Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-16

moved on over the south Mountain ana
Joined the right Of .Ewelrs column. How
could Stuart be on the gusquehanna ana
&C the same time watch and report
Hookers movements on the Potomac1
MARCHED DAY AND NIGHT.
On June "a General Lee hai written
Stuart lone column Of Ewelrs army
(under Early win probably move toward
the Susquehanna BY the Emmittsburg
route-another by chambersbury." so II
wss tmmateriai 20 far ~ giving informa-
ton Of Hookers movements was con-
cerned whether Stuart crossed the Poto-
mac east or west Of the Ridge. In either
event after crossing he was required to
90 out OF sight Of Hooker, and to sever
communication with General Lee. Stuart
took the most direct route to join the
right Of Eweiis column. marching con-
tinuously day and night to do so. When
he reached York he found that Early had
been ordered back to Cashtown. the ap-
pointed rendezvous Of the army. About
all this Colonel Marshall says nothing.
: Colonel Marshall leaves the impress
sion on the reader that Stuart took the
whole cavalry corps with him. He knew
that Stuart left two brigades OF cavalry
with L6ngstreet.
4. Colonel Marshall says that General
Lee, at Chambersburg, not having heard
from Stuart since he left Virginia,
thought that Hooker was still south Of
the Potomac, until on the night Of the
18th he learned through q spy that Hooker
was moving northward. This IL equIva-
lent to saying that General Lee had lost
his head. for no rational being could have
supposed that Hooker would remain on
the south bank Of the Potomac while the
Confederates were foraging In Pennsyl-
vania- He might as well have disbanded
his army. When General Lee passed
Hagerstown on tie 26th he knew that the
bulk OF Hooker's army was north of the
river and holding the South Mountain
passes. II Hooker had still been in Vir-
ginia there would have been nothing to
prevent General Lee from marching direct
to Baltimore and Washington. II Gene
raj Lee had supposed (as Colonel Mar
shall says he did that the way was open
to capture those cities, he would have
marched east. and not north to Chambers
burg. General Lee never committed any
such military blunder. The spy, there
fore. only told General Lee what he
knew before.
On the morning Of June 18th, at Frede-
rick. Hooker was superseded by Meade.
His army remained there that day. In
stead Of threatening General Lees COM
municatIons, as Colonel Marshall says.
Meade withdrew the two corps that were
holding the mountain passes when Gene
raj Lee passed through Maryland and
moved his army the next day to the east,
so as to cover Washington and Baltimore.
There was never any interruption Of Lees
communics lions.
s. Colonel Marshall says that General
Leo took his army to Gettysburg simply
to keep Meade east Of the mountain and
&c
his communications. This statement Is
contradicted by the record. General Lee
attached no such importance to mis- COM
munications-if he had any. The road
was open to the Potomac. but It was not
q line Of supply; his army lived or the
country, and took with ii all the ammuni-
ton 1t expected to use. On June 18th.
after crossing the river. he wrote Mr..
Davis: II have not sufficient troops to
maintain my communications and there
fore have to abandon them"
According to Colonel Marshall ne broke
up his whole campaign trying 10 save
them. The fact was they were not even
threat and General Lee knew 1t.
There was continual passing between the
army and the river.
9. deny that General Lee ever ordered
his army to Gettysburg, as Colonel Mar
shall Gays. or had any intention Of going
there before the battle began. In an ar
ticle published In Belford's Magazine (Oc-
tober and November, lS9D demonstrated
this fact from the records. Colonel Mar
shall ought to study them before he
makes another speech
GENERAL HETH QUOTED.
On the morning of June Goth General
Lee ordered a concentra ton Of the army
at Cashtown, village at the eastern
base OF the mountain. Hills Corps was
in advance: he reached Cashtown June
Both. That night Hill and Heth heard
that there was force of the enemy at
Gettysburg; early the next morning Fiji,
without orders. with Heth's and Pender's
divisions. started down the Gettysburg
pike. General Lee was then west Of the
mountain with Longstreet. Buford's
Cavalry was holding Getty sburg as an
outpost. Heth was In advance. and soon
ran against Buford. There was a pretty
stin fight with the cavalry until Rey-
nolds, who was camped some six miles
back, came to his support. Heth says:
ARCHER and Davis were now directed
to advance the object being to feel the
enemy: to make a forced reconnaissance
and determine In what force the enemy
were-whether or not he was moving his
forces on Gettysburg Heavy columns of |
the enemy were soon encountered"
Davis's and Archer's bri9ades were soon |
and Archer with a good many |