The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-31

which pickcfts Division played us I'M
mortal part. Utterly erroneous impress
sions have gone out TO the world regard
ing II. and Il is considered by most men
as a great blunder that General Lee
made. But the student who has carefully
oonned all Of the records, and who has
compared them carefully with the ground
lust as the excellent war maps exhibit It.
becomes impressed more and more with
the profound thought General Lee had
given to the subject and with the accu-
racy with which he saw the weak spot In
Meades position, and struck with the
precision OF the lightning at that weak
spot.
The field OF Gettysburg. on the Federal
side. is something like fsh-hook. the
barbed end OF the hook being TO the
north and east of the town, and the
shank extending from the town TO little
Round Top Mountain. distance Of
about mile and a half. At Gettysburg
the Federal line bent sharply and shortly
back 10 the east, making that part OF
their line stand upon the barbed end OF
the hook. The rest of their line was
cooped in between Round Top Mountain
and the town of Gettysburg. Looking at
their line in front of IT, General Lee saw
that If he cut through it directly to the
Federal left of the town of Gettysburg,
this would happen: lie would take all
OF their troops on the barbed end Of
the hook in reverse, while they were be-
ing assaulted in front, and as to that
part of their army from the cut to Round
Ton IL would be occupied with his troops
I'm its front, and, when the cut was made,
IL would be compelled TO withdraw over
Round Top Mountain with no roads that
il could move by. Meantime, by cutting
the Federal line at that point, he would
seize the Baltimore and Taneytown
mikes. and Meade would have no road
TO withdraw over. If the cut were sue
cessfully made, it is almost certain that
Meades right. caught between two hres'
would have been destroyed. His left
would have had to withdraw over Round
Top Mountain without roads, and pressed
bv Hoods and McLaw's division, and
their chance of getting off in order would
| have been very slight.
When judging Of the wisdom of Pick
| ett's charge we must consider all that
bore upon the probability of success.
General Lees line was a semi-circle, he
holding the arc and Meade the chord.
Lee had, bearing upon Meade's line be-
tween the town of gettysburg and Round
Top. about $50 guns, while Meade could
| ..yly crowd upon his shorter line about
50 guns. General Lees plan was that all
his artillery should fire upon the point
TO be assaulted until it was shaken, ana
| that the infantry should then move
across the field to the assault, with sew
enty-nye Of his cannons sent across the
field in advance Of 1t, while seventy-fYe
guns kept up an incessant fire from their
position. Picketts and Heth's divisions
were 10 be the front line Of the infantry
Pender's Division was TO march directly
behind Heth's. while Anderson's marched
directly behind Picketrs.
Now this was going to be a bloody as
sault. undoubtedly, but it held out every
| probability or success. The seyenty-nye
| guns that were to 80 in front Of the
| infantry would take upon themselves
the IRE Of the Federal artillery, while
the field was being crossed and the in
cessant fire of 80 guns upon the salient
| point would necessarily demoralize it to a
certain extent. When the Confederate in
fantry reached the Federal line, there
fore. it would have been in good condi-
ton while the Federal line would have
been exposed to terrible ordeal.
That was General Lees plan, and the
fact that Pickett's Division alone marched
across the field without the support Of
a cannon shot or Of man in its van, and
cut through the Federal line and pro-
duced a state of panic there, shows that
if General Lees plan had been carried out
Meades army would have been cut IN
two and ruined.
mat Lee pan was HOl CdiIiSN Jul
rests upon General LoAgstreet. Lee put
him in charge of the movement, and tod
him to advance the artillery with The
infantry lie did not advance a gun, and
not a cannon fired shot while Pickett S
Division was marching across that field.
The assault would have been a success
even then, If he had sent Anderson's
Division directly behind Pickett's. Pick
EFT cut through the lines and started a
panic. All that was wanting was fresh
troops at hand to make his work good
But Longstreet had not sent Anderson
forward. so that the remnant Of Pic1ett'
Division was without any support. snc
was soon overwhelmed.
General Lees genius for war never
shone out more brilliantly than On this
third day at Gettysburg, and the military
historian Of the future will say that i
Longstreet had not failed him, he would
have destroyed Meade on the third day.
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SINGULAR MALADY.