The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-08
GEN. LoNGsTREET IN HIS OWN DE
FENCE.

publlshed by the Atlanta Constitution
which we copied on Sunday, ought to ana
no doubt will, attract the very geheia'
attention OF all who are interested III Vhe
military history of our war. IL Is py
far the best piece of technical "olN '""'
he has done since the controversy oNei
bis mart in the battle Of Gettysburg com
,oonced Rut Notwithstanding all he has
said in that controversy supplemented oy
This very strong statement, 1t would nave
beeu far better for his ultimate repuld'io"
- no had never said one word. In pass
Ems, upon his part in the war; the MS
,orio, if he had been left 10 the records
only. would have assigned him 'he pace
Of a superb commander of men upon ''e
battlefield, but slow and procrasuia''is
IN his disposition 10 an extent thal was
most fatal I'm its tendencies. As for Get
,,.sburo the historian would have point
cd ont the disastrous consequences 10 the
Confederate army that these character
istics in him caused, but his RECORD az
soldier upon the whole, would ma"
appeared as that Of a pcrtinacious''huoiil'-
table fighter. whose defects were ali mem
,al hut whose soldierly character stood
well. 1t would have been said that he
did his best. and that his best wheh
battle was once engaged, was equal 10
the best of any.
But General Longstreets publications.
since the war Will draw from the MS
torian very sharp criticisms upon u'e
man Longstreet. In the interview re-
ferred to, in speaking Of his critics ne
says:
"'rhe others are all partisans' and writ
,,e, for inc exclusive purpose OF making
General Lee appear infallihle, whereas
tho true greatness of our peerless Ieanei
does not require any such eXtraVasah'
professions
In his book, General Lonsstreet thus
sneaks of General Lee at the patue oi
gettysburg. on the evening OF the irS'
days battle, at page SSi:
THAT he was excited and or MS pa
ance was evident on the afternoon OF 'no
1st and he labored under that oppression
until enough blood had been sheu ~ ap
pease him.
This scornfully assigns General Lee 10
.,,a nos,tion Of an imbecile. and an impe-
I cue animated by malignity that wouid
mako a. nend ashamed Of himself
And he speaks most disparaginsly OF
hts oh,litIes and character at place after
Mace In his book. The historian u 10
/ ing to say that these remarks ABOUT
| General Lee are utterly unjust. ana that
they were inspired by bad motVe-''ld'
tbev are almost If not quite malignant
p,,t how can General Longstreet himseir
! reconcile them TO the statement quo'eu'
! ,hot Ice was our peerless leader IL
was a sad day for General Longs'ree' >
ronutation when he laid down the Sworn
g. take up the pen. lie had very Re"
90 those qualities OF mind which shape
,ho movements in which the sword is 10
be successfully employed. But he mas an
eolutelv none Of those necessary Tor Wielu-
ing the pen we'll
The criticisms of General Lonsstreets
conduct in the battle of Gettysburg re-
late to the fights on the "a ana inc Oh
davs of July. We had won a briiilah'
J ,ictorv over two Of Meade's corps on the
1st day q July, and it is claimed tha'
General Longstreet was ordered by Cen
oral Lee on the evening OF the lst TO attaci
Noade's left flank at daylight OF the
%. For a long time, General Longs'ree'
said in answer to this claim that General
Lee gave him no such order HAD ne
stood there, without in any way mooly-
ing his position, the single question IN the
case would have been TO determine, from
thc evidence on each side, whether Cen
eral Lee did give him the order or whether
he did not. But in his book and IN the
interview referred TO, he has taken VI
a new position He claims in both ina
Meade's army was concentrated at DAY
light Of the %. and that If he mad at
tackled them. he would have met with the
same resistance that he met with whef
he did attack at +. NJ. But the rec
ords fse against General Longstreet
If any one Will examine the reports o.
the Federal commander, in volume 2
part B. Of the War Records. he Will SEE
that AT daylight of the "a Meade had il
line of battle not more than 1850 men
He had parts of the divisions OF Hum
phrey and Birney. OF the Third corps
about 5000 together-near enough to hav,
been drawn into the fight If Longstree
had attacked. but they were in camp
and not expecting an attack, and no
another man Of Meades' army reached
the field OF battle for three hours. Gen
eral Lee had present there nearly nfty
thousand infantry TO throw upon 26,SOl
In a most unfortunate position, for abou
three hours. They must have been de
stroyed If Longstreet had attacked them
and Meades other corps coming up on
by one, with several hours interval be
tween the arrival OF each must have bee
destroyed In turn.
II was another sad day for Genera
Longstreet's reputation when he under
took 10 show that Meade was concen
trated on the morning OF July %.
As for the criticisms that have bee
made OF Longstreet for his part in IN
hattie of the 80. we think he has the hes
of his critics. We think IL can be dem
onstrated from the records that Gen
81 eral Lee did not expect him TO put Hood
and McIaw's divisions into the Picket