The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-12

I ticed the forming of the long katherine
/ around Cemetery Heights.
HETWS DIVISION SURPRISED.
| The fighting next day was far 10 right
| and left. and / saw nothing OF it as the
! losses Of our division and brigade were
very heavy and ] was constantly ocCu-
pied with the wounded. Gen. Heth was
| wounded while his division was pressing
the centre of the attack Heth's Division
suffered a surprise. because we had nu
cavalry To meet Bufori. bat he redeemed
this by a separate and special fight 90
The first ridge and by holding the centre
and hottest part OF The hsht on the last
ridge where the whole Federal corps had
picked their position tO command the
roads from Cashtown and Carlisle. The
position was a. strong one. with free
sweep for their artillery. ler iu spite OF
its commander being disabled this now
decImatcd division was chosen 90 he place
ed under Gen. Pickett. commanded ly
Gen. Pcttiercw. 10 take party Boo che fa-
tall but glorious charge ou Cemetery
Heights on The 30 of July. Iu that LAST
charge feil my friend. COL James Mar
shall. of Markham, Fauqu.er county, Va.
colonel of a North Carolina regiment. and
commanding Petuerew's Brigade. This
I think shows that the bringing on of Doe
%
the providence OF God due t0 the want
of cavalry I'm front of Heths Infantry
Who could blame Gen. Heth for driving
the cavalry before him when Doe had heei
surprised into loss From there being no
pursuit of the regiment j left Gettys.
burg on the eve of the Both of June
Gen. Hcth could not know there was a
force on the Clshtown road. Besides had
De prudentaliy Withdrawn 90 Cashtown
after suffering loss from the cavalry sur
prise. what would have been Gen. Early's
positi0nt Gen. Early and Rodcs, of
Ewelrs Corps. had orders 20 move 90.
wards Cashtown. Gettysburg lay In Ear
iy's direct road. and f Heth had fallen
back on CashtOwn. and Roies turned OF
four miles northwest on to the Cashi1wn
road, then az 3 or 4 o'clock of July Isl
Early would have found the Fedora
corps holding q strong position across nis
road with fully three times bis numbers
and no help nearer than four or five
miles. This would have brought ON battle
40 late hour iu Che evening when too
late TO defeat and drive the enemy from
their position. All honor is due -.
Heth and his noble division for pressing
the enemy and enabling Rodos aud Pen
der and Early TO secure q severely-fOueht
battle. The cause of surprise was want
Of cavalry but the cause of battle was
that the Federal corps commander ha
seized the ridge north and west oil
Gettysburg. which blocked the road by
which the Confederate corps of Hin and
EWell were converging on CashtOwn
Why need we look any further for causes.
lt suflceth that the same All-wise Ruler
Of events that permitted Ashby and
'Stonewal" Jackson 10 be shot in from,
anu perhaps by their own men. and after
wards permitted j. T.. b. Stuart TO fab
after victory by the seeming accidental
shot Of a Federal trooper. who was flee
ing from our lines. the same Ruler per-
mitted the otherwise invinc11le Army OF
Northern Virginia and its beloved Gem
eral TO suffer repulse az Gettysburg.
Respectfully,
JAQUELIN MARSHALL MEREDITH
Chaplain Of 47th Virginia Infantry.
Heths Division, A j.. HnIs Corps
A. y. Va. G. S.
Wide Water. Va March 81. 1s96.