The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-05
THE FABLE OF THE SPY.
COL. JOHN \. MosBr ANsWERs "y. ".
s." dRGUMEN7.
Gen. Leo Got His Intelligence of tho
Movements of the Enemy from the
CavaIry-His Original Order.


eral Longstrcet's chapter on Gettysburg.
lie complains that IN my defence Of Stuart
assumed. THE aggressive defensive"
which is true don't know any other
way OF carrying on war. / not only de-
tended the memory Of my friend, bu.
turned their own guns on his assailants.
haven't the least doubt that Hcth. Long
street. ana Marshall are al sorry they
began this controversy.
The first point on which your CORE
spondcnt takes issue with me IS as TO the
truth OF the statements Of L.ongstrcet and
Marshall about the appearance OF an
alleged SPY at Chambcrsburg on the
night Of June 18Th They assert that he
brought General Lee the hrst Information
that HOokers army had crossed the l,otO-
mae. and WAS at Frederick City and that
Meade was IN command
Col. Marshall says. be appeared about
10 o'clock at night, ana that the informa-
non ne brought changed ali Of General
Lee 5 plans. JOngstreet states that no
LETT Frederick after dark on the 2sth. In
reply 10 this, i said that the order an
nouncing the change OF commanders was
not Issued until the afternoon of June
18th, ana as II had been Kept "a profound
secret IL was improbable that a spy could
have heard OF II before il was publicly
issued.
THE ARAB AND THE MULE.
IL Is % or 90 miles from Frederick TO
ChamberiDurg. ana as the spy couldn't
ny Ike crow. and would have TO elude
patrols ana pickets and cross the South
mountain II was manifest impOssibility
Tor MIN 10 have achieved such a feat I'M
less gifted with the art Of magic As
there are people who still believe the
story we should no longer wonder at
the simplicity Of the Arab who accepts
as truth, because he has read in the
Koran, Mahomets account Of his riding
TO Heaven one night on mule and re-
turning before daybreak the next morn
ing. '''0''
In contradiction OF the story nro-
cuced as evidence the diary of an ENGLISH
oncer Colonel Freemantl0. who was n
guest AT Longstreet's hCadquarfers shov.
ng that II was not until the eveotn,
ol 'he opth, after the army had Ion
thambcfsburs and was on the uorcb 10
caShtown' that the news OF Mcade'S heinz
80 command came In. As The orders fo,.
N consolidation Of the army had
, DVen i'Suoo ,hree days before CTth The
no influence in directing events. H,t
says n. y. S, General Lees renort
twhich was written no doubt bv n sra n
ofhcer after he returned TO virginia., con
hrins Longstrects and Marshau's state
mehts ABOUT ,he spy. BE 1t so: but his
letters 10 fwell written at Chambers
burg on the night Of the 27th and che
MORNING of the 2Nth ordering a concen-
ratlon OF the army contradicts them
L. Is well established rule in the pro-
auction OF evidence that the law always
requires the best evidence OF which the
case In its nature is susceptible Soc
ohuary evidence IS excluded unless II Is
out Of pariy's power to obtain the
primary.
GENERAL LEES ORDER.
NOW in this case the best evidence Is
General Lees original written order, and
not report written long afterward stat
ang The contents of the order Here IL
is:
Headquarters Army Of Nor hern Virginia.
Chambersburg, June Is. 1853. 7.3O a. NJ.
Lieutenant-General X. s. Ewell, Com
manding Corps.
General,-I wrote you LAST NIGHT.
stating that General Hooker was reported
10 have crossed The Potomac. and is ad-
vanciug by way Of Middlctown. the head
of his column being at that point In
Frederick county. / DIRECTED YOU
IN THAT LETTER TO MOVE
YOUR FORCES TO THIS POINT.
If you have not already progressed on
the road, and If you have no good reason
against ~, l desire you to move IN the
DIRECTION of Gettysburg. via Heidlers-
burg. where you Will nave turnpike most
of The way, and you can thus join your
other divisions 20 Early's which is east
of the mountains. / think 10 preferable
10 keep on the east side OF the noun
tains. When you come 10 Hcidlersburg
you can either move directly on Gettys-
burg or turn down TO Cashtown. Your
trains and heavy artillery YOU can send,
II you think proper. on the road TO Cham
bersburg. But If the roads which your
troops take are good they had Deater
r. E. LEE.
General.
Now, II there IS anything in any report
subsequently written at variance with
this. then all have 70 say $50 much
the worse fo the report.
mr. SPY FABLE.
T,as letter knocks che base from under
the theory as 10 the part performed by
the SPY. General Lee had crossed the
Potomac at Williamsport with Lonsstreet
on the 18th. ON the same day Hooker,
was crossing below at Edwards Ferry.
General Lee was two days in Maryland
Uooker's army was just over the noun
rain on the 26th Rockers advance
corns uith) was at Mlddlotowu with three
others near there. nat h4~HN '-''"f '''
rral Lee camped near the Maryland line.
The next day (21th) he moved on 70 cham
bersburg. lie wrote TO Ewell soon after
ne got there. Ewell was about twenty
1--WE miles north al Carlisle his cavalry
was then skrmishing in Me suburbs OF
harrisburg As his and Earlys reports
state they were about starting 10 HaF-
risburg when they received General Lee
orders of the 9th 90 return 10 Cham-
hersburg These two letters OF General
Ices TO Ew II prove conclusiVeiy that
ne never had q thought or going on 10
harrisburg. They also show than on the
18th he knew that Rockers army was
north OF the Potomac, Ia Frederick. Inc
fable Of the SPY was invented Tor the
purpose OF creating an impression that
General Lee did no. get his Intelligence
about the movements of tho enemy from
the cavalry. His letters written at Cham
hersburg Is an eternal witness 10 me
contrary. 1t is a remarkable coincidence
mat neither Colonel Marshall, or your
correspondent seems to be aware OF It's
existence. ,.~, .,,>,v
San Francisco, April q. 1895
Povhatan Club Meeting.