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372 high tribute to the commander of the cavalry and criticizes General Lee. Stuart was away by Lee's orders. If anybody was to blame for the absence of the cavalry it was General Lee.

All that Stuart could have done if he had been there would have been to tell Hill and Heth that if they went to Gettysburg they would be sure to precipitate a battle before the army was concentrated and where Lee did not intend to fight one.

A body of cavalry could have done no more. But Hill and Heth were not blind they knew the enemy held Gettysburg; so they did not need cavalry to tell them. They evidently expected to bag a few thousand Yankees, return to Cashtown, and present them to General Lee that evening. But to use a common expression "they bit off more than they could chaw." They left Cashtown at 5 in the morning in as gay spirits as John Gilpin's when he started off to Edmonton to have a wedding feast.

It was after all not much of a feast.

July 29.

John H. Wisdom, who died near here to-day at the age of eighty-seven years, won fame in 1865 by a daring all night ride from Gadsden to Rome, Ga., a distance of sixty-seven miles, which resulted in the capture by the Confederate cavalry leader, General N. B. Forrest, of General Abel D. StraightStreight [sic], and the saving of the Confederates of the foundries and stores at Rome.

Wisdom started from the east shore of the Coosa River shortly after night-fall on his perilous trip, covering the distance in less than seven hours, and using on the trip seven horses. He arrived at Rome six hours ahead of General {{SIC|Straight|Streight}, and the city was prepared for the latter's coming, General Straight and many of his raiders taken prisoners.