Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 4.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[75] with him. His bold activity would have developed the enemy's position, which, General Lee being no longer in ignorance of, could then have made his plans accordingly. In that event the battle would not in all probability have taken place at Gettysburg.

In justice to Stuart, it may be said that he had calculated upon the brigade of Jenkins and White's batallion of cavalry, which accompanied Generals Ewell and Early, and Jones' and Robertson's brigades, which were left to guard the passes of the Blue Ridge, and were to rejoin General Lee as soon as the enemy crossed the river, to do all that was necessary. The brigade of General Jenkins, Stuart estimated at 3,800 troopers when leaving Virginia, and, referring to the complaint of the Commanding-General of a want of cavalry upon that occasion, says: “Properly handled such a command should have done every thing requisite;” In reference to the second point I have taken, there is evidence that a staff officer of General Lee carried an order to General Ewell on the afternoon of the 1st of July, that from where he, General Lee, was, he could see the enemy flying over the heights; to push on and occupy them. But in his official report of the operations of that day, General Lee says: “General Ewell was instructed to carry the hill occupied by the enemy if he found'it practicable, but to avoid a general engagement until the arrival of the other divisions of the army;” and that Ewell “decided to wait for Johnson's division,” of his corps, to get up, which had been left behind to guard the trains, and “did not reach Gettysburg until a late hour,” and “in the meantime the enemy occupied the point which General Ewell designed seizing.” At the beginning of the war I occupied the position of chief of staff to General Ewell, and bear too much love for his heroic memory to say more than that I believe a little more marching, perhaps a little more fighting, would have given us the coveted position, and that in such an event the battle of Gettysburg would have had another name, and possibly another result — who knows?