e.p. alexander, and longstreet, while overlooking the obvious inaccuracy of johnston's statement. the details which give away the reliability of the account is his reference to talking with longstreet when they reached the bend in the road. it is well documented in longstreet's after battle report that he was not at the head of the column when it reached black horse tavern. additionally, if some are inclined to not believe longstreet, mclaws clearly stated in his account that he was with johnston at the head of the column, and at one point writing with him 200 yards ahead of it. mclaws never mentioned longstreet's presence at the head of the column during the march, and never alluded to anything about johnston suggesting a path across fields. alexander'se.p. multiple accounts of the black horse tavern scene, he writes of arriving there the head of the column and learning that longstreet had been sent for with several messages. naturally, if messages are being sent to an officer, that means he was not near the head of the column when the divisions halted. in short, though many historians have tried