carry that purpose into effect, as every consideration required the attack on the morning of the 2nd to be made at the very earliest hour practicable.
The testimony General Longstreet has adduced is very far from establishing the fact that General Lee did not direct the attack to be made by him at a much earlier hour than that at which it was made.
Before referring to that testimony, I desire to say that the statement contained in the article in the Times, that the information of the crossing of the Potomac by the Federal army was received from a scout on the night of the 29th of June is erroneous. Gen. Longstreet's own report, as well as General Lee's detailed one, show that the information was received on the night of the 28th. If it had not been received until the night of the 29th, it would have been impossible for the order to return to reach me at York by the way of Carlisle in time for me to begin my march back early enough on the 30th to reach Gettysburg in time for the fight on the 1st of July. The fact was that I received the order on the morning[1] of the 29th at York, with the information that the enemy had crossed the Potomac and was moving north.
The statements of Colonel Taylor and Marshall, and of Gen. Long, as given by General Longstreet, that they knew nothing of an order to attack at "sunrise," amount to nothing. They had no personal knowledge of the orders that were given, or of the time when they were given. That is all their testimony amounts to. But General Longstreet omits a very important and significant part of General Long's letter. That letter, a copy of which I have, goes on to say, immediately after the part given by General Longstreet:
"As my memory now serves me, it was General Lee's intention to attack the enemy on the second of July as early as practicable; and it is my impression that he issued orders to that effect. I inferred that such was the case from the instructions that Gen. Lee gave me on the evening of the first and very early on the morning of the second of July."
See also General Long's letter to me in the August number of the Southern Historical Society Papers.
- ↑ Correction per SHSP, vol. V, Editorial Paragraphs
