The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-30
TIE DsPATcI RICHMOND SUNDAY JANUARY 3d. 1910


the army had been ordered, as IL says,
To concentrate at Gettysburg. Colonel
Tayior's book says the order was for
the concentration AT CashtoWn. He
contradicts the first report, Which says
Gettysburg. IT Is clear the absence OF
three brigades of cavalry with stuart
had nothing TO do with bringing on
or losing the battle. Ewcl and
EARLY had ut least 1000 cavalry with
them, and General loc had kept two
brigadcs of cavalry With him Nobody
can show that General Lee did, or
omitted to do, anything on account of
Ills Ignorance of the situation OF tho
Northern army. hs General Lee says
that he had not intended to fight a
battle unless attacked, IT made no diff,
ference to him IL the enemy were n,
Gettysburg, If they were not inter.
rupting him. all he had TO do was 10
be ready when they came. Ills whole
army would have been concentrated
al Caahtown, or In supporting dis
lance. that evening II. Hill and Heth
had not gone off on an excursion and
dispersed IT. II IL not credible that
General Lee should have stayed two
days In Maryland, on the Potomac, and
in tho shadow OF South Mountain, with
SS'AN' % amy va VIC 0tiaSi 3iiG anu
III the gaps. with their signal stations
ON the peaks. without discovering thcii,
| presence. Such bucollc simplicity Is
| inconsistent with the character of the
| Confederate commander Every pri-
waite in his army knew where Hooker
was.
General Lee read Report.
| No doubt he left when he was sure
I that Hooker's army was over the river.
| Nor could he have been surprised to
near 1t was at Gettysburg, unless he
| expected Hooker to stand still AT
| Willlamsport lie wrote Mr.. Davis that
| he thought lie could throw Hcokers
army over the river; and yet his re-
| port says that he was surprised when
he heard he had done 1t. For this
reason expressed the opinion that
he must have signed without reading
the report. Colonel Taylor says lie
read 1t. l am sorry TO hear it,
IT is strange that tho biographcr
ana staff officers who have charged the
Gettysburg disaster to General Lees
ignorance Of tho encmy's movements
| have ignored tho letter from General
Lee AT clambcrsburg TO Ewell at
| Carlisle, dated 1870 a. NJ, June 90, 1858.
| which refutes all they say, and proves
| that General Lee knew perfectly we'll
where Hooker waH. This letter Is pub
lished in my book on page III.
General Lees report says: 1t was
expected that as soon az the Federal
army should cross the Potomac Gem
eral Stuart would give notice OF its
movements. and nothing having been
heard from him since our entrance
into Maryland. 1t was Inferred that the
enemy had not yet left Virginia.
Orders were therefore issued to move
on TO Harrisburg. -. The advance
against Harrisburg was arrested by
intelligence received from scout
[spy1 on the night of the ssth to the
effect that the army of General
Hooker had crossed the Potomac and
was approaching the South Mountain"
If General Lee had thought that
Hooker was still in Virginia he
would have marched directly to wash
ington and Baltimore. At least he
ought to have done it.
All Knew Hookcr's Movements.
I have proved in my hook that the
spy was onlv a ghost that somebody
saw. and that no order was issued to
move on to Harrisburg Ewell was
then over thirty miles north at Carr
Isle: he had been week In Pennsyl-
vauia and had detached Early's d.
vision to go east TO the Susquehanna,
Jenkinss Cavalry was about Harris
burg; General Lee. with Hill and
Longstreet,t had crossed the Potomac
several days before. Now / say that
any private or teamster would have
told General Lee that Hooker would
not stay in Virginia when he was i'll
Pennsylvania. That was something
that any man of ordinary sense would
have known without being told.
According 10 Colonel Marshall, Gem
eral Lee was thrown almost into a
panic when he heard the news that
Hooker was over the river and was
following him.
AS can't believe IT. said In my
hook, and I repeat. that in my cpin-
ion, when General Lee signed a paper
containing such an absurdity he had
never read it. If he had thought whom
he crossed the Potomac that Hooker's
army was still in Virginia. then In