Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/76

68 driven back with a loss of 5,000 prisoners. He then directed me to go into camp at the water course, then some miles distant, which I reached a little after twelve at night, and camped or rather rested. Some time after my arrival I received orders from General Longstreet to continue the march at four A. M., but the order was afterwards countermanded, with directions not to leave until sunrise. The march was continued at a very early hour, and my command reached the hill overlooking Gettysburg early in the morning. Just after I arrived General Lee sent for me—as the head of my column was halted within a hundred yards of where he was—and I went at once and reported. General Lee was sitting on a fallen tree with a map beside him. After the usual salutation, General Lee remarked: "General, I wish you to place your division across this road," pointing on the map to about the place I afterwards went to and directing my attention to about the place across the country from where we were, the position being a commanding one; "and I wish you to get there if possible without being seen by the enemy." The place he pointed out was about the one I afterwards went to, and the line he marked out on the map for me to occupy was one perpendicular to the Emmettsburg road. He finally remarked: "Can you get there?" or "can you do it?" I replied that I knew of nothing to prevent me, but would take a party of skirmishers and go in advance and reconnoitre." [sic] He said "Major Johnston, of my staff, has been ordered to reconnoitre the ground, and I expect he is about ready." I then remarked, "I will go with him." Just then General Longstreet, who, when I came up, was walking back and forth some little distance from General Lee, and hearing my proposition or request to reconnoitre, spoke quickly and said: "No, sir, I do not wish you to leave your division," and then, pointing to the map, said: "I wish your division placed so," running his finger in a direction perpendicular to that pointed out by General Lee. General Lee replied: "No, General, I wish it placed just perpendicular to that," or "just the opposite." I then reiterated my request to go with Major Johnston, but General Longstreet again forbade it. General Lee said nothing more, and I left them, and, joining my command, put it under cover under a line of woods a short distance off. General Longstreet appeared as if he was irritated and annoyed, but the cause I did not ask. When I rejoined my command I sent my engineer officer, Lieutenant Montcure, to go and join Major Johnston, and gave him instructions what to observe particularly, as he was an officer in whom I had