Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-02

whom could readily have been on tne
ground on the first day.
II has been my object to correct the
impression that has prevailed 70 SOM
extent that the movement OF tne
cavalry was mado by General Lee
orders. and that at a critical momeh.
OF the campaign he crossed the Potomac
river and moved into Pennsylvania. sena-
ing the entire cavalry force OF MS
army upon a useless raid Tnat 'nis
is not true I think the evidence have
laid before YOU abundantly establishes
The suggestion OF General Longstreet
In communicating the order OF General
Lee 20 General Stuart that the latter
should pass by the enemy's rear need
not have led to the results which have
described.
You will observe that General Long
streets suggestion to General Stuart was
qualified. as was General Lees letter to
Stuart of June 22d, by saying that the
latter should go by the enemy's rear. III
he thinks he may get through The
first movement Of General Stuart after
leaving Salem Depot early on the morning
OF the 25th brought him in conflict with
General Hancock's brigade, near Hay
market. and. finding that he could not
pass around the rear OF the enemy, the
discretion so given him by General Long
street was at an end, and there was yet
time for General Stuart to retracs his
steps and obey the order that he had
received from General Lee in the letter
of the ed Of June, TO cross the Potomac
west OF the Blue Ridge and move on
until he felt the right OF EwelPs
column. But. instead of pursuing this
course. General Stuart. as 1 have al
ready pointed out. moved TO Buckland,
east Of Bull-Run mountains and proceed
ed from that place through Brentsville.
down to Wolf-Run shoals, and thence
across the country by way of Fairfax
Station to the Potomac river. This lat
ter movement was not sanctioned either
by the suggestion OF General Longstreet
or by the positive orders OF General Lee,
and from the tenor OF General Stuart's
report II would seem that he entirely
mistook the part that he was expected to
take In the movement OF the army. He
placed himself east OF the Federal army
with that army between his command and
the Confederate force. He left General
Lee without any Information as 10 the
movements of the enemy from the time
he crossed the Potomac river until the %
of July. BY his silence, as l have de-
scribed. he caused General Lee to move
his army to Gettysburg, not with the ex-
pectation or purpose OF meeting the
enemy. but simply to prevent move
ment which he supposed the enemy was
making TO obstruct his line OF commu-
nication with Virginia, and caused him to
fight the battle OF Gettysburg without |
having his whole force present except on |
the third day, when IL was equally pos |
sible. had General Lee been informed OF \
what the enemy was doing for him 10 /
have fought that battle with his entire /
force while the enemy's forces were APP
preaching Gettysburg, or 10 have re-
NAMED west OF the mountains and have
met the Federal army on some other
field.
The result OF General Stuart's action
was that two armies invaded Pennsyl-
MIA in 1863, instead Of one. one OF those
armies had no cavalry, the other had no
thing but cavalry. one was commanded
by General Lee, the other by General
Stuart.