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J^^^V■.lshlJlgto^l St Erratum. — For title of Illustration, page 14, for Richard Henry Lee, read Richard Lee. G E X . L K ]: , IT o n si: and Text. POPULAR LIFE Gen. Robert Edward Lee By Emily V. Mason. Dedicated by Permission to Mrs. Lee. |llustratct> ixiit^ 17 Anginal gesigns bg professor ^okk fiELEAS. *■_■ t^ LIBRARY Published by John Murphy & Co. Publishers, Booksellers, Printers and Stationers, 182 Baltimore Street. 1872. ^ / Catholic SELEA i^.c 5\1/ Uki\/^^ Lntered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by JOHN MURPHY & CO., in tlie OfiBce of the Librarian of Congress, at 'Washington. Dedicatory Preface. My Dear Mrs. Lee: With your permission I dedicate to you this life of our beloved hero. It may seem daring in one so unprac- tised to attempt a theme so lofty. But I have hoped that the love and admiration I felt for General Lee would inspire me with ability to present him to others as I knew him. Other writers will exhibit his public life, his genius and magnanimity. I wish to show more of his domestic character and private virtues ; his unwearied industry, his self-control and self-denial, his unselfish temper ; his generous kindness, his gentle manners ; his modesty and moderation in success ; his patience in difficulties and disappointments, and his noble fortitude in defeat and disaster. That you, who are most jealous of his fame, should honor me with your approval, leads me to hope for the like indulgence from the American people to whose history he belongs. EMILY V. MASON. Baltimore, June, 1871. List of Illustrations. PAGE General Lee, Horse and Tent (Frontispiece). Richard Henry Lee, Founder of the Family . . 14 Thomas Lee, First American Governor ... 15 Richard Henry Lee, Mover of the Declaration of Independence 1*7 General Henry Lee, (Light Horse Harry,) Father of R. E. Lee 19 Stratford, Birthplace of R. E. Lee, (full page) . . 21 Lieutenant and Mrs. Lee at the Time of their Mar- riage 27 Arlington House 28 Captain Lee Wounded at Chapultepec ... 51 General Lee Received by the Virginia Convention . 78 Meeting between Lee and Jackson . . . .106 Battle of Chancellorsville 178 Lee to the Rear, an Incident at the Battle of the Wilderness 244 In the Trenches at Petersburg, (full page) . . .278 General Lee Entering Richmond after the Surren- der 317 General Lee and Traveller 339 I* V CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAfJE Genealogy — Family Seat of the Lees iu Virginia . . .13 CHAPTER II. Birth — Childhood —His Devotion to his Mother — His thoughtful Character — School Life in Alexandria — West Point — Enters the Engineer Corps — Marriage— Arlington — The White House — Promotion — Improvement of tlie Navigation of the Missis- sippi — Letters to his Family 21 CHAPTER III. The Mexican War — Letter to his Sons — Vera Cruz — Cerro Gordo — Encomiums of General Scott — Passage of the Pedrigal — Wounded at Chapultepec — Promotion 36 CHAPTER IV. Close of the War — Stationed near Baltimore — Placed in Charge of the Military Academy at West Point — Transferred to the Cavalry — Ordered to Texas — Indian Warfare — Letters to his Family — Hardships of Frontier Service — Return to Arlington 52 CHAPTER V. The John Brown War — Return to Texas — Letters to his Family — The gathering Storm — Summoned to W^ashington — Secession of Virginia — The Sad Alternative — Resigns his Commission — Farewell to General Scott — To his Sister — His Reticence . 65 CHAPTER VI. Lee in Richmond — Appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Vir- ginia Forces — Presented to the Virginia Convention — Address of President Janney — Organization of an Army — Appointed General in the Confederate Service — Ordered to Western Virginia 78 CHAPTER VII. Gloucester Point — Great Bethel — Manassas — Letter to his Family — Campaign in Western Virginia — Causes of Failure — His Magnanimous Silence — Services on the Sea-Coast — Letters to his Daughters — Assigned to Duty at the Seat of Government 84 vii Vlll CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. PAGE Reorgauization of the Army — The Peninsula Campaign — Battle of Seven Pines — Johnston Wounded — General Lee takes Com- mand — Jackson's Valley Campaign — " Stuart's Ride " — Gen- eral Orders — Jackson's Mysterious March — Mechanicsville . 95 CHAPTER IX. The Eve of Battle — Meeting of Lee and Jackson — Cold Harbor — The Charge of the Texas Brigade — General Lee's Despatch . 