The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-20

tColoneI r. N. r. Talcott. of General
II. u. Lees staff. has forwarded the iol-
lowing letter written some years ago
by Major General Henry Hcti with the
following note:
AS Colonel Mosby, In his defense OF
General Stuart in the Gettysbu.s cam
paign, states that 1t was NOT tue az
sence of the cavalry, but disooedience |
NJ orders by General Heth. that preci-
nitated the battle of gettysburg. JUS |
lice 10 the memory OF that gallant Vir-
einian seems to demand that We should
hear General lIeth's own account. as
published in the Southern Historical
SOCIETY papers. vol ". pages lab-lbo.
General Heth's statement foliows.--t.di-
tori
INC failure TO crush the Federal army
IN pennsylvania in 1863, in the opinion
OF almost all the officers of the Army
of Northern Virginia, can be eNpress2d
| III iivo words-thc absence OF oar cav
airy.
Train a giant for an encounter ana
| he can be whipped b. pIginy' II YOU
/ pui out his eyes. The eyes 81 az art'lS
| AFRO It's cavalry Before Ewcll crossed
| the Potomac General Lee wrote to
| General Stuart commanding the cav
| airy. in substance as follows F.weli
/ vil, cross the potomac IN a certain
| day at a certain point Hill will follow
! Ewcl. crossing on given cay ~ q
| given point; Long VIII hoia %"
| r,rs in The mountains aud pfotect me
| crossing or these two co-,ls. ;:fi'f Hh'
has crossed ronsstreet W 1 Vacalr J ne
/ paps and follow Hill; on Longstreet
yacatinE the gaps in the mountains
! you viii seize them and protect Long
streets crossing; then follow Long
street. throw yourself on the rish'
flank of the army, watch the enemy
give mo all the information you can
gather of his movements, and coliec'
supplies
stuarts Mistaken Move.
General Stuart, probably thinking he
could carry out General Lees orders
and at the same time make a brilliant
, dash toward and threatening Washing
, ton, work by his right flank, seperat
Ing himself from Longstreet crossing
! 1.-THE Potomac between the enemy an
| Washington city. making swoop to
ward Washington. then turning Yves
3 to Joint the Army of Northern VII
. ginia, when he found the enemy ha
: crossed the Potomac and were betwee
9 him and that army.
n This necessitated his riding entirel
/
: him. whether from necessity or not.
t cannot say.tto Carlisle, Pa. From TIL
3 point he struck South and joined II
II Army Of Northern Virginia. being la
I, in the evening of July 2. 1t Is thu
o evident that so far as deriving any a
1t sistance from his cavalry from ia
IND June to the evening of July 2,
might as we'll have had no existence.
al Lees Anxiety.
Il. Every officer who convcrsed WI
IS General Lee for several days previo
is to the battle OF gettysburg will remer
II hers having heard such expressions
ID these: Can you tell me where &c
in eral Stuart is:" stWhere on earth is T
ia cavalry 2" Have you any news Of t
vs. enen,ys movements" What Is t
" enemy going to do?' "If tho eueI
re- does not find MS, we must try and fl
ed him, in the absence of our cavalry,
IS best we cant" The eyes Of the sia
as were out; he knew not where to strll
A. a movement In any direction mis
OF prove disastrous blunder
e. have stated above that Gene
on Lees purpose In invading Pennsylva'
t. was to break up the enenly's compll
he tions, to draw him from our own .
ss ritory, and to subsist his army on u
of the enemy's. While this was "
his intention was TO stIiNo 'AtS
ry, the very first available emporium
that offered, believeing he could WI
= such an opportunity offered, CRY
him. This determination TO SUI
the enemy was not, from the posi'
he found himself. CONSEQUENT upon
" va sion, but from n leading character
I tic Of tho man. General Lee. not
centinE Jackson, was The most agar
siye man In his army. This can
and win not be contradicted,
1oI satisfied. General Lee, had he S
III, could have assumed defens
posltion, and popular opinion IN
Northern States would have forced
commander Of the Federal army to
tack.
lis Gettysburg nm Accident.
ard And further, to corrohorate the
ler, that General Lee was not compelled
hat attack Meade where Meade chose
in wait for him. I will show, am {
tile ndent, that the "battle of Gettysbl
ord, was tho result purely of an accid
,uld for which am probably, moro
our any one else. accountable. Napo
,as- Is said to have remarked that "a
Lrge fight might determine the result
,ute great battle" Almost as trivial q