The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-10

After Chickamauga, Longstreet was
sent to reduce and secure Knoxville.
This was an important campaign for
a strategic. strong point. The fail
ure to capture that city and it's gar
rision, military critics tell us added
no laurels nor frightened the lustre of
Longstreet's reputation as a general.
In the article in Sundays issue, the
position of Longstreet's corps at Get
tysburg is wrongly placed. The state
ment is there made his corps was on
the left, while it's correct location was
the right of Lees line.
Able critics, discussing Longstreet's
conduct at Gettysburg, blame him for
lack of loyal support of his command
er, and the consensus of opinion is
against "Ole Pete" for his conduct in
the Waterloo of America" That Gen.
Lee assumed the blame of the repulse
of Pickett in telling his troops lit is
all my fault is no exoneration of
Longstreet, but simply the expression
of a noble, magnanimous soul that re-
fused to release itself from response
bility by placing upon his subordinate
the true cause of failure.
There are peculiar lapses in men
tally and genius that Psychologists fail
to satisfactorily explain. In the Seven
Days at Richmond, Jackson went into
bivouac, when his corps should have
been in touch with the Light Division.
His critics fail to understand why this
occurred. Had he followed instructions
and placed himself where Lee had as
signed, A. P Hills fierce loss would
not have occurred. Had Longstreet
obeyed promptly and not demurred to
the instructions of Lee, military ex-
perts must believe there would have
been other results at Gettysburg.
This is written with no intention of
lessening the lustre of Lees old War
Horse" as that general kindly nick
named Longstreet but as an opinion
that is shared by many OF the sur
vivors of Lees wonderful army. Long
streets LOYALTY to Lee and the Con-
federate cause, held fast clear down to
the collapse at Appomattox, and his
great fighting qualities exhibited all
through those compaigns demonstrates
his hearty attachment to his convic-
tions.
His service under Grant, his affllia-
ton with the Republican party, are
personal matters. He certainly had as
much right to accept office under Grant
as did McLaws, for both of whom Grant
entertained q warm attachment and
manifested that anti-bellum friendship.
by giving these old Confederate COM
rades offices by which they were en-
abled to give the government value
received in discharge of these duties
in full for the compensation received
AS proof of Longstreet's loyalty to
our people, and his love of the cause
for which he so nearly gave up his
life in "the Wilderness" there are
many who witnessed the remarkable
meeting of President Davis and "Ole
Pete" at the unwilling ceremony of
the Ben Hill monument in Atlanta,
in 1886. How, before that vast crowd
these two conspicuous actors of
"storm-cradled nation" met and en-
braced. The writer of this article was
a witness to a former meeting OF these
two prominent leaders. At Seven Pines,
after the fall of Johnston, under a
spreading oak tree. / was near Gems.
think Col. Sorrel and perhaps one or
two other staff officers, and in their
company sat President Davis watch
ing the disposition of troops and move
ments of the battle lines, while the
shells of the enemy's batteries were
bursting over and around us. What
ever of hostility that has developed
against Gen. Longstreet, is largely at
tributable to his criticism of Lee at
Gettysburg. charging the Confederate
commander with a desire "for blood
letting" Not a single writer or soldier
on either side comedies with Longstreet
in that conclusion. Conservative of
his men, Lee was never guilty of
reckless loss of life. Devoid OF per-
sonal ambition. intensely loyal to the
South, no officer had a better estimate
OF good troop, therefore, the need of
expanding life only where great re-
suits could be obtained; but, again,
DE moatpis nil sed nisi bonum."
n.