Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 02.djvu/232

222 What, then, must be thought of the worth of General Sherman's testimony, or of the animus which inspired it, when he describes this work as written "in a spirit of fairness and candor and with a desire to do justice to the complicated nature of our war."

As to the author himself of this libel upon an heroic and unfortunate people, blind prejudice and profound ignorance furnish the only explanation, and the best, though still but a wretched excuse for his offence. . Essex county. Va. 



1em Colonel—I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Third Army Corps during and subsequent to the battle of Gettysburg:

On the morning of the 29th of June the Third Corps, composed of the divisions of Major-Generals Anderson, Heth and Pender, and five battalions of artillery, under command of Colonel R. L. Walker, was encamped on the road from Chambersburg to Gettysburg, near the village of Fayetteville. I was directed to move on this road in the direction of York, and to cross the Susquehanna, menacing the communications of Harrisburg with Philadelphia, and to co-operate with General Ewell, acting as circumstances might require. Accordingly, on the 29th I moved General Heth's division to Cashtown, some eight miles from Gettysburg, following on the morning of the 30th with the division of General Pender, and directing General Anderson to move in same direction on the morning of the 1st of July. On arriving at Cashtown, General Heth, who had sent forward Pettigrew's brigade to Gettysburg, reported that Pettigrew had encountered the enemy at Gettysburg, principally cavalry, but in what force he could not determine. A courier was then dispatched with this information to the General Commanding, and to start Anderson early; also to General Ewell, informing him, and that I intended to advance the next morning