We copy a brief communication that will serve as an eye-opener
to Longstreet’s real claim upon North Carolina sympathizers. Our
correspondent writes:
“There are some old soldiers from North Carolina, who have always liked
and admired Gen. Longstreet and they regret to see the strictures upon
him in a recently published pamphlet. If they will read carefully the
following facts from the official records relating to the Sharpsburg
campaign, they may feel that their partiality has been misplaced.
“General Longstreet had in this campaign nine North Carolina regiments,
whose killed and wounded averaged one hundred and four. In his corps
there were eighty regiments from other States and their average was
sixty-four. In the eighty there were twenty-two Virginia regiments
and their average was thirty-two. The 48th North Carolina had more
men killed and wounded than any regiment of its corps. The 3rd North
Carolina, of Jackson’s corps, had more men killed and wounded than
any regiment in the army. In fact, more than the entire brigades of
Generals Armistead and Garnett combined. At the conclusion of his
report of the operations of this campaign, General Longstreet mentions
the names of thirty-eight officers, who had distinguished themselves
for gallantry. In this number there is not one brigade or regiment
commander from North Carolina.”--Messenger.
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