Gettysburg Questions?

Question

Why did General Longstreet doubt his own spy of the Union Army's advance toward confederate troops in PA

Answer 1

If you are referring to the scout, Harrison - here's is what Longstreet has to say about him:

" A young man had been arrested by our outlying pickets under suspicious circumstances. He was looking for Longstreet's head-quarters, but his comfortable apparel and well-to-do, though travel-stained, apperance caused doubt in the minds of the guards of his being a genuine Confederate who could be trusted about head-quarters.

He proved to be Harrison, the valued scout. He had walked through the lines of the Union army during the night of the 27th and 28th, secured a mount at dark of the latter day to get in as soon as possible, and brought information of the location of two corps of Federal at night of the 27th, and approximated positions of others. Lee declined, however, to see him, though he asked Colonel fairfax as to the information that he brought, and, upon hearing it, expressed want of faith in reports of scouts, in which Fairfax generally agreed, but suggested in this case the information was so near General Longstreet's ideas of the probable movements of the enemy that he gave credit to it. I also sent up a note suggesting a change of direction of the head of our column east."

Answer 2

Harrison's report meant that the Army of the Patomac was moving with a speed that the Confederates had not anticipated since by now sluggish reaction by that force was something they could almost count on. Also, they felt if the Union Army was that close Gen. Stuart, commanding Lee's cavalry, would have notified them. He had in fact allowed the Union Army to get between him and Lee and his communications were cut off.