On the evening of the first day, Longstreet rides over the battlefield on his way back to his camp on the Cashtown Road. His mood is gloomy, and his staff stays clear of him. He reflects on the deaths of his children and on what he sees around him — the coming disaster for the army.
Fremantle, the British observer, joins him. He is cheery and light and amuses Longstreet. Fremantle discusses Lee and what a noble gentleman he is. Longstreet talks of several things: how the army is a Christian Army, the theory of evolution, Stonewall Jackson and his eccentricities, how Jackson knew how to fight, and how A.P. Hill does, too.
Fremantle notes that Virginians are different than other Southerners. Honor is everything to Virginians. The two men speak of Garnett, and Fremantle just accepts without question that Garnett will die to restore his honor. Longstreet returns to camp where as long as there is a campfire there is company, and as long as there is company, he can banish thoughts of his children.
