The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-03
For His Sighting Reference 10 tue
rIllaS and ChaplainS.
DR.. ]. WlLLIlK JONES ON bis MElTLE.
lie STYLES Gen. Longstreet ''rhe Napoieon'e
acnfus Of the War" and that "ho
Knew n All and Did ItSAn,' and
the Others Were stupid
BlundercTs.



Yhe Times. and should have made this
brief response before this but that l
have been very busy about more Import
snt matters.
shall attempt no defence OF General
Iitz. Ice or Colonel MOsby, as thcy ere
amply able 10 take care Of themselves.
Nor have j any desire TO enter INTO any
controversy with General oLngstfeet or
his lacno interviewer. Mr. Moran OF
shcmau's army, or 30 reply TO he sneer
with which he assigns me to me caieSoiy
OF "guorlllas and chaplains,' who are
supposed 10 know nothing about Noh
only wish TO correct the statement
that 1 have been among those NIo nave
reviewed General Lougstreets book. i
wrote before the appearance OF MS DOOR
an article in the New YORK sun IN
which. ia reply 10 one of his parusans'
who served in the Federal army (by the
vav is IL not little singular That so
many of General LOngstrcets paFtisans
v,,re either Federal soldiers or Repuoli-
can poIiuciansJ.
/ fried 10 show, and think / did show
concusixely. that We lost Gettysburg. not
by Lees stupidity in not taking Long
streets advice. but by LongStreet dis
obedience of Lees orders. .
IONGSTREETS DlSOBEDIENCE.
1 proved his failure 10 obey orders ior
an early attack on the second day.
J. By the testimony of General Long
street himself. who had several times
stated that when he met General Lee,
on the evening OF the first days battle,
the old man was fun of fight had MS
blood ND" and was SO determined TO at
tack Meade that be had lost his usual
.'eguipoise." and resisted ali Of his long
strcet'sj arguments and entreatics against
making the attack on Meade'S position,
and who (while denying That he received
an order for an earlier attack admitted
that ne did get the order at IL o'clock A.
NJ. OF the second day.
2 By the positive testimony OF General
Jubal A. Early. noted for the accuracy
OF his statements who said that. as the
result OF "a conference held by General
Lee. the evening Of the second day, with
Fweu. R0des. and himself General Lee
said that DE would go back and order
IOugstroet TO make the attack early the
next morning.
g. The testimony Of General w. n. Pen
dIeton who stated positively that Gene
ral Ice told him that night that he bad
ordered Longstreet 10 attack on that
front (he cuemyA lefO at sunrise the
next morning" and directed him CPen-
dlotom 10 make certain dispositions Of
the artillery. and TO recOnnoitre carefully
with view of aiding Longsteets attack.
General Pendleton further stated that
le oheycd orders. was very much sur
priscd that the early attack was not
made. and learned from staff and other
officers at the time that General Lee
manifested extreme displeasure with the
tardy corps commander
g. 1 quoted from Bishop George W. Pc
tcrkn. D. D.. Of West Virginia, AT the
time gallant and confidential STAFF Off
Ger Of General pendleton's. who strongly
confirms the statement of General PEN
dleton.
s. I quoted from General A. L. Long.
Of General Lees STAFF, the strongest test-
mony az 80 Lees purpose OF attacking
early in the morning. and his statement
that ue heard General Lee, ON the after
noon OF the first day, say TO Longstreet
audA. J.. Hill. Gentlemen. we will at
tack the enemy In the morning as eally
as practicable
IS. gave the testimony Of General
Long. Colonel Walter Taylor and other
officers. as TO General Lees eXtr'me i'm
patience at the DELAY of Lonestrcets at
tHck. going "a 10 o'clock 10 search for
Iouesrcet saying. what can Ge;ain
Ioncstrect? lie ought to be i'm position
now"
GENERAL LEE INPATIENT
g. ] quoted General r.. j. Walker. chief
OF artillery OF a. r. HiHs Corps. who
testified that he heard General Lee say
TO Lonesirec;, HIM. and. perhaps, Ewcn.
the evening before. chat ne wished
the battle opened at the earliest prac-
teal moment the next morning. by a ST.
multancous attack on both fianks'-that
General lam. in giving him orders that
night. told him chat the orders were
for the attack on the heights. 10 Doe made
az daytreak the next morning. Oh both
TANKS, and that in an interview with
him between 9 and 10 o'clock The next
morning General Lee manifested more
impauence than i ever saw him show
upon any other occasion. seemed very
much disappointed and worried that
the attack had not opened earlier, ana
very anxious for Longstrcct TO attack
az the very earliest possible moment.
lie even. for a while, placed himnlf az
the head of one of the brigadcs 10 hurry
the column forward
s. ] made the point that a careful study
OF the reports of Generals Ice. Ewcn.
Early. HILL and others show conclusively
that the attack was expected early In the
morning.
O. But, as settling tho whole matter.
! said that General r. T.. Lee himself
had stated 10 more than one gentleman
OF hirh position Gin confidential talks. for
he had never chosen 20 criucisc Long
street publicly that De lost the battle Of
Gettysburg because Of Longstreots fall
ure 10 carry ont his orders. and ] quoted
on this point firm q letter OF Governor
Carroll OF MARYLAND. TO General FitZ-
hugh Lee. in which ne SAYS. I'm reference
90 the Gettysburg series: Il have
not had leisure % follow closely the con-
trOycrsv TO which the article refers. but l
remember perfectly my conversation with
General Lee on this subject. lie said
plainly 20 me that the battle would have
been gained n General Longstreet had
obeycI the orders given him. and had
made she attack early instead II tate
ltc said further. General Longstreet
when once iu q fight. was a most brill
liant soldier. but ne was the ha; dest
man 10 move l bad IN my army
4 stated that 1 held In reserve o. en-
stronger proof Of General Lees opinion
that ho lost Gettysburg by LOngstreets
disobedience of his orders.
/ commended that if General Lee had
oniy expressed 80 General Longstreet
via that he should attack early on tie
morning Of the second day. that This
ought 90 have been sufficient: quoted
stoncwall Jackson rs saying in reference
10 matter az trivial Importance Gene
ril Lees slightest wish is a supreme order
10 me-, ana snid that II was no wonder
tat General Lee exclaimed one day IN
Lexington: "lf had had Stonewall
Jackson az Gettysburg ! should lave