258 Southern Historical Society Papers.
and thus interposed though unaware of the fact to prevent the concentration of his armies at that point without a battle. And to accomplish his original design, and finding the enemy belore him, General Lee elected to fight; his remaining divisions were hurried forward as rapidly as possible; the Federals, perceiving that the crisis was at hand, pushed forward to the conflict, and the great battle of Gettysburg followed, as naturally and certainly as powder will explode when the match is applied. It was in no wise the result of chance, at least, in respect of the Confederate preliminary move- ments.
Finally, in his various letters and reports concerning the Gettys- burg campaign, General Lee several times alludes to his conclusion and the reason as well as the order for this concentration at Gettys- burg. I make the following extract from his official report, found at page 305, Part 2, Volume XXVII, War Records :
HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
July 31, 1863.
General S. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector- General,
Richmond, Va. :
GENERAL, Preparations were now made
to advance upon Harrisburg, but upon the night of the 28th infor- mation was received from a scout that the Federal army, having crossed the Potomac, was advancing northward, and that the head of the column had reached the South mountain. As our communi- cations with the Potomac were thus menaced, it was resolved to pre- vent his further progress in that direction by concentrating our army on the east side of the mountains. Accordingly, Longstreet and Hill were directed to proceed from Chambersburg to Gettysburg, to which point General Ewell was also instructed to march from Car- lisle. * *
Respectfully submitted,
R. E. LEE, General.
MOVING IN UNISON.
This formal statement by General Lee made at the time, together with various orders and movements detailed in the foregoing, all compiled from official and perfectly reliable sources, determine con- clusively that all the divisions of the Confederate army were moving in unison, like a huge machine, toward a common centre, and with
