SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS.
General J. E. B. Stuart's Report of Operations After Gettysburg.
We are indebted to Mrs. Stuart for the following rough draft of the report of General Stuart of his operations subsequently to the battle of Gettysburg, and his resume of that important campaign.
The MS. is written in pencil, in General Stuart's own handwriting, and was evidently the first rough draft, corrected carefully. So far as we know this report has never been published, and ours is the only copy in existence. We give it in full as follows:
During the night of the 3d the Commanding General withdrew the main body to the ridges west of Gettysburg, and sent word to me to that effect, but his message missed me. I repaired to his headquarters during the latter part of the night, and received instructions as to the new line, and sent in compliance therewith a brigade (Fitz. Lee's) to Cash Town to protect our trains congregated there. My cavalry and artillery were somewhat jeopardized before I got back to my command, by the enemy having occupied our late ground before my command could be informed of the change. None, however, were either lost or captured.
During the 4th, which was quite rainy, written instructions were received from the Commanding General as to the order of march back to the Potomac, to be undertaken at nightfall. In this order, one brigade of cavalry was ordered to move, as heretofore stated, by way of Cash Town, guarding that flank and bringing up the rear on the road via Greenwood to Williamsport, which was the route designated for the main portion of the wagon trains and ambulances, under the special charge of Brigadier-General Imboden, who had a mixed command of artillery, infantry and cavalry.
Previous to these instructions, I had, at the instance of the Commanding General, instructed Brigadier-General Robertson, whose two brigades (his own and Jones') were now on the right near Fairfield, Pennsylvania, that it was essentially necessary for him to hold the Jack Mountain passes. These included two prominent roads, the one north and the other south of Jack Mountain, which is a sort of peak in the Blue Ridge chain.
In the order of march (retrogade) one corps (Hill's) preceded everything through the mountain. The baggage and prisoners of war, escorted by another corps (Longstreet's), occupied the centre,
