The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-15
What the Purpose
of the Virginia
General Was.

from the very beginning Of the campaign |
to its close. A raid by General Harry
Heth after shoes brought on an engage
ment with Buford's cavalry that was
nothing but an Insignificant skirnish. and
yet that skirmish developed into the most
terrible battle OF the war. General Lee
was thus denied the privilege Of COMPEL
ing the enemy to fight him On field Of
his own selection, where he had hoped
TO fnfict upon him a crushing defeat
About one wear after the war, in com
pany with Colonel Harry Gilmore and
Major Byrd washington the author paid
a visit to Capon Springs, in West Vir-
ginia. There we met General EweH, who,
with Mrs. Ewell was spending the sum
mer One evening, while we were all
sitting in front OF the hotel in CONVEX
sation, the Gettysburg campaign was
mentioned. and the General expressed
himself freely regarding it. His COM
ments made a great impression upon me,
and even after such lapse of time can
repeat almost his every word.
'Of the reasons for the invasion Of
Pennsylvania I have little to say said
the General. "They may never be per-
fectly understood, but it was hoped 70
relieve Vicksburg, and that was. perhaps,
the weightier reason for it. But 1 think
there were still others. You know that
General Lee was in command Of the
finest army that the South had yet as
sembled-an army of seasoned veterans,
flushed with the many victories Of the
previous year. and of Charlottesville
that spring. The Federal army was be-
Iesed to be greatly demoralized, and for
very good reasons. 1t had had many
commanders, all equally unfortunate, and
| the officers and men could not have had
confidence in Hooker after his very re-
cent disaster On the other hand. the
Confederate soldiers had the most I'M
bounded confidence in General Lee.
"Of course, General Lee did not IN
! derrate his adversary; possibly he over
rated the ability Of his own army. It
was. indeed, a splendid body of men.
and 1 believe on ground of their own
| selection would have been invincible. OF
/ course, General Lee expected to give
battle on a field of his own choice but a
/ combination Of unforeseen circumstances
! willed it otherwise. 1t was hoped to adj
minister a crushing defeat 10 the Fed
! eral army, and in that event General
Lee would have had it in his power to go
wherever he pleased. No, l do not think
! Philadelphia would have been in any
danger; I believe we would have marched
! to Baltimore and thence to Washing
| ton, and had we reached the Federal
| capital, a settlement OF the differences
| between the two sections would probably
have been reached speedily.
MANY things consDired against the
| success of the campaign. In the first
place. the cavalry engagement at Brandy
Station was unfortunate as it gave
Hooker warning of what was to follow,
and thus prevented General Lee from
getting a better start. And then came a
still greater MISUNDERSTANDING raid to
Rockville. which cut him off from the
army. and left it without its eyes.
Eyes, 1 know l have been blamed by
many for not having pressed my advan-
tage tho first day at Gettysburg. But
then, I cannot see why 1 should. be cen
sured General Lee came upon thj
ground before 1 could have possibly
done anything, and after surveying tht
enemy's position, he did not deem it ad
visable to attack until reinforced. HaC
I taken Johnson's fine division with mi
there would have been no second day a
Gettysburg; but it reached me too late
There did not seem to be that con
| cert of action among some general off
GERS that was necessary a. critical per
iods, and I fear there was some fric
ton where it should not have been.
Eyes. Longstreet was slow-unaccount
ably slow Had ne attacked in the earl!
morning. as he was expected 20 DO, the
enemy would have been driven from III!
strong position. Little Round Top. th'
key to the position, was not occupied IN
til late in the day. But an hour or wv
earlier would have been sufficient time
for Notwithstanding the late hour a
which he put his troops In motion, h
very nearly succeeded"
2 Every failure carries d guide-hook to su,
cess in its inside pocket.-Ram's Horn.