Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/116

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Southern Historical Society Papers.

mation to the General commanding,, and with orders to start Anderson; also to General Ewell informing him, and that I intended to advance the next morning and discover what was in my front." Heth's division of Hill's corps moved on the 29th from Fayetteville to Cashtown, at the east base of South Mountain, where it remained until the morning of the 1st. Fender's division on the afternoon of the 30th, moved up to the north or west side of the mountain, from which point it moved on the morning of the 1st.

Anderson's division reached Fayetteville on the 27th, where it remained until the morning of the 1st. Longstreet's corps, except Pickett's division, which was left at Chambersburg to guard the rear, was moved on the 30th to Greenwood.

The respective distances of these two corps from Gettysburg on the morning of the 1st was as follows: Heth's division nine miles; Fender's in rear of Heath's a short distance further; Anderson's at Fayetteville, seventeen miles; two divisions of Longstreet's corps, Hood and McLaws at Greenwood, fourteen miles; and Pickett's at Chambersburg, twenty-four miles. General Lee, writing from Greenwood on July 1st to Imboden, who with a force of cavalry had marched from West Virginia and was about joining the army, directs him to relieve Pickett, who was to move forward to Greenwood, and giving further directions says, "You will at the same time have an opportunity of organizing your troops, refreshing them for a day or two and getting everything prepared for active operations in the field, for which you will be speedily wanted. Send word to General Pickett at this place to-morrow, which is eight miles from Chambersburg, the hour you will arrive there, in order that he may be prepared to move on your arrival. My headquarters for the present will be at Cashtown, east of the mountains." This letter does not indicate that Lee regarded an action as then imminent, but the opposing columns must have been almost, if not quite, in contact before the letter was dispatched.

Neither side showed any haste to get into motion on the morning of the day that was again to witness a trial of strength between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. Wadsworth's division, the nearest to Gettysburg, after a leisure-