The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-21
LONGSTREET AT FAULT.
MR.. ROTfLL ATTRIBUTES no HIM
THE Loss or GETTrSBURG.
His Delay In Carrying Out General Lees
Orders Caused Cur Defeat-Noung
Dahlgrcn's Service.


Hall Of Harris Academy Of Music, and
listened to an Grafton by william L. Roy
all. Of the Richmond Times Ills subject
was "The Battle Of Gettysburg, and us
! important bearing upon modern progress
! siye civilization"
Later n the evening the sixteenth an
null banquet of the society was held az
/ the CarrOlton Hotel. The hundred mem
bers and their guests sat down at th,H
| tables az 1870 o'clock.
Among the out-fOwn- guests were United
| States Senators Berry, Of Arkansas anu
/ Daniel. Of Virginia. Ex-Governor Simhs'
! Mississippi. General james a. walker OF
| Virginia: General Joseph l., Wheeler OF
/ Alabama: y. H. Randell, Of Mississippi
! and DaDney Nj Scales, Of Tennessee.
MR.. ROYAIIlS ADDRESS
Mr.. Royals Grafton was mastery dts
| cussion oi the conditions which brought
about the defeat Of the Confederate forces
al Gettysburg. lie cited numerous au-
/ thOrtics in support Of his assertions, ana
handled his subject In a manner when
| convinced his enthusiastic hearers that
his conclusions were the result Of elabo-
rate research. Throughout his able adj
dress ne was constantly interrupted with
applause.
A.r. Koyall first referred 10 authorities
10 prove that the Union army outnlm-
Iered the Confederate army az betiSs-
burg at least 5000 men, lie then gave
an account OF the battie OF the lst cay OF
July. which resulted in a brilliant victory
or the (OnfedeTates and almost destroyer
The First ond Eleventh Corps OF the mon
army. lie then accounted Tor every "i
raniZcd body OF each army, ana snow"
from the records exactly where each was
when the night of July LIST closed III anu
when light appeared on July "a. ,......t
This examination showed that Geheia
! Meade had up Tor battle when July "a
aawned only $500 men. while practically
Ihe whole Confederate army except
PicKetts Division ana the cavalry Nda
ready SO ue thrown on him az ua"h OF
July 81. He further showed that MtaIc
eft was practically without any troops
rom she end of the lrst Corps TO i-tle
Round Top and that If Lonestreet ma"
-ttackcd Neade's LETT lu the early morn
ne of july - he would nave met WIN
practically DO opposition, and an or tNt
5000 that Meade had mp would nave
been caught between twoll and I'M az
lacking them in front and LOnesUtet
closing in on them from the rear ana
that Meale's army must have Deeh 't-
-froyed lie them examined with great
.laborqtiOu Of detail the evidence 70 sup
port The claim that General Lee directed
Iongstreet on the evening Of July Isl
10 attack MeGces LETT at hght OF me
2d. aud made out clear case that ln."
order was given. though Longsireet Iia
1l. and when all OF Meade army Aaa
lie then showed that though the battle
of thc "a vas fought under the most
observation-disclosures circumstances, IL result
cd 10 the advantage of the COME Iefates
OH the whole and SO much so thaJ meade
called "a council OF war thal hisnl TO
determine whether the army Sl9Nil Aol
retreat, and that. tho gh majority Oh
the council voted 20 stay and ught IT
ont, Meade ended u by saying Gellysoufg
was 40 place TO fight battle,
He then showed that when General Lee
was about crossing The Potomac he wrote
three letters, urging Dir. baNls 10 FORM
am army az CUlucner Courthouse uncer
General Beaurceald of every tNaiiapie
man. that Meade knew OF TINS, aid
fought the fight two days OF the battle
formcntcd by the fear that BeauregaId
was coming down on his rear.
YOUNG DAHLGREN's ACT
He then showed that Uric Dahlgren,
son OF Admiral DahlgTen, the same VINO
was killed in the raid on Richmond in
1884, q captain on Meade stan, wal
scouting al the rear Of The coniedeiate
army on July "a. and captured the courier
conveying AIR. Davis answer 10 Genera
Lee. in which he told him ne could mol
form the army az CulpeDer Courthorse.
that Dahleren rode Wltn AL uispatch ana
conveyed This letter 90 ActNr lutl as ITO
was about ordering retreat and thus
relieved OF fear OF an attack on ms rear,
Il
d I'D days battle. when resultcu SO ula-
astlousiy 30 the o0niederates
Mr Royal then showed mat Dahisreh
was wounded in a skrmish DAY or $50
after the battle, end was carried 10 MS
3fher's ID )us- ~ WASHINGTON, where mis-
leg was amputated, and that though e.
boy OF only twenty one, he received tfc
most cNtraOr1 nary attention from nj
Lincoln. tine Cahl net officers leading
members Uf both houses of Congress, ana
other prominent men IN washington,
and stated that be had been informed
inc Dahlgren WAS promoted from the
rank of CAPTAIN over the ranks Of majcr
AMI Lieutenant colonel 10 colonel Of cav
airy, as Il reward Tor his service IN can
curing Mr. Davis letter 10 General Lee
and delivering IL TO General Meade in
lime a. arrest his Intended retreat from
Gettysburg IN the night Of July 81.
The speaker then stated that be wrote
The War Department last summer ana
inquired il Ddhlgrcn had really been pro
NOTED 10 the rank of colonel, 10 which
the Secretary of War replied that he uau
never been promoted hey -nd the rank OF
captain. that on applying 10 Admiral
Hahlgren's widow she had informed MN
that Uric Dahlgren had certainly been
promoted to colonel ana she produced DIS
commission as colonel OF cavalry, caleo
July 20 1853, signed by Ldwln NJ. SlaI-
ton Secretary of War. with letter from
Mr. Stanton 20 Dahigren, informing him
that the President had resolved 10 90
The extraordinary thing or jumping MN
over the ranks Of major and lieutenant
colonel on account OF his distinguished
services Mr.. Royal then asked II the
record Of this promotion OF Dehlgren
had been suppressed TO conceal the iact
that the battle Of Gettysburg was won
by scratch? The speaker cited inc
War of the Rebellion Records and other
authentic documents in support OF every
statement he made.
His conclusions were that the Confed-
crate army would have won d most sig
mai victory at Gettysburg, that would
have resulted In the Independence Of the
Confederacy II Longstreet had co-ope-
rated cheerfuiiy and with alacrity in
that il would still have won great VIC
tory If Mr. Davis had done what
General Lee wanted done, as should nave
been the case. The speaker closed win
an animated account OF the charge OF
Picketts Division on July 30.
Longstreet TO Blame
PETERSBURG, VA, Jan. 2O.-Special
At the banquet OF 4. L. Hill Camp, OF
Confederate Veterans. tonight. General
c. A. Battle, of North Carolina, after
speaking at some length Of the battle
o. Charlottesville and the brilliant VIC
tory Of the Confederates, referred 10 the
battle Of Gettysburg. and in doing so SAID
that a court OF inquiry appointed by
General Lee. Of which General Malone
was president and General c. a. Battle
was secretary, met at Culpeper Court
house, for the purpose of inquirinS into
the conduct of the Gettysburg cam
paign.
General Stuart said General Battle, was
examined as to absence from his position
and failure TO keep General ice informed
as TO the DOsitiOn OF the enemy. Genera