Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-12

.Fr0m Manassas 10 Appomo''"~
General Iongstreet's book IL out. In
our confederate Column We to-day give
some extracts from H. gathered from a
northern paper.
From these glimpses OF Longstreet
autobiography We guess that he has IN
ou.sed pretty freely in criticism of Lee
MARYLAND and Pennsylvania campaigns.
How well ne sustalns himself in that
task we shall not undertake 10 Judge
upon these fragments of chapters. but
that I.ongstrtet endeavors to unload the
responsibility for our failure at Gettys-
burg upon Lee admits of no question.
De describes Lee at Gettysburg as ner-
vous unbalanced. and without any DEFINITE
plan. Lee, he however says. was an up
spd-at-them'' general like Wellington. and
when In the presence of the enemy Lee
..fo,,pd 1, hard TO withhold his blows. -
In one of his remarks Longstreet fails
but little short Of calling Lee blood
thirsty.
The third days charge Longstreet con-
ridered a great piece of foohardihess'
and he gives az his opinion that ao'"o
men could not have taken the heights
which Pickett, Pettigrew. and 1rimoie
assaulted In vain. Longstreet writes that
he cave Pickett orders 10 charge with
,bs. grayest forebodngs, and that. what
was worse. he could not get for the
charging column the support that ne
expected.
All of these statements have been made
before, for Longstreet has more than
once given his side of the question IN
newspaper interviews and In magazine
articles. His present publication may
however. be considered his final appeal
10 the Judgment OF history. He wishes
not TO be held in anywise responsible FOR
the disastrous third days fight at Gettys-
burg. Moreover. he aims to put the
chief part of the blame upon Lee. No
torious as IL is that Longstreet was a
failure as a general in independent COM
maad. his book rings with paragraphs
Of the 'I-toldyou-so' sort
General Longstrect would better have
followed the example of the INDUSTRIOUS
Lee and written nothing about the war
Had he never estranged himself from
his people, and never gone into the book
plenty of able Confederate writers who
would have preserved the record of his
great deeds. These would have been de-
lighted TO recall that he won his earliest
promotion In the Confederate service
while In command of Virginia brigade;
that he was fearless fighter; that when
nc was at the head of a brigade. division.
or CORPS. our army had great confidence
in him; that some of our greatest victories
were won only by his help; that Lee
loved and bonored him. and called him
his 'old war-horse." and that what
ever may have been his indecision and
lack Of promptness at Gettysburg. Lee
had no words OF reproach for him. but
chose rather to bear all the blame OF
defeat himself. Throughout his life lee
adhered to his resolution TO take upon
himself the responsibility for our failure
at Gettysburg. but in his home circle
Il Il known that Longstreets slowness
and lack OF spirit on that field was to
him one OF the most astounding incl
dents OF the war
We judge from such chapters of Long
streets book as we have seen that Long
street has used 1t to answer all critics
and To "pav or many other old scores.
Evidence of his personal hostility fire.
auentiy creeps out. He makes an oc-
casionai dig at Fitz Lee, moved thereto.
the public will be ready 10 believe, by
what Fitz Lees book says about Long
streets conduct at Gettysburg. In one
chapter Longstreet refers 20 one of the
raids that Fftz Lees cavalry made as "a
pleasure excursion" Longstreets per-
sonaI grievances are but ill-conceaed
though we Judge that he had the counsel
of literary friends In preparing his copy
for the press And. by the way, we have
often heard that IN the preparation OF his
article on Gettysburg" which was pub
lished In the Century Magazine some
years ago. Longstreet had very efficient
Assistance from the late Henry w. Grady.
: That General Longstreet's book Will find
many readers in Virginia We feel sure.
But we are not going to accept all of his
statements and deductions. Many Of
these we believe to be egregiously err
foneous. and We think that this publica-
y tlon OF his VIII be more a cause OF graft
fcation TO the other side than TO old
Corfederates. Certain are we that our
people prefer 10 remember Longstreet Jas
fae friend and lieutenant OF Lee--"the old
ar-horse''--thsn as the man that he has
been for the greater part of the tlpe
since the war closed.