The sun., 1912-07-01

HE tHIcdts. 80 - w.
NEW YORK, June 30.
THE GETTYSBCRG CAMPAIGN
Its High Political. Financial and Militar!
Importance.
To THE EDITOR OF The SUN Sir re-
cent article in The SrN on the charge o
rickett's brigade at Gettysburg seems tt
have stirred up controversies North and
South. General Pickett grew 40 tired OF
the subject in the last years Of his life tha
he avoided il. or when asked point blanh
| questions concerning IL made il clear ina
he considered the movement nothing more
than what had been done many times he
| fore during the war by brigade commander RI
on both sides.
| Pickett. like all the professional soldiers
! in that campaign. regarded the three days
at Gettysburg as one great demonstration
OF military science for the accomplishment
| of great purpose by the United States and
| the Confederate commanders in chief OF
the armed forces. II was a critical period
of the war The securities prof1ered by
both Governments were finding sluggish
| markets. Enlistments in the North were
| few. as the development OF railroad build
| ing and agriculture and manufacturing IN
parts of the West were attracting capital
and labor in enlarging volume. In the
| Confederacy there were not enough arms.
ammunition and equipment to prov ide for
| q large number of men ratab BILE for military
service. Confederate bonds. which but
| q short time before the Gettysburg cam
| paign sold on parity in Great Britain and
France with United States securities. were
sassing in all markets. and the holders
were working every practicable scheme in
the stock markets to give an uplift to the
Confederate securities which would make
a foundation for carefully planned move
ment to emit a large issue of Confederate
securities based upon a large amount of
cotton to he warehoused. graded and clsssi-
fed in Europe
At that time 900 persons in Europe
who we're directly or indirectly dependent
on the cotton interest were pushed close to
the wall. Cotton cultivation in the West
Indies. Egypt and East India. embarked in
with great enthusiasm by European capital
ists. had not turned out profitably. As 10
most Of the cotton from these sources the
sta pie was SO short that the machinery had
to be run at low velocity and the product
was poor. Many kinds OF cotton fabrics OF
high grade that prior TO the war hrd been
made from our Sea Island and upland cotton
were long out OF the market. as only a very
small quantity of stock was a,ailt bic from
tHS DIochaue ThnueTh. OuT army ana navy
had kicked old King Cotton from his throne
and thereby reduced the statistical position
Of the Confederacy 30 per cent in the world s
commercial markets. Day by day the orig
inal bounds Of the Copfederacy were mar
rowcd. and the enormous cash expenditures
OF the United States armed forces within
the South made many ardent converts from
the cause of the Confeteracy to the gIori-
hcation Of money making by southern pur-
veyors OF supplies for our army and navy.
Under such conditions the syndcates OF
bankers and diplomltists Of several Euro
pean countries urged President Davis to
order IA campaign aimed to strike hard
within tho North. Napoleon III. = scheme
for the movement into Mexico was fully
planned. A powerful body OF pubicis,s.
bankers ana business men OF Great Britain
was urging the recognition Of the COnfeder-
scy. ard they looked with favor on the plan
for the movement Of Gene raj Ice to strike
hard blow at Washington. Phladelphia
or New York. II has never appeared that
Napoleon or his intimates or the highly
active friends Of President Davis in the
public life of Great Britain held the opinion
that Lees march into the North would be
highly successful. Those men merely au-
vocated such a chance as is AIKEN by a des-
rerate gambler after a long run of bad luck
Considering the many obstacles against him
General Lee effected nsrvels. He brought
his, forces within eigh, miles OF the cap
lial of the second state in the Union Ls 10
population end wea lth IL is probable
that II an Atlantic cable had been at work
a. tina, tine m ~, under edroit manipnla,ion OF
ond days fghting st Gettysburg by .Confed-
crate agents IN Enrope. the Confcderacy
and then by Great Britain. IA il was, the
Royal Mail packet was held over here so as
to take TO Europe matter highly coiored to
pesn holders OF Confederate securities,
In the ight OF military science 1t is de-
monstrable that Gettysburg was one of
and was nagnifcently planned and fought
on both sides. The chickering's that arose
after the CAMPAIGN among distinguished
after all important actions at arms, and in |
I he final analysis are not OF great impor-
ance IN the scale that turned victory to
burg campaign IL bound TO note that on !
both sides the planners OF the engasements
Ners profound students OF Napoleon the |
lietiysbnrg than 1912 is TO 1868. Among
some of the veteran officers of ioreign |
armies who observed the campaign AZ
stans were men who as Junior officers had |
!onght at Waterloo. In Picketi's charge |
lhey saw , what Napoleon wished TO effect
heavy cavalry against the allied troops OF |
Mont 81, Jean. The cavalry broke nine |
put ol thirteen squares ana sent thousands |
whirling in defeat to the rear of the allies |
But Napoleon had no infantry to supple-
Vent the charges of the cavalry Lee .ir,
'itF EFT, ,I,meD iEAd Just the kind Qf Hh, erisl
.hch Napoleon lacRsu' ttward tho end OF
he battle Of Waterloo. and Lee used II
nth tremendous effect. Neither Napoleon =
I'D Guard nor Young Guard ever made a
harge as long or under as heavy fire AS
'icketts men are credited with
Looked at in one way, the charge faiied,
rom other stand points II Vas a brilliant
iiccess. mainly because II demonstrated
hat though Lee Nae Obliged TO return South
lis army was still u terrible engine OF de-
truction. capable of delivering many more
hch blows u. 81 rick he Army OF the POtomsc
n that dreadful day that ended the Confeder-
te INVASION ~ pennsylvania. InTHESUN OF
'ettyshurg week something like twenty-five
ears ago is what ia rated by distln-
''ilshed officers of both armies al Gettys-
'lirg as the best description Of tho three
ohm :! Garncu. {. 5. 4. West Point Mill
Vas written al the suggestion of Charles
!, Dana, and deals largely with Pickett =
barge, MIR, Dana. Colonel Garnctt. General
IL Galiiffet Of the French army, who led
even consecutive cavalry charges against ,
he German centre at Sedan, were dining
I Aldershot with Field Marshal General
iarnet Wolseley at the time when these
rticles were suggested General Wolspley
,rOught NJ the subject of gettysburg and
'icksburg MIR. Dana. speaking in French.
considerable number Of French and Ger
nan officers being at table, gave the main
utllneS OF the whole tnpp On of lsa2 nnI ,