Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/63

 Gelti/xt-t/ Until,. 55

in Karly's mind that his conclusions were calculated to place General Lee's reputation in great jeopardy. If the reason for a disastrous <K -lay of several hours duration was merely General Lee's deference to Loni^tn-t t's opposing opinion, what shall be said of Lee's capacity to carry out his own carefully-arranged plan of battle ? Early's mind was too clear not to see this issue, and he faced it as follows:

" There is one thing very certain, and that is that either General Lee or General Longstreet was responsible for the remarkable delay that took place in making the attack. I choose to believe that it w.is not General Lee, for if any one knew the value of promptness and celerity in military movements, he did. It is equally certain that the delay which occurred in making the attack lost us the victory." (Idem, December, 1877, page 293.)

This statement shows us that in the last analysis the gallant old soldier, General Early, was compelled to fall back upon his personal loyalty to General Lee and his personal knowledge of Lee's conduct upon other battle-fields to find vindication for Lee's management of the Confederate troops at Gettysburg.

The central truth, however, of the whole matter is that Early mis- interpreted the fragment of Hood's letter. Early's chief premise was wrong and his conclusion was, therefore, entirely wrong. Early set forth his views in 1877-' 88. Since that time additional facts have come to the light to show that Longstreet's troops did not arrive on Seminary Ridge until long after sunrise on the morning of July 2d; that the difference of opinion between Lee and Longstreet was not matter for discussion one moment after the coming of the infantry of the First corps, and that Longstreet's subsequent delay on the right was perpetrated during Lee's tour of observation to the Confederate left wing.

The first instalment of fresh evidence concerning the time of the arrival of Longstreet's troops was published in the Southern Histori- cal Society Papers for February, 1879, in the form of an address by General Lafayette McLaws. He had delivered a similar address as early as 1873. McLaws was in command of the advance division of Longstreet's men as they approached Gettysburg. By Longstreet's order McLaws went into camp on the western side of Willoughby Run after 12 o'clock in the night that followed July ist. The head of his column was more than two miles from Lee's headquarters, on Seminary Ridge. McLaws wrote these words: "Some time after my arrival I received orders' from General Longstreet to continue the march at 4 A. M., but the order was afterwards countermanded,