104 CHAPTER X. McClellan's Retreat — Savage Station — Frazier Farm — Malvern Hill — General Order — Results of the Seven Days' Fighting — McClellan's Letter from Harrison's Landing .... Ill CHAPTER XL McClellan's Removal — Pope in Command — His Cruel Orders — General Lee's Remonstrance — Pope's New Art of War — Cedar Run — General Lee's Advance — General Orders — Second Battle of Manassas 122 CHAPTER XII. Crossing the Potomac — Address to the People of Maryland — Boonsboro' Gap^ Harper's Ferry 133 CHAPTER XIII. The Battle of Sharpsburg — Recrossing the Potomac — General Lee's Address to his Army — Review of the Campaign — Per- sonal Incidents 142 CHAPTER XIV. Encampment around Winchester — Stuart's Raid into Pennsyl- vania — The Federal Army in Motion — Removal of McClellan — Burnside in Command — Camp at Fredericksburg — Letter from General Lee to his Daughter — The Bombardment of Fredericksburg — The Battle — General Lee's Despatch . . 152 CHAPTER XV. The Federal Army recrosses the Rappahannock — General Lee's Address to his Army — Winter in Camp — " The Mud March " — Burnside's Resignation — General Hooker in Command . 163 CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER XVI. Hooker's Campaign — Kelley's Ford — Death of Pelham — The Battle of Chancellorsville — Jackson's Flank Movement in " The Wilderness " — Jackson Wounded 169 CHAPTER XVII. Stuart in Command of Jackson's Corps — The Battle Resumed — "The Wilderness" on Fire — The Victory — General Lee's Address to the Army — Death of Jackson announced in Gen- eral Orders — Letter from General Lee 177 CHAPTER XVIII. Cavalry Fight at Brandy Station — Marching Northvrard — Milroy driven from Winchester — Crossing the Frontier — Hooker Resigns — Meade in Command — General Lee's Strict Orders for Protection of Private Property — Exemplary Con- duct of the Southern Troops 184 CHAPTER XIX. The Army in Pennsylvania — General Lee embarrassed for want of Cavalry — Gettysburg — First Day, Hancock remains in possession of Cemetery Ridge — Second Day, Attempts upon the Right and Left — Third Day, Pickett's famous Charge u-pon the Centre, La Garde rectUe ! 193 CHAPTER XX. The Retreat from Gettysburg — The Attack upon the Wagon Trains — The Potomac Impassable — General Lee prepares for Battle — The River Falls — Back to Virginia . . . .204 CHAPTER XXI. Dark Days in the Confederacy — Proclamation by the President — General Lee's Order to the Array — Longstreet's Corps sent to Tennessee — General Lee Advances upon Meade — Stuart's Narrow Escape — Engagement at Bristoe Station — Back to the Rapidan — Winter Quarters 213 CHAPTER XXII. Privations of the Army — Incidents at Head-Quarters — General Lee's Letter to the City Council of Richmond — An Address to the Army — The Dahlgren Raid 223 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII. PAGE Grant takes Command of the Army of the Potomac — His Advance — The Battle of the Wilderness — Longstreet Wounded . .231 CHAPTER XXIV. " By the Left Flank " — The Battles at Spottsylvania Court-House — Sheridan's Raid — Death of Stuart 240 CHAPTER XXV. Skirmishing on the North Anna — On to the Chickahominy — The Second Battle of Cold Harbor * . 248 CHAPTER XXVI. Operations in the Valley — Hunter's Raid — His Cruelty — Butler's Advance from Bermuda Hundreds — Battle of Drewry's Bluff — Grant Crosses the James — Attempt to take Petersburg by Surprise — Commencement of the Siege .... 254 CHAPTER XXVII. The Battle of the Crater — Terrible Carnage — Early's Advance into Maryland — Battle of Monocacy — In Sight of the Capitol — Early Retires to the Opequon 261 CHAPTER XXVIII. Battle of Chafin's Farm — Struggles for the Weldon Road — Ream's Station — The South Side Road — Hatcher's Run — General Lee's Despatch — Reverses in the Valley — Winchester — Fisher's Hill — Cedar Creek — General Lee's Letter to Gen- eral Early 267 CHAPTER XXIX. Winter in the Trenches — Sufferings of the Troops — ^'Les Mist- rabies " — Disasters in the South — Depression of the People — General Lee Appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Armies — Failure of Peace Negotiations — Proposed Enlistment of Negroes 277 CHAPTER XXX. General Lee's Order Assuming Command of the Confederate Forces — Fight at Hare's Hill — At Five Forks — Last Days at Petersburg — Gallant Defence of Fort Gregg . . . 