The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-09

perior military judgment and experience
may be accepted as against my advice of
tered repeatedly In front Of Gettysburg
TO move swiftly by Meades left flank to-
ward Washington. yet bitter defeat and
lost cause prove that General Lee erred in
not listening TO me. The Gettysburg posi-
tion was OF no account 10 us ide from
lts occupants.
Admitted that a battle was inevitable
somewhere thereabOut. why accept IL on
the eucmy's grOundf As a defensive posi-
ton Gettysburg was absolutely terrific In
its aspects Where could the COnfederates,
in any conceivable series OF maneuvers for
position, have stumbled upon more diff
hcult ono TO attack
I'VE had, then. everything 10 gain and
nothing to lose by looking elsewhere, and
without yielding our strategic offensive. IL
was better for the Confederatcs than Get
tysburg. But General Ice, with strange
fatality. insisted upon taking that fatal
chance | proposed looking for an easier
one
ut is folly to assert that we were com.
PEELED 10 light because we We're la such
close contact with the enemy On July .
marched for long distance In plain view
along the front of the Union army to get
into position to attack up the Emmttsburg
road according TO General Lees directions,
without being molested BY Meadcs troops
We, indeed, got upon the extreme LEFT
flank of his entire line. We could have
gone on indefinitely without being attacked
IN fact, Hood, one OF my division command
ors. earnestly prayed for permission to go
farther to the right but was held to the
original order OF attack. To us on the cx-
tremc right of the Confederate line Il ap-
peared an easy military problem to turn
Meade out of the GETTYSBURG position.
UNION EVIDENCE.
Take the Union evidence on this head.
Upon hearing of the first days battle. and
that Reynolds had been killed Meade hur.
ried Hancock up to the front 20 look over
the field and make dispositions. After an
hours survey Hancock wrote 60 Meade:
We have now taken up 4 position In the
cemetery. and can not well be taken ii Is
position. however easily turned.
Now then. there were my reasons for
proposing a flank march very terselY stated
by an able Union officer who saw the
ground amid the smoke Of the guns. AC-
cording 10 Hancock, II was q position which
could not be carried by assault. but In was
one easily turned. About mile away,
the same thing IN General Lee at a most
precisely the same hourl VIII Colonel Nc
Clure turn down the testimony o. his
brother PENNSYLVANIA, General HancOckf
Again, some time on the LIST OF July
! General Haileck telegraphed o Meade
/ Your tactical arrangements for battle seen
good, hut In a strategic view are you not
too far east. and may not Lee .empt q
I turn your left and cut you on from Fred
erlck? This shows that / WAS 10 good
company in proposing movement hl
Meades left He was, indeed too far q
the east and invited exactly the movement
! proposed 70 General Lee.
"But there Is even higher authority. or
July Q az 3 % M before ! delivered th'
attack up the Emmittsburg road Geuen
Made sent dlspareh to Haiieck. Of which
I the following s. an extract
+" IT not attacked. and | can get any pos
l five information ~ the position NJ the
enemy which viii Justify me ia 50 doing
/ ] shall attack. n end ~ hazardous Z,
I do Sd. or am satisfied the enemy Is endeav
I oring ~ move 20 my rear and intprposi
/ between me snd Washington. J SHAH fal
/ hack 20 my supplies at Westminster
"I1ov will Colonel Mcclure eNuiain this