Confederate artillerist who most notably served at the Battle of Gettysburg, supporting Longstreet’s attack and taking control of the guns preceding Pickett’s Charge. TLS, three pages, 8.25 x 11, Norfolk and Western Railroad Co. letterhead, April 24, 1896. Letter to General Fitz Lee. In part: “Your reference to that old Gettysburg matter makes me recall that on the morning of the 3rd day Genl. Lee seemed to have been advised that he should extend our right. He came to the vicinity of the peach orchard in the morning and sent a courier in to me, (I was then in command of Alexander’s battalion), to say he would like to see Genl. Alexander. I sent him word that Genl. Alexander had left me between 4:00 and 5:00 oclock [sic] that morning and I had not seen him since. The courier then returned with the request that I would join Genl. Lee and party, which I did—on the Emmettsburg road back of the peach orchard. There were quite a number in the party besides Genl. Lee, and I recall Genl. Longstreet and Genl. A.P. Hill. I am not sure about Walter Taylor, but I think either he or Talcott were there, and a good many others….I advised Genl. Lee not to go into the ‘open,’ because the picket lines at that point were running disagreeably near to the road. Genl. Lee then said ‘Gentlemen we will dismount here and I will go a little on the right with Col. Huger.’ This he did, made a careful reconnaissance…and remarked to me that the condition of affairs he found on the right were different from what he had been led to expect, and, after a few minutes, returned to the group of officers. Longstreet was partially lying on the ground, and A.P. Hill was sitting on the top rail of a dilapidated fence, and the others were scattered about. Genl. Lee seemed in a very serious mood…and remarked…‘Gentlemen we will mount now and return to our post and carry out our original intention of attacking these people in the center.’ I…kept a close watch on Longstreet and A.P. Hill’s face when Genl. Lee made this announcement, and I did not discover that either of them were anxious or spoiling for the prospective fight. They then mounted their horses, and I on foot accompanied them…until I got to the path that turned off to my battalion, when I bade Genl. Lee and the other gentlemen good bye. The General very kindly extended his hand to me, and while shaking me by the hand remarked that he was going to attack these people in the center, and ‘I hope you won’t let us get in any trouble while this is going on’; to which I replied that we were in a good position, had a strong line of defense, and supported by Hood’s and McLaw’s Division they could not make any impression on us and that we would not get in any trouble in that vicinity; to which he replied by a kind of gesture throwing off my hand, that ‘you are not going to have Hood’s Division, as that will be used to assist in the attack’…he told me in the presence of several people that he was going to use Hood’s Division…about an hour and a half or two hours before the attack took place…I have been watching with a great deal of interest this Gettysburg controversy in all its phases, and have read Longstreet’s book,—a tissue of nonsense, that he had better have died before ever having written.” In fine condition, with the text a shade or two light. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope. Longstreet had published his autobiography, From Manassas to Appomattox, earlier in 1896, which invigorated discussion of the ‘Gettysburg controversy’—namely, who was responsible for the Confederate defeat. Huger’s detailed account of the planning stages for Gettysburg offers an exceptional behind-the-scenes view of Confederate tactics and decision making in anticipation of what became the Civil War’s most famous battle. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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