This is CBS, I on the World.

I'm John Batchelor, and it's a pleasure to speak of a book Battle Tested with the author, Jeff McCawson.

Colonel Jeff McCawson, the United States Army retired.

He's at CBS News, but right now he's an author.

Battle tested is about Gettysburg leadership lessons from 1863

for 21st century leaders and their lessons in all directions. We now come to a conversation

and a meeting of the minds between James Longstreet, the Corps Commander, a veteran

corps commander of, they're all veterans of West Point in the Mexican War, and Robert E. Lee.

And the question is, on the second day, having not overrun the Union forces on the first day, through the night, the Union has arrived and created what is called a fish hook from Gettysburg, south, along

Cemetery Ridge to little and big and little roundtop. James Longstreet comes forward with an idea

that the battle does not have to be decided by a frontal assault.

It can be decided by maneuver.

Jeff, Longstreet's speech to Lee is convincing here in the 21st century.

Would it have been convincing in the 19th century to avoid battle,

place yourself between the enemy and the capital and make them attack you.

Would that have made sense in those days?

Well, I think it would have because if you look back, particularly at Fredericksburg,

the Confederates had found they were most successful,

they were on the defense, and the Yankees were attacking them.

So clearly, based on technology and maneuver and mobility and a number of things, it seems like

the defense has a certain number of advantages.

So when Longstreet meets with Lee, of course, Lee suggests that we're going to attack them if they're

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