286 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XXXI. PAGE Death of General A. P. Hill — Evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond — The Army without Rations — The consequent Delay — The Retreat to North Carolina Cut Off — Loss of Ewell's Corps — A Council of War 294 CHAPTER XXXII. Starvation and Death — The Veterans still March and Fight — General Grant Proposes a Surrender — Correspondence between the Two Commanders — Preparations for Another Battle — The White Flag — The Surrender — Interview between General Lee and General Grant 302 CHAPTER XXXIII. The Last Hours of the Army of Northern Virginia — The Night of Peace — General Lee's Farewell to his Army — His Recep- tion in Richmond — His Retired Life — Testimonials of Affec- tion and Esteem — His Noble Bearing in Adversity . . . 313 CHAPTER XXXIV. He is offered the Presidency of Washington College — Letter of Acceptance — Installation — Condition of the College — His Earnest Devotion to his New Duties — Influence of his Char- acter and Example — His Valuable Services to the College . 324 CHAPTER XXXV. Summoned before the Reconstruction Committee — His Testimony — Letters to a Friend — Incidents Illustrating his Character — His Last Illness — Death — Funeral Rites 336 APPENDIX 351 Washington and Lee University — Funeral Ceremonies — Me- morial Meetings — In Baltimore, Md. — Louisville, Ky. — New Orleans, La. — Atlanta, Ga. — Augusta, Ga. — Colum- bia, S. C. — Baltimore, Md. — Richmond, Va. — Other Tri- butes of Respect. ;;s;rv o/ > -<>v t LIBRARY A POPULAR LIFE OF GE^TEAL EGBERT EDWAED LEE. CHAPTER L Genealogy — Family Seat of the Lees in Virginia. THE Lees of Virginia come from one of the an- cient families of England. The founder of the family came in with TTilliam the Conqueror, and acquired estates in Essex. Lionel Lee went with Richard Coeur de Lion to the third Crusade, in 1192. and was created Earl of Litchfield at the siege of Acre. His armor is in the horse armory of the Tower of London. Two of the family were Knights-Companions of the Garter. Their banners, surmounted by the Lee arms, were placed in Saint George's Chapel, at "Windsor Castle. Sir Henry Lee was Knight of the Garter in Queen Elizabeth's time. The Earldom of Litch- field passed to the fifth baronet of his line, in 1674. Richard Lee, a younirer son of the house of Litch- 14 A POPULAR LIFE OF field,* came over to Virginia, in the reign of Charlea the First, as Secretary to the Colony, and member of the King's Privy Council. He is de- scribed as a man of "good stature, comely visage, enterprising ge- nius, sound head, and generous nature," — traits of person and character marked in his descendants. He was a staunch Loyalist in the Civil War, and, with the Governor, Sir Wil- liam Berkley, held the Colony to its allegiance until after the fall of the king. Cromwell sent naval and land forces to compel the submission of the Colony. The Colonial authorities made a treaty with the forces of the Commonwealth, in which Virginia is styled an " Independent Dominion." This was the origin of her name, " Old Dominion." The king showed his gratitude for this loyalty by ordering the arms of Virginia to be added to those of England, France, Ireland, and Scotland, with the motto, ^'En dat Virginia qidntam," (Behold, *He was the seventh son of Sir Robert Lee of Hulcott, and younger brother of Sir Henry Lee of Quarrendon and Ditchley. Richard Henry Lee. GENEKAL ROBERT E.LEE. 15 Virginia makes the fifth,) which was changed, after the union of Enghmd and Scotland, to "J^/i dat Vir- ginia qiiartam.'^ * Thomas Lee, grand- son of Richard, w^as President of the Coun- cil and Governor of the Colony — the first na- tive American in that office, under the British Crown. He was so es- teemed in England, that when his country- seat, Stratford, f in Westmoreland, was burned, it was rebuilt Thomas Lee, * Mr. Edward C. Meade, of Albemarle County, Virginia, tells us of a medal which was ploughed up on his farm, of the following description: — On one side a head, with the words, "Georgius III., Rex ;" on the other, a shield surmounted by a crown, on which are quartered the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Virginia ; the whole encircled with the word, "Virginia, 1773." A similar coin is in possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society. f Mr. Lossing, in his " Field-Book of the Revolution," says of this tine mansion: " There is no structure in our country to com- pare with it. The walls of the first story are two and a half feet thick, and the second story two feet — composed of brick imported from England. It originally contained about one hundred rooms. Besides the main building, there are four offices, one at each corner, contaiiiing fifteen rooms. The stables are capable ot accommodating one hundred horses. Its cost was about eighty thousand dollars." 