's Advice—An oft-repeated incident corroborated by a witness who was there.
tells a thrilling story of thrilling deeds.
The article below is from the excellent pen of
Major James McDowell Carrington, who in the
battle of Gettysburg was captain of the Charlottesville Artillery, and is now a distinguished lawer of
Washington city.
The
Major's statements confirm the close presence of
General Early and
Ewell on the field the first day at
Gettysburg, and gives evidence as to one of the occasions upon which
General Early advised an assault on
Cemetery Hill that afternoon.
Colonel Harry Gilmore, of
Maryland, in his book, ‘Four Years in the Saddle,’ tells almost identically the same story as
Major Carrington.
John G. Williams,
Esq., a respected lawyer of high standing at Orange Courthouse, writes to the same effect on this topic, and I myself, was a personal witness of the fact, which I recall as if it were yesterday, of the message sent in my presence by
General Early to
General A. P. Hill before he met
General Ewell, telling him that in his opinion assault should not be delayed, and that if
General Hill would put in his corps, he,
Early, would take the responsibility of joining the assault without waiting.
The witnesses on this subject are so numerous and so reliable and
General Early's own repeated testimony found in his book and in his historical papers which have been published, make the fact as plain as any fact about the war that
Early was close upon the field in troops and both advised and urged an immediate assault.
The account given by
General Gordon in his book of this day's operations is erroneous when it refers to
General Early, and it contains many errors which I suppose later to show with the proofs thereof.
The time at
