The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-12
Nrom be washinslon post J

Z
onei Stearns. tho government commits
SION for marking the battle lines;
General Longstrcct and C0ionel Lat.
robe. OF his stat. Major ". H. Mills
AIR. g. +. cobb. one of McClellan's
scouts In the Antlctam campaign, and
the subscriber visited the battlefield
of AnticInm General Longstrcct ana
Iolorti latrobc went ZIP with the com
misSioncrs to definitely settle the 20.
sitions Of come OF the generals troops
during the battle OF September II
1862.
Notwithstanding his scvonty-tw.
years. General Longstrcet is clear AMI
vigorous In mind, with a wonderful
memory. Physically he Is not SO well
OF: one arm Is almost totally para
l,scd from the gunshot wound in
i'ctcd by his own men In the Wilder
ncSs. aud among other inirmlties OF
old ago he IL Very deaf. making neces-
gary the use of Speaking tube, IIs
csc Ia c;cur ard his step mcasurab ly
Arm. III" stlll enjoys :, good dinner
ind Is genial raconteur In conversa-
tion
He talked to our party unresorvcdly
on every conceivable phase OF the war.
lie las long been engaged upon hi.
autobiography. the manuscript Of
(which Is now ready FOR the printer
Ills VISIT Nor,h was mainly 10 arrange
for It's publication and for some map
Neork. The book viii be largely de-
voted to events in which lie was an
actor. including Mexican war expert
euccs
Ills opinions and criticisms were So
Important and interesting that l felt
warranted in taking them down ]
subsequently, asked him Il nc had any
objections to their being printed. De
prrcating my high estimate OF their
value, lic said the world was welcome
To his opinions for whatever they were
worth, ana only stipulated for the
right to revise my report
The matter used is Substantially tn
General Lorgstrcets own words. and
ali, with tho exception of the intro
ductory. hes boon revised by his own
land. lIc made Few changes. When
suggested that his somewhat harsh
criticism OF General Early be omitted,
tho old warrior grimly replied. II, VIII
he in my book"
Three shots nt hntictn,n.
In riding Tn and fvo over the ants
c,aln field General Lonsstreets mem
org was refreshed by the scene of tint
great battle When tile spot where
tho InYon general. Isrnel y. NiS!Sa:i.
SON. was mortal!y wounded was
pointed ont to him the Confederate
veteran casually romarked: There
we're for our side three lucky shots
nrcd OF this field. mean the ones
that eliminated Hooker, Mansfield and
Richardson They were the aggrcs-
sive. nght,ng generals on the Federal
side who mcnaced us. After the last
OF the three fell there was rracti'
cally an end or serious offensive OPP
crations for the day on that side"
Il was aware that General Long
street had originally disagreed with
General Leo in tho fall of 1859 as II
thc advisabiiity OF making the harper
Ferry campaign. the preliminary move
;nents OF which he proceeded 10 cN-
nlain and criticize somewhat. This led
naturally to a discussion Of tho merits
or the two commanders IN the oper2-
lions eliminating in the battles OF
South Mountain aud .Nntictam. ono
Of our party put this question:
do you think, general. as has \
alleged. that General Lees low
mate OF the Federal commander H
the reason for his extraordinary d
positions in the Harpcv's Ferry ca',
paiEn?
Lee and Mcclellan.
Perhaps SO. Lees experience VIII
Mcclellan on the peninsula certainly
must have tended to give him CONT
dcncc In any collision with that officer
General Lee as a rule, did not under
estimate his opponents. or tho tight
Ing qualities OF the Federal troops But
after Charlottesville he came TO have
unlimited confidence In his own army,
and undoubtedly exaggerated it's
capacity to overcome obstacles. to
march. 10 fight, to bear NJ under de.
prlvations and exhaustion. 1t was a
dangerous confidence. think every
officer who served under him will I'M
hesitatingly agree with me on this
point
To some further suggestions General
Longstrcet replied: General Lee ha6
q certain respect for General McCicl
Ian, who had been his subordinate ir
tho old engineers. But I Judge thai
this feeling assumed somewhat tic
shape of patronage. like that OF a ratt
or toward a son He never feared any
unexpected displays OF strategy or as.
Ercssivcnoss on the part of Mcclellan
and In dealing with him always sccir-
cd confident that on the Fedcral's part
there would DO no departure from the
rules of war as laid down In the
books"
What estimate do you place upon
General Mcclellan, General Longstrcet?
Was he considered on your side as >
man OF real capaclty?" 7 asked
Planning for Defeat.
AT first we were anxious about him
and the great and well disciplined
army he was gathering. But with his
FIRST operations toward Manassas and
on the peninsula his true character be-
camo manifest. We learned that Nc
Clellan was only dangerous by reason
OF his superior numbers. Like General
Lee, no was greatly learned in the
theory and science of war; lie knew
how TO fight a defensive battle fairly
well. But in offensive tactics he was
ttmid and vacillatng and totally lack
Ing in vigor. In these particulars he
WAS dramatically the opposite of Lee.