The long arm of Lee; or, The history of the artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia; with a brief account of the Confederate bureau of ordnance (1915) (14576137268)

Identifier: longarmofleeorhi01wise (find matches)
Title: The long arm of Lee; or, The history of the artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia; with a brief account of the Confederate bureau of ordnance
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Wise, Jennings C. (Jennings Cropper), b. 1881
Subjects: Confederate States of America. Army. Artillery Confederate States of America. Army. Dept. of Northern Virginia Confederate States of America. Ordnance Bureau United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Regimental histories
Publisher: Lynchburg, J.P. Bell and Company, Inc.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



Text Appearing Before Image:
ad made a reconnaissance which disclosed McClellansawkward position astride the Chickahominy. On thatday the following note was addressed to Gen. Johnstonby his Chief of Artillery: I venture to offer a suggestion based upon some informationrespecting the Chickahominy River. It is said to rise immediatelyafter a rain like this, and to continue in flood some twenty-fourhours. Would not this seem a providence to place all the Yankeeforce this side that stream, almost centainly in your power? Mightnot an active, sudden, and adequate movement of troops to-nightand at dawn in the morning so overwhelm the divisions confrontingGen. Hill as to crush and capture them with next to certaintj-.^ Isubmit it with great deference. Your judgment will, I know,determine sagaciously on the subject.* When this note was written, 7:30 p. m., Pendletonwas at Oakwood Cemetery, in the northern environs ofRichmond. Shortly after noon that day, Johnston in- *Rebcinon Records, Series I, Vol. XI, Part III, p. 685.
Text Appearing After Image:
COLONEL JAMES B. WALTONChief of Artillery, Longstreets Corps The Long Arm of Lee 193 formed D. H. Hill that he would lead an attack uponthe enemy next morning.* But at that time the detailsof the attack had not been worked out. This was doneby Johnston in conference with Longstreet some timelater in the day. Gen. Alexander states that the confer-ence was prolonged by a violent storm, in whichprobably over three inches of rain fell. Pendleton couldnot have penned his note until after the rain commenced,for he refers to the fact of its violent character. Thesuggestion was undoubtedly received by Johnstonwithin two hours after it was written, that is before10 p. M., and the influence it exerted upon the delibera-tions of Johnston and Longstreet, coming as it did fromone of Pendletons character, must be estimated by thereader. It is possible, of course, that McClellanssituation at once suggested a similar plan to Johnstonand Longstreet. At any rate, the idea was clearly asoriginal with Pe