Chapter 28 - A new kind of warfare
While Robert E. Lee used the morning of July 5th to catch up on a few hours of sleep and refresh himself physically and mentally, most of his army was busy eating a warm meal and repairing damaged equipment. After his recovery, Lee found himself confronted with an unusual request.
A reporter from the local Cashtown newspaper had visited the outpost line and inquired about the possibility of a tour of Lee's camp. The battle, which had almost taken place almost in the backyard of Cashtown, was taken as a welcome opportunity to get a closer look at the grey invaders and perhaps gain some exclusive insights. While Lee was initially reticent, James Longstreet supported the idea. The war raged not only over land but also over public opinion and it seemed appropriate to counter the narrative of the Lincoln administration.
In the end, the reporter was allowed into the camp on the condition that he did not leave the side of a companion assigned to him. A conversation or interview with Lee himself was out of the question, but Longstreet was willing to sacrifice a few minutes, and a selected divisional commander was also to answer questions. Brigadier General William Mahone was chosen for the task of guide, especially because he was young and energetic and his brigade was in excellent and therefore presentable condition. Mahone led the man through the quarters and even had a regiment line up to be captured by a team of photographers on board.
Subsequently, the also very young Major General Robert Rodes was interviewed, who described very vividly how his division had finally broken through Meade's lines and forced him to retreat. Not without ulterior motives, however, he mentioned the bravery of the German-dominated XI Corps when describing his opponents, as many of their compatriots were based in Pennsylvania. The affair became emotional when Rodes described how he had held the dying Carl Schurz's hand and told the reporter his last words: "Tell my wife that I fell face to face with the enemy for our new home".
Before the man was finally complimented out of the army camp, Longstreet explained to him in few but clear words why Lee's army was here in the north. He pointed out that the Union troops had been ravaging Virginia for two years and that they wanted to show the Union citizens what it was like to be confronted with an enemy army on their own doorstep. The Corps Commander concluded that the invasion was not aimed at depriving the people of Pennsylvania of their freedom or imposing the values and laws of the South. Rather, it was to force Lincoln and his cabinet to let the South go. Unfortunately, that could not be achieved through diplomacy, but only through sheer force of arms.
The detailed article, which was subsequently published locally, was distributed throughout the state of Pennsylania within a few days. It gave the Confederate forces a human face and raised the question among an astonishing number of citizens why their fathers, sons and brothers were to die fighting these men.
