GDG- ANV Corps Commander Possibilities (A.P. Hill)

[Margaret D. Blough]

According to Moxley Sorrel's memoirs, the whole AP Hill-Longstreet thing started with one of the most widely read Richmond newspapers, the Examiner, focusing its coverage of the war on Hill's division, giving the others very short shrift.  This caused "some feeling" growing about this in the other divisions, especially Longstreet's division, to whom the Examiner had not been as kind.  A factor adding to the feeling was the fact that a reporter for the Examiner was serving temporarily on Hill's staff,  Sorrel says that Longstreet asked Sorrel to submit a letter (Longstreet gave Sorrel a draft of the letter) under Sorrel's name (officially, as adjutant general) to a competing Richmond newspaper, the Whig, contradicting the Examiner's treatment of Longstreet's Division and criticizing Hill for allowing such reports from his staff.  Longstreet promised to be responsible for it.  Sorrel says he willingly agreed to do it and described the letter as stiff but militarily civil.  Clearly, H
ill did not take it that way, since, shortly thereafter, Hill returned a request from Sorrel on Longstreet's behalf, for a report or something similar with the notation that "General Hill declined to hold further communications from Major Sorrel."  When Sorrel showed Longstreet Hill's note, Longstreet was furious and instructed Sorrel to inform Hill in writing that the original note was written at Longstreet's command and "had to be answered satisfactorily."  Hill persisted and a personal correspondence, which Sorrel did not see, ensued between the two generals, culminating with Longstreet ordering Sorrel to put on his best uniform and inform Hill that he was under arrest, which he did. Hill rose to his feet, acknowledge the order silently with a bow after which Sorrel went back to Longstreet's camp.  Further heated correspondence ensued, Hill challenged Longstreet and matters got to the point that seconds were selected (according to Sorrel, DH Hill and Robert Toombs were Longstree
t).  The duel never happened due to Lee's intervention.  AP Hill was transferred to Jackson's command from Longstreet's.  Ironically, when Sorrel was promoted to brigadier general in 1864, it was to a command in Hill's corps.  He was apprehensive, due to his belief that, while AP Hill and Longstreet had reconciled, Hill still hated him. He was astonished, but pleased, to learn from a third party that Hill had, in fact, requested Sorrel. Sorrel says that, when he reported to Hill, that Hill gave him a warm welcome and continued to treat him kindly and well thereafter.

Regards,

Margaret

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "William Brown" <william.h.brown at ncmail.net> 

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes: 
> 
> 
> > Oddly enough, A.P. Hill fills the bill as "cantankerous & not afraid to 
> > speak his mind" as well. Interesting that he survived his personal 
> > confrontation with Jackson and kept his job, while D.H. was exiled to 
> North 
> > Carolina. D.H. must have been a tad more contankerous than A.P. All in 
> the 
> > eye of the beholder! 
> 
> Sorry for being tardy to the discussion, just now catching up on email. 
> 
> I wonder if there was some kind of political clout behind A.P. Hill. I 
> remember that A.P. Hill's feud with Longstreet after the Seven Days Campaign 
> had to do with newspaper stories praising Hill's leadership and his troops. 
> 
> Best Regards, 
> Bill 
> 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
> "Don't mention the war. I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it 
> all right" 
> Basil Fawlty 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
> William H. (Bill) Brown, Editor II, Governors' Documentaries 
> Historical Publications Section (Office of Archives and History) 
> http://www.ncpublications.com/ 
> http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/ 
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