The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-16
CentraI's Earnings.
BOOK NOTICES.

"Reminiscences of the Civil War"
by Gen. John B. Gordon. Charles
Scribner's Sons, 153-157 Fifth avenue
New York, publishers. Cloth, SO, net.
Of course, this book was not intended
by Gen. Gordon to be a history of the
Civil War. He says that himself, but
it is a very interesting book, and will
be read with pleasure and profit by
thousands, both North and South. 1t
is an entertaining mixture of history,
anecdote and appeals to patriotic fer
vor. What makes it all the more in
tertaining is the fact that much of it
is Gen. Gordon's personal experiences.
1t is admitted that Gen. Gordon is
the most prominent and the most pop
ular of living Confederate officers. He
played a very conspicuous part in the
Civil War, and perhaps if he had been
promoted earlier his military career
might have been even more brilliant
than it was.
During the Civil War he displayed
those qualities which have since that
struggle endeared him to the people of
the whole country. He was absolutely
fair i'll his judgments and fearless in
acting upon his convictions. In his
book he has no hesitation in asserting
that he has no regrets for the course
he pursued in taking sides against the
government because he believed he was
right In doing so. Still, he rejoices
that the side on which he fought was
not successful.
Much of the material that he has
used in his lectures appears in the
volume, and as it had to be put in
the very best shape for use on the
lecture platform, there is nothing that
is tiresome about it in print. In other
words, for lecture purposes he had
worked it over so thoroughly that it
was in the best possible shape for his
book.
He has much to say about the bat
tie of Gettysburg, and offers some crit
icisms. For instance, he thinks Gen.
Longstreet was responsible for the fail
ure of the Confederate to win a pro-
nounced success there. He says:
First. That Gen. Lee distinctly or
dered Longstreet to attack early the
morning of the second day. and if he
had done so two of the largest corps
of Meade's army would not have been
in the fight; but Longstreet delayed
the attack until o'clock in the after
noon, and then lost his opportunity of
occupying Little Round Top the key
to the position which he might have
done in the morning without firing
gun or losing man.
Second. That Gen. Lee ordered
Longstreet to attack at daybreak on
the morning of the third day, and that
be did not attack until or o'clock
in the afternoon, the artillery opening
at l.
Third. That Gen. Lee, according to
the testimony of Col. Walter Taylor
Col. c. S. Taylor and Gen. A. L. Long
who were present when the order was
given, ordered Longstreet to make the
attack on the last day when the three
txyis IF hic nd divisions
of A. p. Hills corps, and that instead
of doing so he sent $4,000 men to as
sail Meade's army in his strong posi-
ton and heavily intrenched.
Fourth. That the great mistake of
the halt on the first day would have
been repaired on the second, and even
on the third day, If Lees orders had
been vigorously executed, and that Gen.
Lee died believing (the testimony on
this point is overwhelming that he
lost Gettysburg at last by Longstreet's
disobedience of orders"
He had a very high opinion of Gen.
Jackson, and pays him deserved trib-
ute. Speaking of him in connection
with the battles of Gettysburg and the
Wilderness, he says:
Calmly reviewing the indisputable
facts which made the situation at Get
tysburg and in the Wilderness strik-
ingIy similar, and considering them
from n purely military and worldly
standpoint / should utter my pro-
foundest conviction were l to say: Had
Jackson been there the Confederacy
had not died. Had he been at Gettys-
burg when a part of that Second Crops
which his genius had made famous had
already broken through the protecting
forces and was squarely on the Union
right, which was melting away like a
sand bank struck by a mountain tor
rent; when the whole Union battle line
that was I'm view was breaking to the
rear: when those thanking Confederates
in their unrestricted rush, we're EN-
barrassed only by the number of pris-
oners-had Jackson been there then, in
stead of commanding q halt, his only