A Sad Commentary

    A Sad Commentary

Suzanne Marsh

July 4,1863

My dear Louisa,

I don’t even know where to start, I am stunned at the loss of life yesterday. Our campaign North took us to the small town of Gettysburg. Gettysburg is a place I don’t think I will ever forget. Everything went wrong, all at once. I wish you were here with me, I need to talk about this to someone who is less objective the General Lee. This battle at Gettysburg, wiped out almost all of Pickett’s Division. Perhaps I should start from the beginning. The first two days of battle were bad enough, you remember General Hood, he was shot in the arm and has lost the use of it. The third day, July 3, was horrific, right from the beginning. General Lee, issued orders for the day:

“The general plan was unchanged. Longstreet reinforced by Pickett’s three brigades, which

arrived near the battle-field during the afternoon of the 2^nd, was ordered to attack the next

morning, and General Ewell was ordered to attack the enemy’s right at the same time.

The latter during the night reinforced General Johnson with two brigades from Rode’s and one from Earl’s division.” (Rebellion Record)

General Lee never gave or sent me orders for the morning of the third day, nor did he reinforce me by Pickett’s brigades for the morning attack. His headquarters was about four miles distant from the command. Normally I would have ridden over but I did not, however I sent a report, of the second day. The third day was a total disaster, for the cause of the Confederacy. The morning attack was not well coordinated. General Lee stated that the attack of his right was no made as early as he expected it to be. He still believed that success was possible. Care and time were on our side, not this time, we needed the time to position our troops on good ground. Worse yet, two thirds of the troops were from different commands. They had not ever fought under my command. I asked General Lee, if he would consider putting a different general in command. That was not what the commanding general wished to hear:

“Look, Pete,” General began: “you are my old war horse, I trust you. Now let us not have

any more of this discussion.”

His mind was set Louisa, no matter what my argument. General Lee had confidence in General Early, I could not bring myself to say that Early was not a good choice to trust. General Lee should have given command to some else or at least been on the field, since I lacked the confidence in this attack to begin with.

Pickett was assigned to the right of formation. Kemper’s and Garnett’s brigades were to be supported by General Lewis Armistead. Wilcox’s brigade was to be in echelon and guarding Pickett’s right. Pettigrew’s division was on Pickett’s left, they were to be supported by the brigades of Scales and Lane, General Trimble commanding. I sent orders to Colonel Walton:

`’Colonel, let the batteries open. Order great care and precision in firing. When the batteries at the Peach Orchard cannot be used against the point we intend to attack, let them open on the enemy’s on the rocky hill.

Most respectfully,

James Longstreet

Lieutenant-General, Commanding” (From Manassas to Appomattox pg.390)

I also sent a similar note to Colonel A.P. Alexander. I also told Alexander not to call Pickett up until there was a fair opportunity. Louisa, this broke my heart, knowing this was not going to work, a lot of mine died during that charge. I found myself crying as Pickett asked whether he was to go now. All I could do was nod my head in the affirmative, I could not bring myself to speak the order. We also did not have enough artillery ammunition for all of this firing before the battle could begin. General Lee would not listen to me or anyone else. This was the plan and he was sticking to it. No matter how many men died that day. I argued with General Lee for three days, we were agreed before we left on this campaign, we would go on the offensive, it turned out we were on the defensive. The ground was terrible. I keep thinking about that small corpse of trees, that was the objective of the entire plan, maybe there was something we could have done differently, guess I will never know.

Then Alexander sent me a message, I sat on Blackie reading it with a sinking feeling:

“If you are coming at all, come at one, or I cannot give you proper support, but the

enemy’s fire has not slackened at all. At least eighteen guns are still firing from the cemetery

itself.

Alexander (From Manassa to Appomattox pg. 392)

There really was nothing I could do now. Pickett asked me if he should advance, I could not even speak the order, Louisa. I had tears in my eyes, knowing that this attack was going to fail. I mounted and rode for Alexander’s post. He told me that the batteries he had reserved for the actual charge had been taken by General Lee’s chief of artillery. Alexander would be unable to support the infantry, once the attack began. I sat mounted as the attack began. That corpse of trees according to General Lee was not quite a mile, it turned into more than a mile, in the hot July sun. There was really no place to take cover. Those men marched in straight lines; reserves waited for the first volley. I have no idea how many men we actually lost, but as I said Pickett’s entire division was gone, let me rephrase that most of it there were I believe about eight hundred out fifteen thousand men. Most of the generals that day were down. Garrnet, all we found was his riderless horse. Kemper was wounded, Pettigrew made it through the battle. Louis Armistead, died in battle. How many more Louisa, before this is done.

Louisa, be sure to burn this after you read it, there is no sense in keeping it. I miss you.

terribly.

All my love,

Jim