Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-01-13
GENERAL LONGSTREET
His Part in Gettysburg Battle
Reviewed

Reviewed
The death of General James
Longstreet revives the story, often
charged, of his responsibility for
the defeat of the Confederate
Army at Gettysburg, due to his
delay in carrying out the instruc-
tions of General Lee. The Rich.
nond Times-Dispatch has the
following TO say about the mat
ter:
Mrs. Longstreet has given out
for publication a statement to the
effect that, when the General was
stricken with his last illness, she
was engaged IN completing a reply
to The recent criticism of General
John B. Gordon, on her husbands
conduct at the battle of Gettys-
burg.
We suppose Mrs. Longstreet's
article will be published in due
time, and that it will be taken as
the last utterance Of her husband
on the subject Of Gettysburg; for,
while the composition is hers, We
suppose that the views presented
are in the main his.
Mrs. Longstreet is represented
as saying that General Long
streets operations at Gettysburg
were "above suspicion Of reproach,
until he came under the political
ban Of the South"
Inasmuch as Mrs. Longstreet
has referred to this question at
this time, it may not be amiss to
quote what General Gordon did
say. Gordon in his memoirs
conceded that Longstreet was I'M
doubtedly among the great Ameri-
can soldiers who have attained
distinction in our Civil War, and
he added, "but it is now certain
that impartial military critics
after thorough investigation, will
consider the following as estab-
lished:
81. That General Lee ordered
Longstreet to attack earl y 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 Long
street delayed the attack until 4
O'Clock in the afternoon, and thus
lost his opportunity Of occupying
Little Round Top, the key to the
position, which he might have done
in the morning without firing a
shot or losing mn.
"2. That General Lee ordered
Longstreet to attack at daybreak
on the morning of the third day,
and that he did not attack until
2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the
artillery opening at once.
ing to the testimony Of Colonel
Water H. Taylor, Colone! c. S.
Venable and General A. l.. Long,
who were present wien the order
was given, ordered Longstreet to
make the attack on the last day,
with the three division of his
corps, and two divisions of A. p.
Hills corps, and that instead of
doing 50 he sent fourteen thousand
men to assail Meade's army, in
his strong position and heavily
entrenched.
~. 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 General Lee
died believing (the testimony on
this point is overwhelmingly that
he lost Gettysburg at last by Long
streets disobedience Of orders.
at has remained" says Mrs.
Lvngstreet, "for Major General
John b. Gordon, once of the
Army of Northern Virginia, to
revive this controversy, etc.
1t will be seen that she refers to
General Gordon not az lieutenant
general, but as major-general.
The fact is, we believe, that Gener-
al Gordon, though but a major
general, commanded corps to-
wards the close of hostilities, but
he had been promised a COM
mission az acknowledgement. 1t
may be, Indeed, that the COM
mission actually nad been mailed
him.
In this connection We may say
that il is not fact, as stated in
some newspapers, that the last Of
the commissioned lieutenant-gene-
rails of the Confederate Army died
with General Longstreet. That
is an error. General A.P. Stewart
and General Simon b. Buckner,
both of whom were lieutenant-gen-
erals, are living. So, to, are
Stephen ID. Lee and General
Wheeler, but whether they had
actually received the commission
intended for them before the sur
render, we cannot say.
Boys and Cigarettes