Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 40.djvu/289

Rh the statement made by Major-General Doubleday, who commanded the First corps of Meade's army. He says that "on the night of July 2d the state of affairs was disheartening. In the combats of the preceding days the First, Third and Eleventh corps had been almost annihilated; the Fifth corps and a great part of the Second were shattered and only the Sixth corps and the Twelfth were comparatively fresh." (Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, p. 185.)

He also says that Meade "thought it better to retreat with what he had than to run the risk of losing all." (Id.)

We know also from the testimony of General Sickles before the Congressional Committee that at the council of war the night of July 2d, some of the Generals were in favor of a retreat.

General Sorrell, Longstreet's chief of staff, admits in his book that the attack was to be made as soon as possible, and he adds, "the delay in attacking, which undoubtedly hurt us, was apparently caused by his objections made known to the Commander-in-Chief." (p.171.)

And now we have a repetition of the events of the previous day. Instead of attacking early in the morning Longstreet did not begin his dispositions to attack until 1 P. M. He argued against Lee's plan as he had done the day before; he was completely out of sympathy with his commander. Such was his self-esteem that he believed his judgment superior to that of General Lee. The consequence of this delay was that instead of a simultaneous attack on the enemy's center by Longstreet, and on his right by Ewell and Hill, we have again a series of isolated attacks. In obedience to orders, General Ewell attacked the enemy at sunrise. Meade, not assailed on his left, concentrated an enormous force against Ewell on his right; seven brigades attacked Steuart's one brigade on Culp's Hill; and so before Longstreet had begun to get ready to make his attack on the center, Ewell's attack on the right had been made and defeated.

But this is not all. General Longstreet disobeyed General Lee in another respect; it is an unquestionable fact, supported by testimony from various sources, that Longstreet was directed to put his whole corps into the attack. Indeed he himself