The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-31
LONGsTREET AT GETTYSBURG.
Lees Magnanimity Prevented HIM
from Being COurt-Martialed.

Petersburg Va) Special to st. Louis Globe
Democrat
General C. A. Battle, of North Carolina,
ficers in the Confederate army, and who is
here stopping with his son, REV. ~. w.
Battle, ID. D., pastor Of the frs, Baptist
Church, was asked to-day If he would make
statement for publication in reply to Gen.
eral Longstreets letter published in the
Lynchburg News in reply 10 what he Gen.
H Eat mad to say at inc 5anlre, OF a; r.
city, on the evening of the 10Th inst, in
honor of General Lees birthday. about
the court of inquiry appointed to investi-
gate the conduct OF the Gettysburg cam
a member General Battle said:
Il have just seen General Lonsstreets
Hill Camp, Of Petersburg. Va, to speak
at their banquet on The evening OF the Goth
inst, In celebration of the birth of General
I,se. did with malice toward none and
with justice to oil. Before supper | was
asked if l had seen Longstreer's book I
replied in the egatfve. L was then .olj
that it was a vile atrack upon General
Lee. AS soon as The feast was over l made
the little speech had prepared, and was
about to take my scat, whr1 l caught the
eye of the gentl sTnal who had spoken to
me about General Longstreets book. and
/ at once commenced speaking about Get
tysburg, and made substantially the state
ment that has been published"
1T was no public occasion, nobody was
there but the A. p. Hill Camp, and 1 did
not know that single word of mine was
to be published until after / had spoken.
But / shall not attempt to avoid response
bility. Having raisedl a tempest, uninten-
tionally though it be, shall look the storm
in the eye and defy the thunderbolt. Gen.
Longstreet thinks am after military fame;
not bit of ii. What laurels / wear come
from the single fact that 1 entered the
Confederate service a private and rose to
a brigadier general, fighting under the
eye OF Robert E. Lee. Gen. Longstreet
That is true; We didn't try anybody. We
simply went to work and found facts that
would justify Gen. Lee in ordering court
martial. That he did not do so is evidence
of his magnanimity, and that IS the point
/ making
''Longstreet may draw nice distinctions
between courts of inquiry and courts-mar-
that he disobeyed mis- Generals orders at
Gettysburg. Gen. Lee ordered him to at
tack early in the morning of the second
day, and, after waiting hour after hour for
at IL o'clock and ordered him to attack
Immediately. General LOngstreet delayed
his attack until late in the afternoon. Gen.
Lee ordered General Longstreet to attack
on the third day with his whole corps, and
authorized him to draw on Gen. A. p. Hill
for all the aid he needed. Gen. Longstreet
made the attack with small fraction of
his corps and few of Hills men, while
the great body of both corps looked In
amazement on this awful sacrifice of brave
men.
II will prove the existence of the court
of inquiry. but it must be by individuals
in the case, the papers having been lost.
1t will take time to do this, for / COM
manded an Alabama brigade. and / have
been absent from the state about fifteen
dress of the men who know the facts, but
1 am confident they will be found"