsome
| STYLE. all the troops Keeping their M, ~
accurately and taking the hre OF ~, ne
Tatte7ies with great GOODNESS ana denD-
eration. About half way between our
yneifion and that Of the enemy, taNine
partially sheltered our troops from VI w
ancmys fire. when short matt Wa n s.
fcr rest The advance was resunsu o.
a n,arnent's pause. all etill In good oIueI
The enemy's batteries soon ope"tu ~
our lines with canister, ana w "a
scented to staEger under H. but W 20
vance was resumed a,hn ~ +ronrs aid
gree Of stcadincss. ilckctt '!4riss
not apJeur TO be- checked by the ON'' -,
and only halted to deliver Il III ""aroi
close under musket range MaJoI sI,,,,ard
NnderSons division was ordeitu ~ ~ -
10 support and assist the WhFeI,in5 .tie
unns Of Pettigrcw and TrlWDie, IlChss 30
troops after delivering fire. adVahVtp ~
the charge and entered me eHv.miy
lines. capturing SON" OF hlf Be same
and gained his works. ABOUT tht 81
moment. the troops that had before ne fr
tated. broke their ranks ana Iril Ud,n 49, a.,
great disorder, many more l"t - vbiIe
the enemys fire in reuIlnE 'nam ,,o tho
they were attacking. MS force
,Ipon pickett with tUopE ,PIO.P1 a.
being able to break up ms iihV dIvision
stroV him before Anderson g. lie
could reach him, when T Snderson. lie
&c therefore ordered 10 ha't, -,
fnvy moments the enemy iTt ~
against both TANKS ana w II and
Picketts division, overpoWtsaV,t, bof Of
uIoNe ., Wbo were not killed OF
wounded
This ought 70 end all controversy "'''
who went into the Federal hhe' ''N
,,bo did not. General Longsue'' 'o'''
manded all the forces that were ens't''
in the assault. and he tells us III ms
mort that he stood during the "''''
,,bero no could see il all, and there -
.;s ,.arsi,u # ii. But il was not VII"
, Wow 70 its bearing on the quesuoh
,,bo went into the Federal lines lha' We
have quoted this document IL was ~
rurr,sb foundation for some remarks
int We propose 10 make upon the con
4,,,, &c q soldier Of General Lorssueel
! himself in that memorable battle.
! I, The first place we want +" remark
bot General Lee had given hia en'iI'
| command Of all the troops to be CON
cerned in this attack, and had put 'n'
entire direction Of the movement '"'o
his charge. He tells MS in ms report
that he was making preparations 10 as
sault the ercmy again that morning Oh
tho eneny's left flank, when General
Loo Joined him and ordered him 10 make
nrouaratious for the assault on the
cucny's centre. OF it he says: "Ihe us
lance 10 be passed over under the IRE
of the enemys batteries, and III pam
view. seemed too great to insure great
results. particularly as two-thiris OF the
troous 10 be engaged in the assault mad
baen I'm a severe battle two days pre-
ylous. Picketrs division alone being
fresh" And when the movement had
commenced ne tells US. "the order for
This attack. which | could not favor un-
der better auspices, would have been re
yoled had | felt that ! had that privi-
| lege."
Within the last fsw years General Long
street has written an account Of the al
fair which is published in the Century
War Book. No. 10. page 2JG. In which
he says: after a little, some Of the
Federal batteries ceased firing, possibly TO
save ammunition, and Alexander thought
the most suitable time for the advance had
come lie sent word to Pickett, and Pick
| EFT rode to my headquarters. As he
| came up he asked if the time for his
| advance had come | was convinced that
| he would be leading his troops TO need
| less slaughter, and d1 not speak He
| repeated the question, and without open
| ing my lips | bowed IN answer. In a
,tcrmlncd voice Pickett said: Sir shall
lead my division forward He then re
mounted his horse and rode back to his
| command | mounted my horse and rode
10 a point where | could observe the
| troops" LOnEstrcct, who had command
| ed on so many bloody battle fields, over
come with emotion at the idea of or
| dcriug troops to very serious work, when
| his superior had ordered him TO do So Is
q surprising spectacle, TO say the least Of
| IL.
Rut this was hardly the spirit In
which the commander OF such an enter
| prise as he was about to engage In
| should have gone into II. There could
not be much prospect Of success for an
attack, of which the commanding officer
| thought at the outset that il was bound
| to fail. We do not hesitate to say that
General Longsreet should have given up
all his forcbodines of failure and have
thrown himself into the movement heart
| and soul, or he should have requested
| General Lee 10 relieve him of the charge
OF 1t. and put II under some such en-
! thusiastc soldier as \. p. Hill or ]. z.
| l.. Stuart. If that had been done we
should never have heard any criticisms
Of General Lees plan. whether it sue
cceded or whether it failed.
Nor was there any just ground for
LonFstreets foreboding OF disaster. The
/ move was "A perfectly feasible ono tba