The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-26


DIVISIONS tEarlys, Rodes' and Jahnson's)
70 move south 10 Cashtown. Now Long
street ana Marshall say that late on the
hlsht OF the 18th, a spy came IN ana
Drought the first news OF the Northern
army having crossed the Potomac; ana
also that Meade was in command. Gen.
eral Lees report says that spy came
In on the night OF the 18th. and brought
the hrst Information OF Hooker having
crossed the Potomac. and that he had
lhought Hookers army was still In VIZ
blhla. IL being a matter of no special
Importance General Lees report never
mentions Meade or Hooker As the let
Ter as printed in the records contradicts
an that IS said about the spy Col Strib-
ing insists on correcting the date so
That It would only contradict part. l
demonstrated that unless the spy had
supernatural powers, and like the Spirit
III Manfred, was "a rider OF the wind
II was impossible for him 10 have brought
the news TO headquarters about Meade
Col. Stribling admits this part Of the
story 10 be a fable
But 1t is just as impossible for me to
believe that General Lee spent two days
In Maryland. when the enemy was few
miles off, over the mountain. and made
no effort 10 discover him. as that the spy
rode on the nlght-wind from Frederick
TO Chambersburg. On that point am to
say the least, an agnOstc Col. Strib-
ling. acting on the principle Of a COM
mander of a ship i'm a storm. who throws
overheard a part OF the cargo to save the
balance, sacrifices both Longstreet and
Marshall 10 save the credit of the re-
port. Early's report shows that on the
evening Of the 18th he received from
Of OF utfn
the one referred TO In General Lees let
ter Of the morning of the 18th. as having
been written the night before This con-
firms the correctness Of the date. Such
dispatch I'm an enemy's country would be
sent under a cavalry escort. Ii would not
travel in hot weather with the speed of
a pony express. IL Is at least seventy
miles from Chambcrsburg 10 York, via
Carlisle. II could not. therefore. as Col.
Stribling insists have LEFT Chambers
hurg late at night on the 18th. The truth
is II Is just as hard TO reconcile General
Lees instructions TO Stuart, dated June
22d and I'D. with his report. as 10 recon-
Gle the report with the Chambersburg
letter as published i'm the war records.
The solution 1 suggested was that one
person wrote the instructions; another
wrote the report. ] quoted the Cham
and Marshall. ! said nothing about the
report Col Stribling quoted the report
against me to contradict the letter. lie
did not seem 20 realize that If the report
contradcts the letter. the letter contra
diets the report. lie Glsregards the rule
Of law that f1rbids a party 20 discredit
his own witnesses. and says we must
not believe Iougstrect and Marshall when
they say that a spy brought the news TO
General Lee az Chambersburg on the
night OF the 18th. that Meade was in
command OF the Army OF the Potomac.
As Col Frecmautle. an English officer,
noted i'm his diary two days afterwards
G0th) that spy dld come in at Green
wood. and they heard this news. ! think
that Marshall and LongsireCt are right
about o. spy's bringing il. but wrong
about the time and place where ne
brought Il.
Col. Strbling seems 90 think IL an act
| of irrevereuce I'm my showing that Cen
eral Ices instructions % Ewel DO not
agree with his report. but the instructions
10 Stuart of June 23d and 2Sd sent from
Berryvlle are equally irreconcilable with
IT, In February 1857, before the Confed-
crate records We're published, | discover
ed General Lees final instructions to
to cross the Potomac i'm rear Of the en-
envy. and wrote 90 Col. Marshall about H.
He replied that these instructions were
revoked on the night after they We're
written, that he wrote the order reyOklng
| them ahd ordering Stuart 20 march on
the flank OF the column with General Lee;
but that they were not copied i'm the let
| ter book. he also said that when Cen
eral Stuart brought him his report of the
campaign 10 his tent he explained 20 him
why no disObcyed General Lees ORDER.
TO this ] replied that while ! did not
| impeach his sincerity. yet ] could not be-
lieve that Stuart volunteered 90 tell him
that his own report was false, as IL eX-
pressly said that he acted in accordance
with General Lees Instructions. The
July report which was written and pub
lisheG before Stuart's was sent in and
was the cause of q great deal ~ criticism
| Of Stuart. does not say that Stuart had
authority 10 pass around between the
enemy and Washington: but II laments
the fact that "by the route he pursued
the Federal army was iTterpOsed be-
| tween his command and our main BODY
preventing any communication with him
until his arrival at Carlisle IL would
be- as rational to expect a planet 10 pass
between the sun and the earth and not
cause an eclipse as for Stuart TO pass
around the rear OF Hookar's army with
ont It's being interposed between him
end ours and .nterrupting communication.
Yet the January report 1mi.s that STU
art was authorized 20 20 that route Gen
erul william H. Payne read col Mar
shalrs letter: / sent II 10 Mr. William A.
Stuart, brother OF General Stuarts
WHAT is remarkable is shat in his adj
dress az the Lee birthday dinner, Col
Marshall quoted this letter and tried 20
explain Il away. lie did lot say word
about its having been recalled.
JOHN s. MOSBY