Chapter XLI: Appendix: NOTE V: Page 285

Will H. Brearley of Michigan quotes from a letter written by Col. E. P. Alexander, Chief Engineer of Gen. Longstreet, dated October 18, 1870, as follows:

“I believe I know as much or more of the assault on Fort Sanders
than any one living, as I first proposed and planned it--not,
however, as it was carried out, for several days’ delay was
caused by the arrival upon the ground of Bragg’s engineer, Gen.
Leadbetter, who insisted on an attempt _above_ the town, which,
however, he gave up in a _reconnoisance_; and by an additional
delay of one day of bad weather, during which Gen. Leadbetter
suddenly decided to give up the plan we had agreed upon and try
a surprise!!! I was then too young and modest to say a word
of objection, and the attempted surprise ended as you well
know--though doubtless was and will always remain a surprise to
you, in one sense at least.” (See “Recollections of the East
Tennessee Campaign.”)

Mr. Brearley also states in his sketches, that during the truce ordered at the conclusion of the Fort Sanders fight, Capt. Poe and Col. Alexander, who had been acquaintances at West Point, had an interview. “Col. Poe very naturally felt like bantering Col. Alexander about the morning’s work, and asked him if they ‘intended to try it again?’ which was answered in the negative. Col. Alexander then said, ‘We did not know there was a ditch in front of the Fort;’ which was responded to by an invitation from Col. Poe to ‘go up and see it,’ but was politely declined with, ‘I am fully satisfied on that point.’”