Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-05


then rode away through tire town Of Get
tysburg TO consult with EWcll about the
cooperation OF the left wing with the
right wing. which he had just ordered
forward 10 the attack. At DwslTs head
quarters Lee waited 20 hear Longstreet's
guns. About noon ne rode from beyond
Gettysburg TO Seminary Ridge 90 seek
.1,ngstreet. only to find that the latter
mad assumed authority 10 await the ar
rival OF laws Brigade. This brigade
rame Mp about half-past y or l O'Clock.
Three hours were then consumed In find
ing a covered route TO the Pesch Orchard.
where Longstreet's guns opened the bait
tie an about =. VI.
The above arc the actual facts. on the
other hand. however, General Early's un-
tenable theory. set forth twenty years
ago. has become the basis Of a modern
myth. Early's narrative with reference
10 that which he heard and saw on the
evening of July lst Is, OF course. accu-
rate beyond all question. But wnen Early
took the fragment Of Hoods letter and
fastened an erroneous Interpretation upon
II. due 10 his own lack OF information. he
laid the foundation OF the myth which
many recent writers have asked us TO
accept. General Longstreet himself seems
to have adopted the myth. for in his Me-
Nun " NNA0 v 81 IAFHA"A- 80 f1Ff So
sorts that the troops OF McLaws and
Hood reached Lees headquarters at sun
rise on the morning of July 2d page 800.
Newspaper and magazine articles nave
invited US to consider a supposed drama
tic spectacle, alleged 10 have taken place
on the morning Of July %. The time con-
templated by those who have developed
this view IS the hour between dawn and
sunrise; the place, Seminary Ridge. with
UffH a. Frr1 rrflrH Tho FnNfhfnHI
spectators. the troops Of Nri""s ana
Hood. stained with the mud OF an alleged
night march. The chief actors, Lee and
Longstreet. Lees alleged opinion is that
the troops ought to deliver battle at once;
Longstreet demonstrates against the at
tack. and his argumentatiye opposition
We are told. leads to delay and conse-
auent disaster. So runs this erroneous
theory.
Reference must here be made 10
one writer. who published his views be-
fore Hoods letter became a part OF the
discussion. The Comte de Paris, as long
ago as 1915. gathered into his bulky vol
mes an obtainable facts bearing upon
The most minute movements of the Fed
eral and Confederate troops I'm this en-
tire campaign and battle. Some or ms
are wide Of the truth, but
1ron the point here under discussion he
bore this testimony: 'L1ngstreet yirtu-
allv disobeved General Lees wishes IN not
bringing his corps to Seminary Ridge untl
$ o'clock on the morning OF july 2d'
THE whole myth vanishes in the light
of the made by McLaWs, ker-
and the rest. The alleged specia-
Gle of Lees vacillation did not take place.
The supposed spectators, the troops, were
present. In fact, they were just
breaking camp beyond Willoughby Kun
after the hour OF sunrise. The discussion
between lie and LOngstreet was only q
brief exchange OF views, and II took place
while those rihemen were stll at q dis
lee ala not v|acillate. He did not
Weld his Judgment TO Longstreet. The
fault vas not a"IgumentdtlVe OPP
position. but practical disobedience OF
orders. There were two separate acts 81
disohadience. Neither of these was
committed in Lees presence. Both were
perpetrated Whcn Lee and LOnsstreet
we're fan apart. LOngstroct cOunteimdhu-
"a the order for the early march before
he reached Lees headquarters; latcr III
The dav ~ babe his divisions pause ana
wait FOR Laws Brigade, after Lees d.
to another post upon the held. IN
both cases Ioucstrcct could advance the
excuse that he was only eAer-
Using IN, discretion usually accorded 10
d corps commander in the absence OF the
gencral-iu-chicf His use OF that alleged
discretion. together with me improYldent
az the same p~rcrogttive on the part
,. Smart. 4. L.. Hin. and LWell, COM
tocDtlo- 20 iuScribe GettYsburs lh
annals 81 the Southern COnfederacy
s. il lost field.