Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-29
FITZ ON L0NGSTREET.
The Latter Replies 10 Battle and Draws
Cavalry Fire.
THE cuLpEpER COURT OF INQUIRY
Elastic Instructions, Pcrbaps-or-
dercd Probably at stunrt's Request.
May Have been Nisapprchcndcd.

asserted in a speech before \. p Hill
Camp. Confederate Veterans, Of Peters
burg. that a court OF inquiry into the
conduct of the Gettysburg campaign was
held at Culpeper. and the court censured
Stuart and Longstreet, but General Lee
suppressed the report and took the blame
upon himself. This report, said General
Battle. "has never before been given
to the public. and would not now be.
but for the fact that General Lee has
been attacked by Longstreet."
Ia letter from General Longstreet,
published in this mornings News, Long
street says among other things, that'
being an interested party, General Lee
was debarred the right TO order court
OF any kind in the premises. Courts Of
inquiry have no authority 10 pass Juds-
ment or sentence. That right rests eX-
clusively with 'courts-martial,' to be COM
posed. when practicable, Of thirteen
members of rank superior TO that OF
the officers 10 be brought before It, ana
a judge advocate. Even thrs constituted
a court cannot move against an officer
or private soldier without having the
party or his counsel present, with fuil
opportunity for defence.
ORDERED TO THE WEST.
"a few weeks after the return from
Gettysburg Lee joined the Richmond au-
thorities i'm ordering a part Of my COM
maud 10 the Confederate army IN Ten
ncssce. with a view TO having me as
sisnod TO command Of thar army Gene
raj Lees letter to me or October. ls'j'
just published in From Manassas TO APP
pomattoX.')
To claim that he made an order for
a court Of inquiry selecting It's members
for the purpose Of casting censure upon
an officer whom he had just recommend
ed for command of an army not second
10 his own in Importance while that oif-
Ger was in an active. distant campaign.
beyond the reach Of the court and
denied the privilege Of evidence or de-
fence. is a stretch Of hyperb0le. a tax
upon the credulity. and scandal against
General Lee
FITZ. LEE REPLIES
The Dispatch correspondent interviewed
General Fitz. Lee to-day, touching this
letter. "As usual" said the Confederate
cavalry leader. "the gentleman had got
his points mixed. Nothing was said Dy
General Battle about cOurts-martial
and. therefore. what General Longstreet
SAYS about them has no reference 10 the
subject he is supposed 20 be discussing
Courts OF inquiry such a. General Bat
tie mentioned. can be- called By COM
mandlng officers They ascertain facts
and upon their report 'court-martiai
is ordered. or the matter IS dropped. In
this latter case the proceedings begin
and end with the officer ordering the
court
4 LETTER FROM \ WITNESS.
"In the case General Battle refers to
court Of inquiry was ordered. / have
"A letter from a general officer who was
a witness before it. / have rot had time
yet 10 look into the matter. but ! eX-
pect when the facts are brought out.
as they will be. II will be seen that Gene
raj Lee ordered the court al the request
Of j. T. b. Stuart. who had become SEN
sitive i'm reference 10 newspaper criti-
cisms. about his operations IN the Gettys-
burg campaign. and asked that the mat
ter b. investigated. 10 which General Lee
reluctantly consented. Battle tells us
Stuart told the court. In substance. that
if they were looking for the officer who
lost Gettysburg. TO turn their attention
70 another.
ELASTIC INSTRUCTIONS POSSIBLE.
1T is possible" continued General Lee,
that the court, though called for
specified purpose. may have had instruc-
tons elastic enough 10 permit IT 10 give
an opinion on other matters. At any
rate. General Battle writes me that ne
wrote a report. mildly censuring Stuart
but asking for him the most generous
II eatment I'm consideration Of good inten-
tiOns, and past great services; that Gene
raj Stuart protested against the cavalry
A. D.. .H.IL
was believed 10 be
chiefly responsible; that Malone. a MEM
ler of the court said he WAS ready TO
hear anything that would give MS light;
that subsequently a number of written
statements were laid before them. and
ipon one from Hood he was instructed 10
iraw a report censuring Longstreet as
we'll as Stuart. which was duly done, and
forwarded 20 army headquarters"
What about G. neral LOngstreets claim |
mat General Lee recommended him TO |
command the Army Of the Vest" asked |
he Dispatch correspondent.
lIsAPPREHENDED GENERAL LEE. |
81 think General Longstreet has mis- |
General Lee. or bis memory |
5 defective. General Lees letter Of Oc- |
ober -. 1863 10 which he refers. and |
ipOn which alone. al IL would seem. he |
.ests this remarkable and incredible story, |
loes not warrant the conclusion he draws. |
n the thirty years since the war / do |
rot think there Is a single person ia either |
he Army OF Northern Virginia or the |
Army OF the West, OF elsewhere. VINO /
Yer heard IL before.
ATTENDED To HIS OWN BUSINESS. |
General Longstreet has itten much |
N the war himself and Others have |
written for him: but / have never seen |
my reference TO this matter before.
Knowing General Lee as well as | did, / !
eel sure he would not have attempted to
upersede an army commander whose |
.lans and purposes were in great mea-
ure unknown to him. and with whom
e had then nothing TO do. Lee and
lragg were both full generals. command
ng separate armies. and II there was [
me- quality clearer IN the formers char
cter than another 10 was his at
tntion to his own business while
citing that Of others alone. What
,ould have been thought of Bragg
ad he asked Mr.. Davis to put one OF
is corps commanders in the command
the army in Virginia?
AS TO LONGSTREETS BOOK.
General. what is your opinion about
.ongstreets book?"
"Oh. not now; later. may have
omething TO say i'm reference TO some
ilse statements contained therein about
ie: lest my silence be misconstrued,
nd il is possible. in doing that. II / can
nd the time, ] may take up other
latters also"
"Longstreet first fired on his brother
Ulcers, and is still at it, II the fire
returned he has no one to blame but
imself. They would have been only too
lad to have followed General Lees ex-
mple. and let him wear undlsturbed the |