Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/84

 76 Southern Historical Society

of them in the way of co-operation, is in striking contrast to the statement of General Longstreet, as set forth by the Telegraph, that " President Davis, Mr. Seddon, and nearly every officer of rank serving under Lee, were opposed to invading the enemy's country, especially after the failure of the Sharpsburg campaign. (?) * * Yet not a voice was raised against this fatal march, except by General Longstreet when he rejoined General Lee after the battle of Chancel- lorsville. The two were alone together and what passed between them is now made known for the first time.'' This is indeed a reve- lation to those of us who were near General Lee, and such bald as- sertions will not be accepted by those who impartially study the subject with a sincere desire to reach the truth. Indeed, in the light of such assertions made so long after the occurrences and without contemporaneous corroborative testimony, I have been forcibly led to the conclusion that in this book it is not always General Longstreet who speaks. Read what he says when discussing the events of the second day at Gettysburg, page 382: "Colonel Taylor says, 'That General Lee urged that the march of my troops should be hastened, and was chafed at their non-appearance.' Not one word did he utter to me of their march until he gave his orders at n o'clock for the move to his right. Orders for the troops to hasten their march of the first were sent without even a suggestion from him, but upon his announcement that he intended to fight the next day, if the enemy was there. That he was excited and off his balance was evident on the afternoon of the first, and he labored under that oppression until enough blood was shed to appease him. ' ' How terribly sanguinary this makes General Lee appear ! Is it really the utterance of Gen- eral Longstreet ? Then he has greatly changed in his sentiment to- wards General Lee since I knew him during the war. What a ground- less, monstrous charge this is ! Think of it, all ye gallant survivors of the Army of Northern Virginia, your old commander depicted to the world as arr insatiate, cruel and blood-thirsty monster ! Such a charge as that can do him no permanent harm and will but recoil with crushing force on him who made or approved it.

Now, as to the movements of General Longstreel on the ist and 2d July, at Gettysburg, to which he refers in the quotation last made from his book, may we not ask what more urgent request he could have expected from General Lee that he should hasten to join him than is embraced in his own statement that "orders for the troops to hasten their march of the ist were sent without even a suggestion from him (General Lee), but upon his announcement that he in-