16 A POPULAR LIFE OF by the Government and the merchants of London. Queen Carohne contributed to it from her privy purse, in a complimentary letter to him under her own hand. He is known in Colonial History as " President Lee." The following is an extract from the Will of this remarkable man : " Li the name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Lee, in the County of Westmoreland in Virginia, Esq., President and Commander-in-chief of the said Col- ony, being (thanks be to God) of sound and dispos- ing sense and memory, do make and declare this my last will and testament, all written with my own hand this twenty-second day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty-nine (1749). First my soul I do resign, with all humility and sincerity, to the Lord God of the Heavens from whom my sinful flesh received it, in steadfast hope of mercy and forgiveness of all my sins and offences by the sufferings and death of His beloved Son Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Re- deemer of all men. Amen. Amen. Amen. " As to my body, I desire, if it pleases God that I die anywhere in Virginia, it may be buried between my late dearest wife and my honored mother, and that the bricks on the side next my wife may be moved, and my coflin placed as near hers as is pos- sible, without removing or disturbing the remains of my mother. Having observed much indecent mirth at funerals, I desire that last piece of human vanity be omitted, and that, attended only by some GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE 17 of those friends and relations that are near, my body may be silently interred with only the Church ceremony, and that a funeral sermon, with instruc- tion to the living, be preached at the Parish Church, near Stratford, on any other day." Etc., etc. Amons: the sons of Thomas Lee who acted a lead- ing part in public af- fairs, were the orator Richard Henry Lee, of Chantilly, a leader of the Revolutionary Con- gress, and the mover of the Resolution which declared the indepen- dence of the Colonies ; Francis Lightfoot Lee, a member of the Con- gress, and a signer of the Declaration ; and Arthur Lee, who was minister of the Colonies in France and other coun- tries of Europe during the Revolution. General Henry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, was grandson of a brother of President Lee. He served with great distinction in the war of the Revolu- tion, and is known in history as " Light Horse Harry." Though young — not of age when he en- tered the service — his military genius was at once 2* B R I r- H A E D Henry L e e. 18 A POPULAR LIFE OF conspicuous, and drew to him the peculiar con- fidence of General Washington.* When the war ended, he retired to Stratford, in Westmoreland County, which estate came into his possession through his first marriage with his cousin Matilda, daughter of Philip Ludwell Lee. General Robert Lee, in his Life of his father pre- fixed to the third edition of the " Southern Cam- paigns," has given us a description of this fine old mansion. " The approach to the house is on the south, along the side of a lawn several hundred acres in extent, adorned with cedars, oaks, and forest pop- lars. On ascending a hill, not far from the gate, the traveller comea in full view of the mansion, when the road turns to the right and leads straight to a grove of sugar-maples, around which it sweeps to the house. The edifice is built in the form of an IT, and of bricks brought from England. The cross furnishes a saloon of thirty feet cube, and in the centre of each wing rises a cluster of chimneys, which form the columns of two pavilions connected by a balustrade. The Owner, who before the Revo- lution was a member of the King's Council, lived here in great state, and kept a band of musicians, to whose airs his daughters Matilda and Flora, with their companions, danced in the saloon, or prom- enaded on the house-top." *His mother (Miss Grymes) had been the object of General Washington's youthful admiration. He wrote sentimental versos to her, and spoke of her as his " lowland beauty." He adds, " I was very unhappy, but never told my admiration." GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 19 General