Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-22

STUART AND BoNcsTREE1.

The celebration OF the anniversary OF
General Lees birth was made the occa-
sion by several gentlemen who know
whereof they speak. for puncturins Gene
Ial Longstrect's self-inhation. ana dis
aiming his criticism OF the Greas Con-
f.dergte commander touching the battle
81 Gettysburg Notable among these gen
temon were Colonel Charles Marshall.
OF General Lees staff. who spoke al
the gathering Of the Confederste-Ncte-
ran Association. of Washington, ana
General G. \. Battle who delivered an
address before A. Il. Hill Camp Con
federate Veterans. of Petersburg. In the
course of his address, General Battle
made quite revelation bearing upon the
Gettysburg issue. II, indeed. there could
be. I'm the public mind an issue between
Lee and Longstreet. regarding the mat.
ter.
General Battle stated that a court of
inquiry Of which General Malone was
president. and he. the speaker, recorder,
met at Culpeper Courthouse for the pur-
pose of inquiring into the conduct &c
Stuart was questioned as TO his absence
from his position and failure TO keep
General Lee advised of the enemy's ro-
sition. and excused himself by stating
that he thought he saw an opportunity
TO strike the enemy z serious blow, and
accordingly. left Generals Jones and
Robinson, with instructions to keep Gene
raj Lee posted.
General Battle went on TO say that
after General Jones had been examined.
and had testified that the enemy came
down upon him in such force that he
was unable TO get to General Lee, stuart
returned and protested against what lie
demonstrated an attempt to fasten the
blame for the disaster at Gettysburg
on the cavalry, when it was known that
the chief blame rested upon lieutenant
general"
General Battle declared that he was
prepared to prove that General Lee or
dered longstreet to attack on the Sc
cond day at dsybreak-thst Lee after
wards went in person to Longs:reet at IL
o'clock. and ordered him 10 attack in-
mediately. but the attack was not made
until late i'm the afternoon. Also. that
il was never intended by General Lee
that the attack on the thir5 day should
be made alone by Pickett. but IL was
designed that the attacking force should
be Longstreets Corps. with Rodes's Di-
vision of Ewells Corps in reserve. And
now comes the clnching part of General
Battles reply to Longstreet. The court
he said, censured both Stuart and Long
street, but General Lee suppressed the
report, and took the blame upon himself
In conclusion. General Battle said this
report had never before been given to
the public, and would not then have been
but for the fact that General Lee had
been attacked by Longstreet.
1t would seem from this that Long
street has in all these years been treated
wi.h the same consideration by the
members Of the court that he was by
General Lee. Recognizing that Longstreet
was a splendid fighter when he finally
got into action. and, esteeming the mag
nifcent service he did the South on
50 many hard-fought fields, they kept
the secret of his responsibility for the
Gettysburg disaster inviolate, .ni deter
mined to let the dead past bury its dead
How much better 1t would have been
for Longstreets reputation had he deter
mined to do the same thing. and been
content to rest upon the well-earned
laurels that no one desired 10 pluck
leaf from. and which. despite his folitical
sef-alienation from the southern peo-
pie would never have been disturbed.