The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-15
COL. MOSBY FIRES BACK,
He DEFENDS STUIRr FROM LONG
STREETS CRITICISM.
Misleading Extracts Were Given by tho
General, He ssys-"Witnesses Arc
Sworn to Tell the whole Truth"

Editor Of The Times:
Sir,-I have just read General Long
streets letter In The Times in answer
to my view of his structures on General
Stuart's conduct In the Gettysburg cam
pagn.
/. He says that If ''he-iMosby)-h read
the work that he pretends to criticsc
be in the record In all things" He may
make such CLAIM. but he will find it
very hard to prove It.
III. He says that the letter from Lee
to Stuart. dated June 22d-(which / pub
lishedl-was written in the forenoon OF
that day, and Is not the letter he trans
mittcd 10 Stuart, which HE SAYS was
dated az L. NJ, as shown by mye-(his)-
return letter to General Lee on this
point the record says one thing: General
Longstrect says another. There IS only
ONE letter dated June @2d from Lee to
Stuart There is nothing 10 show whether
1t was written in the forenoon or after
noon General Longstreets letter to
General Lee only shows the day and hour
Of General Lees letter 10 him. Here
it is:
Headquarters June % 1sG3-7:3O P. N.
Gen: II. L. Lee-Comd'g, &c:
General:-Yours Of 4 o'c. this afternoon
reed / have forwarded your letter TO
General Stuart, with the suggestion that
he pass by the enemy's rear, IL he thinks
that he may get through. We have moth
ing of the enemy to-day.
Most respectfully,
j. LONGSTREET.
-E.pI
General Iongstreet does not deny thar
he ordered Stuart-las his letttr shows)-
to cross the Potomac in rear Of the enc
my; but he still insists that Stuart
violated his orders in doing so.
III. He quotes the following paragraph
from General Lees letter Of June 23d
to Stuart to prove that his Instructions
required him to cross at Shepherdstown.
II this were so then IL would simply
show that Longstreet ordered Stuart 10
20 one way and General Lee another.
This is the paragraph 23d, ls63-
3 p. M-If General HoOker's army re-
mains inactive, you can leave TWO pii-
gades 10 watch him, and withdraw with
the three others: but should he not APP
pear 10 be moving northward, MINK
you had better withdraw this side OF the
mountain tomorrow night. cross at shep-
utlt0loNA next Qdtf c4iN H4p'~ 49, ~
Fredericltown." Here General Long
street stops I'm his quotation. IL wouia
be presumed that he had made full ana
fair quotation from General Lees letter
Here is The succeeding paragraph on
will, however, be able 10 judge whether
YOU can pass around their army without
hindrance doing them ali the damage
you can, and cross the river east OF the
mountains IN EITHER CASE, after
crossing the river you must move on ana
feel the right OF Ewell's troops, collecting
information, provisions. &c. Witnesses
are sworn to tell not only the truth, but
the whole truth. The extract General
Longstreot gives from General Lees IN
structlons IS misleading. II creates the
IMPRESSION that no discretion was given
Stuart as to the point where he should
cross the river. As Stuart obeytd Long
streets orders, that fact Is pei es-
toppel against any complaint from Long
street. l commend 10 General Long
street the maxim-NOBLESSE OBLlGE-
high rank imposes d corresponding opil-
cation.
". lie says that I only published the
nosfscript Of his letter TO Stuart. Even
A. had. it could have been no prejudice
10 him. as the postscript does not quality
hut simply repeats and emphasizes the
bodv Of his letter. But here again he
has run against the record. publishtd IN
the Century-0SS7-B elford-ls9D-"Na war
"Reminiscences nc5I-and The Times
(Febv. 1SgO-an the correspondence al
that time between General Lee. stuart
snd r.onrstreet JNO 5. MOSBY.
san Francisco. Mch. :. 1895.