The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-11-19
Longstreet and Lee.


Longstreet to succeed Gen. Wade
Hampton-both Confederate war
riors-as United States Railroad
Commissioner, and his recent marital
bringing of May into the lap of De-
cember, summons before the minds
eye the figure of one of the most
picturesque characters in American
life. Recent newspaper portraitures
depict him as a man of stalwart
carriage, with his head thrown high
in air, his eyes shining fiercely from
beneath shaggy eyebrows, the lower
part of his face covered with a heavy
hirsute growth, and mass of hair
waving upward from a broad, high
forehead; the picture of a warrior
bold. The last time he was seen by
the narrator was in September, 1895,
when he was entertained at private
luncheon given in the house of the
Union League, the host being John
Russell Young. At that time he
presented himself as a man once tall
of form, but with a stoop of many
years in his shoulders. His step was
halting. His eyes lacked fire. His
hair and scanty beard were of
snowy whiteness. His attire, black,
without a touch of color, loosely fit
ting, suggested the dress of a
country preacher. When be walked
up the brown stone step of the ia
nous club house on Broad street
there was atop his head black silk
hat almost as lusterless as the coat
he wore. Yet there was some indie
scribable air about him that suggest
ed human force. This was the pict-
ure then presented of one of the
greatest living soldiers of his time.
He looked then as if he had one foot
in the grave. Yet the other day he
took a young bride TO his embrace,
and now a Republican President has
placed this one-time Confederate
warrior in one of the greatest pc.
sitions in the gift of the government.
Therein is contained a story of
wondrous vitality.
Ever since the suppression of the
rebellion, historians have differed as
to whether Lee or Longstreet was
responsible for the disaster at Get
tysburg, the friends of each claim
ing the other was to blame. The
narrator was present on the scene of
the great battle, a few years ago,
when the great soldiers, both Union
and Confederate. who had mingled
in that bloody fray met there again
for the first time since memorable
events of thirty years before. Long
street made little concealment then
regarding his contention that it was
Lee who ordered the disastrous
Pickett charge and lost the day.
On that occasion many errors of
history were recorded. The guide
who directed the movements of the
distinguished party adopted a bold
move to surprise Longstreet into a
declaration of his feeling on the
subject. Said he, standing beside
the Confederate leader, who held a
sound-gathering hand to his dulled
ear: "When the flower of Virgin
las chivalry, Pickett's division,
arrived on the night of the second
day, Gen. Lee determined to EN-.
ploy these fresh troops to make an
assault the next day on Cemetery
Hill under cover of a terrific can
nonading by Gen. Alexander's guns,
while an assault in the rear was to
be made at the same time by Gen.
Stuart's cavalry, who had been sent
around to the left for that purpose.
1t is generally believed, Gen. Long
street, that he ordered this in the
face of your protest; that he COM
manded Pickett to take this COM
position occupied by the
Union troops"
Longstreet's face glowed with
excitement. In a voice
that showed no quaver of age, and
at the same time striking forth with
his right arm as though he would |
smite foe, he cried out: "He said,
Wen strike them right here. Well |
will strike them right here" And,
with repetition of Lees words, the
arm again shot forth. The guide
old how Pickett's men had marched |
20 their death across the wheat
ield.
"What is the distance from here
% where they emerged from the
Toods?" asked Longstreet abruptly.
Exactly one mile and quarter"
vas the response.
"Ah - exclaimed the veteran,
'Lee said before the charge that
he distance was 144O yards. Isaid
t was a mile. / was nearer right
han he. In all history prior to
hat time there were never charges
# a greater distance than 600 or
90 yards. Then there was never
'efore charge of such length. -
Philadelphia Times.