192 Southern Historical Society Papers.
(presumably by General Longstreet's authority), a letter written soon after the battle of Gettysburg by General Longstreet to his uncle, in which he clearly makes the charge against Lee, and intimates that if he (Longstreet) had been in command victory, instead of failure, would have resulted. Some months after, in an address at Lexing- ton, on the igth of January (Lee's anniversary), General J. A. Early defended his chief against this charge, and a year later Gen- eral W. N. Pendleton followed on the same line.
There was a bitter controversy between Longstreet and Early in the New Orleans papers, and the next stage was two papers from Longstreet in the Philadelphia Times (which were copied into the Southern Historical Society Papers), and the series in the organ of the Southern Historical Society, which originated in a letter from the Count of Paris to the editor propounding a number of questions, which he wished answered by leading Confederates, who were in the battle of Gettysburg.
General Longstreet afterwards published his views in The Century, and in his book, From Manassas to Appomattox; there were replies from various Confederates, and elaborate defenses of Longstreet from Mr. P. J. Moran, whom the man left as a legacy to Atlanta, Captain Leslie Perry, of the War Records office, who garbled rec- ords to suit his purpose, and other Federal soldiers. General Fitz- hugh Lee, in his Life of R. E. Lee, and General John B. Gordon, in his book, Reminiscences of the Civil War, give their views on Gettysburg in the course of their narratives.
Bat one of the most notable papers that has appeared is a review of Longstreet's book by Colonel F. R. Henderson, of the British army, author of that superb Life of Stonewall Jackson, and one of the ablest military critics of his times. He certainly cannot be charged with partisan prejudice.
I have thus given a summary of the literature of Gettysburg that any one wishing may investigate the questions involved.
And all parties should be willing to rest on the record as it has been already made up.
But if there is to be further discussion, there are certain important facts never before in print which I shall ask the privilege of giving.
J. WM. JONES. Richmond, Va. , January 12, 1904.,
