Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/114

106 from Stuart, appear to have been still lagging on the banks of that stream, and Robertson only reported on the 2d of July.

General Lee was in a hostile country, and the only information he could pick up was the loose and uncertain news gathered from rumor, and brought to him by scouts. It was of the utmost consequence to him to have accurate and reliable information of the movements of the enemy: As the cavalry are said to be the eyes of an army, General Lee was like a blind man groping in the dark.

As an illustration of the conditions which prevailed at the time with the Confederate forces, the following incident may be mentioned. A number of the artillery horses in the third corps had given out since the march began from Fredericksburg, and there was urgent need for fresh ones to supply their places. Before Fayetteville was reached, Lieut. J. Hampden Chamberlayne of the corps, a brave and resolute officer, was directed by the Chief of Artillery to proceed with a small detachment of men drawn from the several battalions into the country adjacent to the line of march and gather up some draft animals. The lieutenant and most of his men were quickly gobbled up by the hostile cavalry hovering upon the Confederate flanks, and the mishap was only learned through those who escaped.

Up to this time the chief occupation of the army had been gathering in supplies; it now became necessary to concentrate. As soon as positive information was received of General Meade's movements, General Lee issued orders to bring his different corps within supporting distance.

His headquarters were with Longstreet's corps at Chambersburg. Colonel Charles Marshall, General Lee's Military Secretary, was heard to say on one occasion, "It is a fact which seems to have escaped comment, that when the army was in motion. General Lee always moved with Longstreet's corps, and there was a reason for it. That General Lee once said, 'that when he wanted General Jackson to do a thing, all he had to do was to send him an order; when he wanted General Longstreet to do a thing, the safest way was to go along with him.' "

Early says that orders recalling him were received at York on the 29th. As these came through Ewell, who was thirty miles