Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-07-09
Longstreet at Gettysburg.

It is a matter of history that Gen.
Lee and Gen. Longstreet rode to-
gether on the morning of July End
to reconnoiter Gen. Meade's right
wing. 1t is stated that Gen. Long
street asked Gen. Lee to let him make
a flank attack on Meade's left, that
he thought it could be done with less
sacrifice to life and limb. Gen. Long
street says this was the first time that
he had ever noticed Gen. Lee to man.
ifest spirit of anger, and turned to
him and said, "No. I'll make the at
tack in Meade's front and whip him
on his own ground" After the bat
tie Gen. Lee admitted that if he had
listened to Longstreet's advice things
would have been different at Gettys-
burg.
Now, will give, as near as can,
about the time that Gen. Longstreet
made the charge through the wheat
field and to the peach orchard up to
the foot of Big Round Top. 1t was af-
ter the cannon duel. suppose this
was the greatest cannonading that
was ever known in ancient or modern
times. About 200 cannon from each
side belched forth fire and lead which
made the everlasting hills quiver and
rock for two hours. I suppose it was
about two o'clock when Gen. Long
street ordered the charge. History
gives the number of men in this
charge from seventeen to twenty
thousand. From then until night it
was war to the knife. That night af-
ter the battle we slept on the battle
field. This was just as gallant a
charge as Pickett's on the 3rd day
on Little Round Top.
In time the South will learn to ap-
preciate the worth of one of her
greatest military leaders. Thus far
she has done herself an injustice in
not allowing full credit for the SER
vices rendered to her cause by Gen.
James Gongstreet. In time to come,
the name of Gen. Longstreet will be
honored by America as Washington,
Lincoln, Lee and Grant. Why should
we, of the South, the land of his
birth, forget him, for whose defense
he gave his services so freely and i'm
periled his life?
He was born in Edgefeld, South
Carolina, but in little town of
Georgia upon the high grounds,
stands an old building that once shell
tered the head of the soldier whom
Lee honored with his friendship and
called his "war-horse." Here Gen.
Longstreet lived after his battles
were fought and the cause went down
to it's grave at Appomattox, wrapped
in its bloody mantle. Here he en-
tertained many distinguished veter-
ans of the war of the $685." Here
too, at one time visited the man who
holds the reins of this government
Woodrow Wilson. And under the roof
of the then home of Gen. Longstreet,
so I have been told, was born the
first daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Wood
row Wilson.
Gen. Longstreet was one of the
greatest fighters and could do as
much real bulldog fighting with his
corps as any other commanding gen.
eral in the army. All honor to Gen.
Longstreet. His men almost worship
ped him. Whenever he gave an order
or command to go forward, his men
responded "Ready."
Gen. Longstreet's command was in
Tennessee from September 18th to
April 27, 1864, without winter quar-
tiers, fighting most of the time. When
the campaign opened up in Virginia,
Gen. Lee called for his "war-horse"
to come back as hurriedly as posi-
BILE. We were tiaen camped at Green
vile, Tennessee. We at once began
to march to Bristol, Tennessee, dis
tance of one hundred miles. There we
boarded box cars and were hurried
on. We landed at Charlottesville, Vir-
ginia. and marched from there to
Gordonsville. On the night of the 5th
of May, our command was in sixteen
miles of the battle field of the will
derness, the battle of the wilderness
had been fought. We halted for the
night and everybody was soon fast
asleep, but at one o'clock the long
roll began to beat and the command