The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-27

been surprised 20 near that ne nad zone
Il. General Leo with Longstreet and Hin
reached Chamsbersburg on the z'th.
Ewell. who had been FIVE days In advance,
got TO Carlisle and Early TO York on
the same day. General Lee. OF course
knew that the enemy was following in
nursult and that II was time TO unite
MS three army corps. Ills last letter 10
F.Oeli vas written on the ed from Berry
Vile. Eweil was then at Hagcrst0Wh'
The instructions were gencral-to 90 INTO
Pennsylvania. without definite orders
EweIl would be like a ship without COM
pass drifting az sea. u can. therefore,
hardly be conceived that he did not SEND
instructions TO Ewell as soon as he reach
ed Chant ersburg.
The letter have quoted which Is dated
9th. shows I'D that he knew the nlsht
before that Hooker had crossed the 70
tomac and was moving north l4) thal IN
stead Of making preparations 10 march
on Harrisburg. he ordered Even back 10
Chamborsburg: CD that he had written
10 EweN the night before 9th. Before
receiving the order Ewcll had sent Jen-
tins' cavalry forward toward Harrisburg.
on the POD. no had written E"ell' III
Harrisburg comes within your means cap
ture IT," General Lees and Longstreet s
reports saw that the army was orueIeu
from Chambersburg 70 Gettysburg me
record says Il was not. on the %th.
Hcth's division was sent 20 Cashto"h a'
the eastern base Of South Mountain. Inc
object was 10 hold the pass. inc next
day Hill followed with Pcnders; AMER
son followed on July lst. lie got 70 Cash-
town. when the battle was raging zen
miles of al Gettysburg. lie halted ne
saws. one hour for orders. lie ola not ar
rive on the field before The close OF the
fght that day. LonCstreet orders on
the 3Oth at ChambersDurg 10 ms DIVISION
commanders were 20 move seven miles
east 10 Greenwood. lie left Picketts d.
vision there. on July 1st az 10 y. NJ.
when Hill and Heth were getting knocked
all 10 pieces at Gettysburg. his orders
were 60 move across the mountain
and "to camp on the other side OF the
mountain near 10 the leading division.
Johns0n's division Of Ewell's corps was
then passing by from Carlisle. This
shows that Johnson was expected 10 go
into camp about /Cashtown. Ike Ander-
son. be got 10 Gettysburg that evening
too late 20 take part in the neht. Similar
ordeIs were given 10 Longstrcets CHIEF
Of artillery. Greenwood is about nine
miles from Cashtown.
THE VERBAL ORDER.
At 10 a. NJ. July LIST. no orders had been
issued TO 20 to Gettysburg. General
Lees dispatch to Ewell Of the 18th is
indefinite as 10 his intended point OF con-
contration. 40 doubt it was so designed
and that q staff officer was sent with
verbal instructions. He was IN an enc
my's country. and 70 might he intercept
.ItI a. -. q .fa.Ha -
fore 20 the extent OF directing Ewel 10
move south on the pike east Of the noun
tain TO Heidlersbure. so as % join Early
who would he marching west; discretion
was given to move from there either 10
Gettysburg. or Cashtown. A commander
in chief must select the points on which
his columns are directed: otherwise there
can be no unity Of action.
His subordnates may be given discra-
ton as 10 the route they may march 10
get there. on the night Of June Goth.
Ewell with Rodes and Early. camped ten
miles north Of Gettysburg and expected
90 move 10 CashtOwn. the next Morn
ing. as they say. They did start that
way but Ewell got a note from Hin say
ing Le was moving to Gettysburg. No
doubt Ewell thought the army was going
there. so he turned the head Of his coll
umn IN that direction. General Lee only
intended giving him discretion as 10 Co-
ing 10 Cashtown. via Gettysburg. Ie
would have q pike an the way and The
distance not much further than by the
direct road from IeidelarSburg. If Get
tysburg had been his objective point nc
would never have sent J0hnson's division
with the trains on the long circuit west
Of the mountain. General Pendleton s
report shows that General Lee was not
expecting n battle soon when he laft
Greenwood lie rode with General Lee
and saws that as they were ascending
the western slope Of South Mountain
firing was heard. cts significance.
however. was not then fully understood.
j. might be only a passing skirmish. II
MIGHT be more serious. After brief pause
near Cashtown. 10 sec how 1t would
prove. the commanding general finding
The cannonade 10 continue and increase.
moved rapidly forward" General Lee
before leaving Greenwood had written
Imhoden that his headquarters would be
at Caehtown for the present. lie stop
ned there n few minutes and left AZ iull
speed. General Lees report says. "Ihe
advance Of The enemy 20 the latter place
(Gettvsburg) was unknown and me
weather being Indictment. tho march was
conducted with a view 10 the comfort OF
the troops. - II had not been intended
10 deliver u general battle so far from
our base unless attacked. but coming I'M
expectedly upon the whole Federal army
20 withdraw through the mountains WIN
our extensive trains would have been dit-
ncult and dau0erOus This Is his apo
opv FOR fighting at Gettysburg. IL is
not denied that on the 2Sth il was known
that Hooker's army was at Frederick.
There baing uninterrupted communication
with the Potomac west of the mountains
wac proof that Hooker was east or w.
Tie could not he expected 10 stand sun
Cattvsbure being not much over days
march north Of Frederick Il ought 10
have been a surprise not 70 ma the
Union army about there by the 3Oth Irat
dav BufOrd's cavalry ran against tieth ;
outnosts n few miles south OF Cashtown
later I'm the day he met Pettigrew's bril-
Pade that Heth had sent TO Gettysoufs
to search FOR shoes.
PRECIPITATED A BATTLE.
Pcttigrew went back and reported It 10
ueth. His men wore out a lot Of shoe
leather. but got no shoes. That night
Fvell was 10 ten miles Of Gettysburg with
600 cavalry that came In collision with
Bufords Hill and Ewell that night were
in communication with General Lee. Gen
eral Lees latest biographer Pro-
fessor White-admts the truth Of the
charge l made some years ago in Bel
ford Magazine. that Hill and Han, by
gong 10 Gettysburg without orders 10
make what they called reconnaissance
but which their own reports show was
not intended as a reconnaissance, but as
an adventure preciptated battle that
was never intended by General Lee
should be fought. II the biographer is