Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-08
General Leo ard The Battle
Gettysburg.
The Concentration of HIS FerceS-
one Mind Directed Ali--CIos'ns
Scenes of First Mannss"s-he nep'
His WOvd.

His wOvd.

written Tor tne DlSp~'~N1
There Is a popular impression through
out the country that the meeting Oh 'ne
TWO armies at Gettysburg was III 'dree
measure On accidental collision. Jeher-
con Davis in his "Short History OF the
confederate States" says the posilioh
was not the choice OF either sue lor I"
bsqtIe-neld. The very general behei pre-
walls also. especially at the South, tha'
,no concentration of the Army of North
ern Virginia at Gettysburg was brought
about by mere chance. and was no. par
of a deliberate plan OF the CohiedeI"'s
commander predicated upon MS enemy
movements. This is a strange error CON-
corning a very important ma'ter' anu
ALL the more remarkable because such d
view must inevitably lead 10 the con-
clusion that the southern invading FORCE
was aimlessly drifting about IN the near
Of the enemy's country without suloahce
or definite purpose, and to mat extent
reflects upon General Lees capacity as
commander. This aspect OF the mater
and its bearing upon General Lees repu-
tation as q soldier. of course, mas NOT
been considered by those of his admirers
who pertlnaciously cling to the railaclous
accident theory.
AS matter OF fact. there was not the
remotest element Of chance IN Lee
march on Gettysburg. as l VIII presently
show The error had its origin, 1 believe
in a circumstantial and interesting story
connected with the advance OF Seherai
Harry Hoth's division. which story mas
gone the rounds OF the CLUBS ana 'he
public prints OF the country TOT years,
and finally lodged in various pretehtiouS
historical works. as the simple YET au-
fhentic explanation OF how tne eh,ile
Confederate army was by an uiliuchs 90 .
c,dent drawn down to Gettysburg 20
meet the Federals, who were also tnere
By accident.
GENERAL HETH'S STORY.
,rna story as told me by General Hem
himself, is that his DIVISION Tue a,,So
~ General A. p. IIill's corps. moving
from Chambersburg along the Cashtowh
'oike biyouacked in the vicinity or Cash-
,own ON the SOth of June. Having learn
ed that a much-needed supply OF snoes
could be obtained in the town OF Get.yS-
burg. a few miles further down the pihe'
General PettIgreT, one Of Helms DIT
eads commanders. asked permission 10
march into The village and secure Vhe
.boes which he was ordered TO 40
there being no suspicion that ,"o
Federals were anywhere In the NiC'",'s e
Rut when General Pettigrew arrived pe
fore Gettysburg he unexpecoeuy iouau
himself confronted by considerable feue-
raj force. with artillery. This was Gene
raj John Bufords cavalry division, put
pettigrew appears to have mistaken at
sor an Infantry force. Not desiring 10
assume the responsibility or precipita.iils
an engagement without orders, Pettsrew
quickly fell back on the main force near
Cashtown. -,
Tbereupon. with the approval oil
General HILL Heth concluded 10 ieau
mis- entire division to Gettysburg the heA'
morning. and thus make sure or secur,ns
the shoes for his barefooted soldiers, still
''rder the irnpression that the town was
probably defended by no more thah q
small militia force. Accordingly the
movement of Heth's Division was initiat'
ga early on the morning or the ISL
hut instead Of meeting Irregular militia
Yeth at once came in contact VIII
Ruford's Cavalry, deployed in front OF
d. Gettysburg, and covering the ROAD IRON
Cashtown, which he stubbornly defenc
ed. compelling the Confederates TO oe
ploy into line and advance with caetloh
Buford was soon relieved by the unior
FIRST Corps of Infantry. under Genera
John +. Reynolds, and a murderous pat
tle ensued. in which both sides lost
several thousand men killed and wound
ca REYNOLDS was killed and Heth wound
"a very early in this terrific combat
, General Hill ordered forward Pender:
Division to the support OF Heth. wh'
had been roughly handled, and latel
Rodess and Early's divisions came up
while tho Union force was augmented b,
the timely arrival Of Howard's Eleventh
Corps. And thus the battle or Gettys
burg began.
EARNEST IN HIS CONVICTION.
This is General Heth's version of the
concentration. In short, that Genera
Lee was compelled by his fight to senC
forward first one division. then another
until. finally. the entire army wa'
brought TO the vicinity OF Gettysburg
nv nightfall Of the lst General He'll
IS very earnest in his conviction that his
chance effort to capture some shoes FOL
his troops resulted In bringing on thu
greatest collision Of the civil war. Othel
ex-Confederates. OF equally high rank an(
intelligence implicitly accept this yer
sion. That so trivial ssn affair involving
SO unimportant a segment OF the invad
ing force. should result In such a tire
inendous. far-reachng catastrophe mus
naturally have strong fascination for {
sentimental people. and by process o
evolution the Heth episode has fastened
upon the popular fancy as the Academia
cause Of the Confederate concentration
al Gettysburg.
Understand me: there Is no doubt what
ever about the details of General Heth'
story: so far as events 20. he tells tn
literal truth He is only mistaken II
his conclusions. We know that Petit
grew did 30 down after the shoes. an,
returned empty-handed; we know tina
Heth advanced the next morning will
his whole division for the same purpose
and. as he supposed. with no other OBJ
5ect than the pursuit OF that purpose
aud we know that Heth precipitated tn
battle But he and all others are eyre
siously mistaken I'm surprising that thi
simple shoe-raid caused the whole Con
federate army 10 converge on Gettys
burg.
A man OF General Lees consumnaat
knowledge OF the science of war was TO
one TO march and countermarch In III
presence OF an enemy's army without ain
or object other than the support OF mer,
outpost affairs. II IL not only prope,
bu. highly important that this fecuia
fiction should DO corrected. lest Il crys
taliizc into so-cslied history. II II clear
~ detocnxf IN hi, that the Cof,cenfratio