The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-01

can move across tho Potomac without
disclosing our plans. lie speaks of Your
leaving Via HOpcwell Gap, aud passlhb ~
the rear OF thc9enemy. II YOU can ~
through by that route. ] thinN INA. 49,
Will he less likely TO Indicate what "na
plans are than II you should cross ny
passing to our rear. | forward the is,e.'
OF instructions with these suhs'.'tr' a.
Please advise me Of the condi'io -.
fairs before you leave ana ofHtI -, ia,-a
Hampton whom / suppose YOU VIII l'"n
here in command. TO report 10 NJ o.
Wildwood. either by letter or IN person. ="
may be the most agreeable 10 NM
JAMES LoNGsTREET:,
.IIeutenant- General:
~. b think that your pas,sag,. OH, oI w
al tho present moment. will in measure
disclose our plans You had better not
leave ms. therefore unless YOU can laks
the proposed route in rear OF the enemy
CLEARLY A MISTAKE
This letter was written the cavalry
leader. transmitting 6enerai Lee Ila-
structions Tor him and his operations
Tuoer ordinary circumstances open ie't,IS
sent through subordinate COMMANDERS
are merely sent that the ofhcer may %
informed % the orders ana movements OF
troops and are sealed and sent on after
reading but my letter shows that Ten,
Lee not only sent the letter that shpuiu
be advised OF his Instructions, but that
/ should say whether they could pe car
ripd out then without mafrlnH our lldi"'
and should inform his cavalrvman. II the
time were propitioas, for the execution o.
his orders. ,...
has not been found, but its pHrpoi' -
clearly indicated by the letter OF trans
initial. Colonel MOsby offers lelleT vi
General Lees. written in the forenoon
of the 22d, as the letter transmitted. but
this Is clearly q mistake. J,he letter re-
ferTed 60 Was dated. at 4 L. N, as SHOWN
by my return letter TO Gential Lee
These are about an of the contem-
poraneous letters that c0uid refer 10 fuf-
ture plans, and are enough 10 snow n'
yond peradycuturc that sucn plans hao
not only been considered, but adopted.
Colonel MOsby. 10 the contrary hoiWlth-
standing. When they had been apan-
ooncd there vas no reason loI luI W.
mention OF thcm. when the campaign llie
failed. there were reasons fer losing sshl
81 them. An accounts agree tlat 1nv ,
Third Corps marched by tho ShcpcrustoWn
crossing on the strageuc Enc OF the taSt
eru column. but the command appointed
for this eastern column marched north
10 Greenwood. ana that the Ihifu corps
marched direct for Hagerstown.
General stuart i'm his official report,
saws of his chief: "Iie also notified me
burg and the other via. Carlisle, towards
the Susquchanna. and directed me alltI
crossing. 10 proceed with all dispatch TO
Join the right Carly Of The army III
When authority was granted for the
cavalry raid. the route around the mon
army was mentioned. but not satisfied
that this would DE the better route at the
moment the ride should Dee taken up, the
Point of Rocks was considered, ana Gen
cral Lee ordered that / should decide
between them when the time came Tor
the move from the Blue Ridge.
THE BONE a MARES NEST.
II has been many years since colonei
Mosby found in the War Department ms
-fIIiI O.
tons for his cavalryman, and the find
Ing was announced with a flourish and
bravado as "a "hOmb-shell.' Friends VINO
heard of il wrote TO prepare me for the
explosion, but were assured that the
bomb would prove mares nest. 1he
fOOt-nOte of the letter was the especial
Joy OF the times. lie published it, put
ting IL In italics, not announcing that ihey
were his own. and called it conclusive
evidence that / had ordered and was
responsible for the cavalry raid. lie
quotes IL now. intcrlning I'm parentheSeS
"(ShepherdstOWn) as the crossing by our
rear. that would expose our plans, claims
that move as all that can be had from
the record that the First Corps was
facing east when the letter was written
If he had followed the ride he could have
seen that the route by Sheoherdstown
was the move by which the plans were
TO be concealed until the enemy was
led into fields chosen for their active de-
velopment and fruiiion.
But. to quiet the ltCllidI ldtlit1 VI hia'
cav guerrilla. we should try to have
him consider the cavalry operations OF
the day before the letter was written
and the conditions at the time OF It's
writing. ,
on the DIST the Union cavalry advanced
and drove the Confederates back into the
Blue Ridge at Ashby's Gap. when Nc
Laws division was sent 10 the TeleI OF
the cavalry. and was in time 10 hoid
From General stuarts official account
Of it: 49,. o.,
After this repulse. which was not iol-
lowed up. as the cncmy's infantry was
known 10 be in close supporting distance
/ withdrew the command leisurely TO the
mountain zap west of jpperville.
THE brave and efficient Colonel Evans
of the Sixty-third North Carolina troops
was. however. severely. and IL was rear
ed fatally wounded, his body falling INTO
the hands of tho enemy
'Iieutenant-COlOnelL Lewis. OF the Nlnth
Virginia. was very severely, and II was
believed fatally wounded, ana Ieit ll
the hands of the enemy.
''By night. part of longsirects corps
occupied the mountain pass and the
cavalry was ordered further back Tor
rest and reii eshment'
I'm the clear light of the morning Of
the 22d General McLaws sent brigade
or more down upon the plains 80 front or