Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-07

stating the contents OF the order. Here
1t is:
"Tdq'frs Army Of Northern Virginia.
"Chambersburg, June %, 1853, 1870 A. NJ
Northumberland II. s. Ewell, Com
handing Corps:
"General,-I wrote you LAST NIGHT.
stating that General Hokoer was report
ed TO have crossed tho Potomac. and is
advancing by way OF Middletown. the
head Of his column being at that point in
Frederick county. I DIRECTED YOU
IN THAT LETTER TO MOVE
YOUR FORCES TO THIS POINT.
II you have not already progressed on
the road. and II you have no good rea-
son against 1t. I desire you to move In
the DIRECTION OF Gettysburg, via
Heidlersburg. where you will have turn
pike most Of the way, and you can thus
Join your other divisions to Early's.
which is east OF the mountains. l think
It preferable to keep on the east sid1
Of the mountains. When you come to
Hedlersburg you can either move directly
on Gettysburg or turn down to Cashtown.
Your trains and heavy artillery you
can send, IL you think proper. on the
road to Chambersburg. But, If the roads
which your troops take are good, they
had better follow you.
"R. +. LEE General"
He claims: NOW, X there Is anything
In any report subsequently written at va
rance with this. then all 1 have to say is,
so much worse for the report"
AS previously noted. General Lee.
with the First and Third Corps. reached
Chambersburs and camped for a days
rest, when he published General Order
No. 70, congratulating his troops upon
their good conduct during their march
through the enemys country. Referring
TO General Lees arrival at Chambers
burg. Colonel Mosby says: 'He wrote to
Ewell soon after he got there. Ewell
was about twenty-five miles north, at
Carlisle. his cavalry was then skirmish-
ing in the suburbs OF Harrisburg. As
his and Early's reports state, they are
about starting to Harrisburg, when they
received General Lees orders of the 9th
TO return to Chambersburg. These two
letters Of General Lees to Ewell prove
conclusIyely that he never had thought
OF going on TO Harrisburg. They also
snow that, on the 9th. he knew that
Hooker's army was north OF the Poto-
mac, in Frederick. The fable of the spy
was invented for the purpose Of creating
an impression that General Lee did not
get his intelligence about the movements
Of the enemy from the cavalry. His
letter written at Chambersburg IS eternal
witness to the contrary"
on the surface. this appears well enough
to those not familiar with the events
and the records, but under the search
ing rays OF Professor Roentgens dis
coyery IL IS readily seen that he tries TO
NJ the boot 10 the wrong foot. He claims
two letters OF General Lees as orders,
from which he has evidence for his de-
ductions. and quotes but one. This one.
however. refers TO another OF the night
before-supposed TO have been lost The
missing letter called the Second Corps
back from Carlisle and York to Cham
bersburg, and was sent soon after the
report was made by the scout Early
next morning another letter was sent
changing the march Of the Second Corps,
for Cashtown east OF the mountains. IN
stead OF Chambersburg.
IL the Critique viii give the records
a careful reading, he viii make a new
discoyery-a foot-note OF cautlon-yiz.,
Noted in letter-book, as copied from
memory"
The letter was found by the Board OF
Publishers of the War Department in
General Lees letter book" wherein a
foot-note cautioned: COPIED from MEM
ory." SO the conclusive evidence claimed
under alleged orders Of General Lee as
written and recorded directing events as
they passed. turns out 10 be a record
made from memory. How long after the
events had passed, is not stated, but Il
is so far from the records Of events and
contemporaneous dispatches that it seems
safe to say that months elapsed before
the staff officer, overcharged with the
details OF weighty service, found that
some letters had not been duly recorded
and made this record "from memory"
Now. TO the contrary OF Colonel Mosbys
claims and deductions. First. That
Ewelps and Earlys reports state they
were about starting TO Harrisburg when
they received General Lees orders OF the
9th, TO return to Cham5ersburg." Gene
raj Ewells report does not mention or
ders Of General Lees OF the 9th, but
reports From CARLISLE l sent forward
my engineer Captain II. b. Richardson)
with General Jenkinss cavalry 10 recon-
noitre the defences Of Harrisburg, and
was starting on the Goth for that place
when ordered by the general commanding
to join the main body Of the army at
Cashtown. near Gettysburg
General Early's report fails TO mention
orders OF the 9TH but he says: ION the
evening Of the Goth, / received through
Captain Elliott Johnston, aide OF General
Ewen. a copy Of a note from General
Lee, and also verbal instructions which
required me to move back so as to Join
the rest Of the corps on the western side
Of South mountain. and accordingly at
daylight on the morning OF the 30th, 1
put my whole command in notion"
His next claim is: These two letters
OF General Lees to Ewell prove conclu-
sively that no never had thought Of
going on 10 Harrisburg. They also show
that on the 9th he knew that Hooker's
army was north OF the Potomac In
Frederick. The fable OF the SPY was in
vented for the purpose OF creating an i'm
preston that General Lee did not get his
intelligence about the movements OF the
enemy from the cavalry. His letter writ
ten from Chambersburg is an eternal
witness to the contrary"
Referring 10 that part OF his march.
Genera! Lee says: ION the 9th Long
street and Hill were put in motion to
follow Ewell. and on the 9th encamped
near Chambersburg"
1T was expected that as soon as the
Federal army should cross the Potomac
General Stuart would give notice OF its
movements, and nothing having been
heard from him since our entrance into
Maryland, 1t was inferred that the enemy
had not yet left Virginia. Orders were
therefore issued 10 move upon Harris
burg" Referring to the report brought
~ '"0 SNO"e' hS says ItepardllonS were
now made TO advance upon Harrisburg;
but on the night OF the 18th information
was received from scout that the Fede-
raj army having crossed the Potomac, was
advancing northward, and that the head
OF the column had reached the South
Mountain" (His official report of July
81, 1881 In his report Of January. 1864.
he says, referring TO the same: "The ad-
vance against Harrisburg was arrested
by intelligence received from a scout on
the night Of the 18th to the effect that the
army OF General Hooker had crossed the
Potomac and was aDproaching the Soutb