101

At Greencastle Steuart's Brigade was detached from the division and
ordered to proceed to Chambersburg by way of Mercersburg and McConnels-
burg. The object was to collect through that region necessary supplies of every
description for the use of the army. At Mercersburg a goodly quantity of shoes
were obtained for the barefoot soldiers, which were paid for in Confederate
money, agreeably to General Lee's order.

In passing over the mountain from Mercersburg to McConnelsburg various
barriers -across the road were encountered, which had been erected by the State
militia, and two or three times the troops were fired upon, but no serious
opposition was met with, and an occasional shell from one of Steuart's batteries
cleared the way.

After a stay of a day at McConnelsburg, Steuart's Brigade united with the
division at Chambersburg, and on the 27th the command passed through that
thriving town, not many months after to be consigned to the flames, and took
the turnpike leading to Carlisle, and on the afternoon of June 28 the wearied
troops went into camp about three miles from that place.

It now became evident that the objective point of a portion of the great
army of invasion was Harrisburg, the Capital of the State of Pennsylvania, and
there were few who did not believe that Philadelphia would soon be in posses-
sion of the invaders. The idea of defeat never occurred to Lee's veterans, for they
were fully aware of the fact that such an army had never before been marshaled
under the flag of the Confederacy, and believed themselves to be invincible.

Late in the afternoon of the following day orders were received to move,
and great was the surprise of the officers and men of the division when they found
themselves countermarching over the road they had traveled the day before.

Trifling as this may seem, here occurred the second great mistake of the
campaing. Stuart's Cavalry raid around Washington, in which the eyes of the
army were lost, by reason of his being cut off from the army during its march
into Pennsylvania, was the first. Johnson's Division was now but thirty miles
from Gettysburg, yet by order of General Ewell it was marched by circuitous
roads fifty miles or more to reach that point, whilst the remainder of the corps
took the direct road.

Some two or three years after the war the author met General Ewell at
Capon Springs, in Virginia, and in the course of conversation asked him why
Johnson's Division had not been taken the direct road to Gettysburg. General
Ewell answered:

"At the time, of course, I did not know of the proximity of the Federal
Army, and did not wish to crowd the one road to Gettysburg. I had no reason
to believe that there was any occasion to make haste. It was unfortunate. Had
Johnson's fine division been with me on the 1st of July there would have been no