The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-01-20
WAR STORIES.
Rosser Defends Longstreet.

amongst his fleeing soldiers, begging
them to rally and reform on Seminary
Ridge, telling them that it was his
fault that they had failed and not
their own. No criticism was made of
Longstrect at that time. Longstrect
was retained in the must important
corps of Lees army and served bon.
orably and faithfully under Lee to tie
end. AT Appomattox, Longstr" It,
with Lee and the Army of Northern
Virginia, at the close of most glor-
ious achievement, honestly snrren-
dered. The Southern Confederacy
was eliminated from the map of the
world, its flag was forever furled, and
all soldiers who surrendered there had
either to return to the union and be-
come loyal to the flag of their country,
or remain hypocrits and traitors,
which they could not do if they had
honestly surrendered and accepted
the terms that Grant had given them.
"Longstreet came out of the war
with record for courage, devotion to
tho cause he had cspoused, and loyal
ty to the stars and cross second to
none. Disabled by wounds, his right
arm hanging lifeless and helpless at
his side, his profession, that of SOL
, dier, gone, he turned his attention to
civil pursuits and was struggling for a
living when his old friend Grant, then
president Of the United States. offered
him service in the Government. Lee
was dead. Southern politicians had
expected Longstrcct to keep the fires
OF Southern antipathy to the North
alive, and az they were seeking to in
flame the passions of the people as q
basis upon which to unite The South
and to fuse with the copperhead party
in the North, as means for repossess-
ing themselves of q government they
had lost by the results of the war, this
movement Of Longstreet in accepting
the offer Of Grant tended to break
their influence with the old soldiers OF
the South. To counteract that, they
brought up the charge of dsloyalty
and disobedience to Lee at Gettys-
burg, never having thought of it be-
fore, and never, in fact, having a
foundation for it. This, in measure,
served their purpose, because the old
soldiers and their sons in the South
are always ready to resent anything
said or done unfavorable to Lee. Now,
| am mortified to see that even the la
dies have taken this matter up, and
the Daus shters Of the Confedcracy at
Savannah refused to lay wreath of
laurels on the tomb of the great hero.
Il was surprised that Fitzhugh
Lee should have charged Longstreet
with disobcdience, for don't believe
that Gen. Lee ever made such n charge
himself. After the war J. went to
Lexington and studied law and saw
Leo every day and every night. Our
comrades and enemies were often dis
cussed, but l never heard Gen. Lee
speak of Longstreet except il the
most affectionate manner. Col. Ven
able was professor of mathematics
when | moved back to Charlottesville
eighteen years ago, and my relations
with him up to his death were close
and intimate. never heard him
suggest the idea that Longstrcct dis
obeycd orders or failed to do his duty
at Gettysburg or anywhere else. Cen
Lee relieved Gen. Ewell, one of his
corps commanders at Gettysburg,
from duty with his army. He oriti-
cised A. =. Hill severely for his fail
urc and mismanagement at Bristow
station, but no man ever heard him
say one word against Longstreet.
"Now that Longstreet is laid away
to rest, all old and true soldiers Of
the Southern Confederacy will kneel
around his tomb and pray that they
may stand at the great reville with
Lee, jackson and Longstrect.
WV. P.