The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-19
IN MEMORY OF LEE.
The Anniversary Exercises in
Washington.
COL. MARSHALL'S ADDRESS
Answers the Criticisms Made
by Longstreet-
OF THE GETTYSBURG BATTLi
Col. Marshall Was Gen. Lees Private
Secretary, and Places the Respon-s-7y
sbiity for the Failure Upon '2s
49,. General Stuart.
General Stuart,

4
| Washington, Jan. 18.-Anniyersary
services in memory of General Robert
| L. Lee, were held at the Masonic Tenn
| pie tonight A number of Southern
Senators and Representatives were
| present. The feature of the services
| was an address by Col. Charles Marsh
| all, private Secretary to Gen. Lee, in
which he answered with much elabor-
ateness the criticism made by Gen.
/ Iongstreet and others of Lees Gettys-
| burg campaign. The key note of his
| address was that Gen. Stuart, in COM
| mand of the Confederate cavalry, had
| failed to comprehend his orders and
| thereby had left General Lee without
| information of the movements OF the
Federal troops.
| Col. Marshall said that all persons
| who have read what has been written
/ BY prominent army officers cannot fail
to have observed how much the writ
/ ers are influenced in their opinions,
and also their accounts of events by
| after-acquired information OF the
| facts. If some of these writer's would
put themselves in the position in which
| they were when the events occurred,
| they would not be as infallible, per-
haps, as they now make themselves
appear, but the truth of history would
suffer less. Thus General Lees con-
duct of the Gettysburg campaign had
been misjudged by assuming that he
knew what we know now.
One of the most striking traits OF
Gen. Lees mind. Col. Marshall said,
was his ability to form correct judg-
ment from all the facts and circum-
stances that came to his knowledge.
Taking up the movements culmin-
ating at Gettysburg, Col. Marshall
said: I'VE are told by Gen. Lee that
his object was to draw the Federal
army, opposite Fredericksburg, from
its position and transfer hostilities be-
yond the Potomac. If unable to OBJ
tain the valuable results which might
be expectd to follow, decided advan-
tage gained over the enemy in Mary
land or Pennsylvania, it was hoped
that we should at least so far disturb
his plan for the summer campaign as
10 prevent its execution during the
season of active operation"
Col. Marshall detailed the various
movements ordered in pursuance Of
Gen. Lees campaign. and said the or
ders of Gen. Stuart to hold the noun
tain passes of the Shenandoah Valley
with part of his command, 10 cross
into Maryland with the remainder and
place himself on Gen. Fwell's. right as
bc moved northward Gen. Stuart had
discretion whether to enter Maryland
east or west of the Blue Ridge, but
twas instructed to lose no time in
placing his command on the right Of
our column as soon as he perceived
that the enemy was moving north
ward.
Col Marshall says the movement OF
the calvary perhaps had more TO do
with the events that Immediately fol-
lowed than other circumstances, and
that il cannot be questioned that
great error was committed in Stuarts
movements. His instructions TO cover
the Confederate right as quickly as the
enemy moved nortbward were inpera-
tive. Col Marshal read substantially
in full letters from Gen. Lee TO Gen.
Stuart, Cen EWell, and others, eX
pressing fear that the enemy would
steal march on the Confederates iii
getting across the Potomac unknown.
Gen. Longstreet, under whom Stuart
was, in forwarding Lees letter, made
the suggestion to Stuart that he should
pass by the enemy's rear IF he thinks
he can get through" which suggestion
was not in conformity with Gen. Lees
letter and contemplated the entire de-
tachment of the calvary from the rest
of the army. Longstreets suggestion
appears to have been controlled, the
speaker said entirely by the idea that
Stuart was to cross the Potomac in
such a way as to conceal the move
ment of the Confederate army, but en-
tirely ignored the positive instruction
to Stuart to place himself as speedily
as possible after the enemy began to
move northward, upon Gen. Ewells
right and involved the evident danger
that Stuart and Ewell might be sep
arated by the enemy
This, in Col Marshall's opinion, evi-
IDENTIFY was responsible for the subse-
quent Confederate disaster The re-
port OF General Stuart on his move
ments was quoted in extcnso, and his
action in crossing east of Hooker's S
arm criticised as contrary to repeated
injunctions, Col. Marshall saying:
General Stuart appears to have
thought that his movement was in
tended TO threaten Washington. He
lost much valuable time by attacking
wagon trains, the Federal army sep
arating him from the Confederate
right, where it was all important that
the cavalry should be, as that army
moved northward
General Lee, the speaker said, had
the most implicit confidence in Stu
arts vigilance and enterprise. He had
- -al ate IonxtVrr Nf..
ginia, andwas confident Hooller's army