The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-10-21

wounded and dead were either wound
Longstreet in his book tells how he
plead with Lee to observe the arrange
ment he made with him before they
left Virginia. Please note this agree
ment and Hunter, the Confederate
writer have previously quoted backs
him.
Lee agreed not to fight an offensive
battle, but to form on ridges where he
had the advantage and let Mead at
tack him. Lee was only good behind
works. Every time he came out and
attacked he got whipped. Longstreet
urged Lee to flank Mead out of his
position, and then Mead would have to
attack him. Why did Longstreet dis
obey Lee the second and third day ??
Longstreet and Hill stood with Lee
and watched our men retreat to Gene
terry Ridge when Lee let slip the great
opportunity. Longstreet saw every
thing the reverse Of what Lee prom,
Used before leaving Virginia. As there
was no hope of success all losses would
be murder, not war. / think Long
streets reason for disobeying Lees or
ders was to see if Lee would not
change his mind, and return to the
plan made previously.
Murder Not War
When Pickett received the order to
advance he went to Longstreet and
handed him the following note, which
has recently come to light, requesting
him to send it to his brown eyed girl
in Virginia if he fell. "Now my darl-
ing go; but always remember that l
love you with all my heart and soul,
with every fiber Of my being; that now
and forever am yours Yours my be-
loved. 1t is almost three o'clock. My
soul reaches out to yours in prayer
He hadn't time to sign his name.
Longstreet took the note, bowed his
head; he was too full to speak. He
knew that charge was not war but
murder, a sublime illustration of pa
triotism but not war.
But our shells cut Pickett's men tc
pieces so fast and killed so many OF
his officers, that by the time his com.
mand was half way to our lines his
men did not know what to do. Pickett
stopped his men and reformed them
so they might know who their officers
were. By the time they received ou1
last volley their fifteen lines had melt
ed away to fifteen squads of men. The
stout hearted Webb saw that the John
MES would hit his brigade hard, HI
moved lively among his men encourag
ing them, STEADY men, steady" lie
the rebel yell be yell in hell" Webb
formed line of slightly wounded mel
in the rear, with orders to shoot an.
who ran back, but none ran back
theirs was an all hazards order, a
was true all along our line, Fight AM
win or die
Somebody Blundered
Fitz Hugh Lee in fling at Long
street wrote, "Over that splendid seen,
of human courage and human sacri
fee, there arrives in the south an ap
partition like Banquos ghost at Mac
Beth's funeral, which says, "The BATH
was lost to the Confederates becaus
someone Numbered" And Longstree
quotes his words right back to him
"Call them Banquo, but their name i
; legion" Wierd spirits keep midnigh
watch about the great boulders, Will
unknown comrades stalk in ghostl,
ranks through the black Businesses o
the Devils Den wailing the lament
Someone Numbered at Gettysburg,
and add the great blunderer was Ger
Robert E. Lee.
Various commands put forth tn
claim to having saved the day at Get
tysburg. / answer them all by quot
, ing statement made to me at the re
cent encampment by Comrade Tarbell
of Bordan's sharpshooters. He wa
standing on Little Round Top severa
years after the war with Gen. Sickle
: and Gen. Longstreet, when Longstree
remarked, Gen Sickles if l had go
, ed or killed by the saber, or crushed b,