Henry Lee won equal distinction in civil and in military life. He rose to the first rank in his country in politics and letters. His " Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department " is a his- tory worthy the great events narrated in it. His eloquence in Congress caused his selection by both houses to deliver the funeral oration of General Washington. The resolutions which he drew up on this occasion, and which were presented by Judge Marshall in General Lee's temporary ab- sence, contained those celebrated words, " First in war ^ first in j)eace, and first in the hearts of his country- men J^ General Henry Lee was three times chosen Governor of Virginia. He represented West- moreland in the Vir- ginia Convention which ratified the Federal Constitution after a severe struggle, in which Patrick Henry exerted all his great powers to defeat it, and predicted with w^onderful sagacity the future ascendency of the Union over the liberties of the States. General Lee and Mr. Madison were its leadinsr advocates. General HIsnrv Lee. 20 A POPULAR LIFE OF So highly were General Henry Lee's services upon another occasion esteemed by his countrymen, that a vote of thanks was passed by Congress, and a medal presented to him, on which his deeds were designated in the following beautiful words : "iVb^ ivithstanding rivers and M^enchments, he, with a small band, conquered the foe hy warlike skill and prowess, and firmly hound hy his humanity those who had been con- quered hy his arms ; " — words which, as one of his biographers has remarked, may be applied with equal truth to his son. General Henry Lee was twice married. First, to Matilda, daughter of Philip Ludwell Lee, of Stratford, who left him a daughter, Lucy, and a son, Henry, a learned scholar and elo- quent writer in politics and history. His second wife was Anne Carter, daughter of Charles Carter, of Shirley, on the James Elver; of the distinguished and wealthy family descended from Eobert Carter, known in Colonial History as " King Carter," from his immense estates. The children of the second marriage were Charles Carter Lee, of Powhattan, Virginia; Sidney Smith Lee, a commander in the U. S. l^avy in 1860 — afterwards of the C. S. ^N'avy ; General Robert Ed- ward Lee ; and two daughters, Anne and Mildred Lee. GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 21 CHAPTER 11. Birth — Childhood — His Devotion to his Mother — His thoughtful Character — School-Life in Alexandria — West Point — Enters the Engineer Corps — Marriage — Arlington — The White House — Promotion — Improvement of the Navigation of the Missis- sippi — Letters to his Family, -p OBEET EDWARD LEE first saw the light at _[\ Stratford, "VYestmoreland County, Virginia, on the 19th of January, 1807, in the same room in which two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were born — Richard Henry Lee, and Francis Lightfoot Lee. He was the fourth child of General Henry Lee, and was named for his maternal uncles, Robert and Edward Carter, of Shirley. When he was but four years of age, his father removed to Alexandria, the better to educate his children ; and there are many persons yet living in that old town who remember him at that early age. From these sources we are assured that his childhood was as remarkable as his manhood for the modesty and thoughtfulness of his character, and for the performance of every duty which de- volved upon him. The family lived on Cameron Street, near the old Christ Church — then on Orinoco Street — and afterwards in the house known as the Parsonage. 22 APOPULARLIFEOF [1807. At this period General Henry Lee Avas absent in the "West Indies in pursuit of health ; and in one of the admirable letters written to his son Carter, then a student at Cambridge, he says : " Robert, who was always good, will be confirmed in his happy turn of mind by his ever watchful and affec- tionate mother." AVlien he was eleven 3'ears of age, his father died. From one of his family, who knew him best, we are told, that from his excellent mother he learned, at this early age, to " practise self-denial and self- control, as well as the strictest economy in all finan- cial concerns," virtues which he retained through- out his life. This good mother was a great invalid ; one of his sisters was delicate, and many years absent in Philadelphia under the care of physicians. The oldest son Carter was at Cambridge, Sidney Smith in the Kaw, and the other sister too youno- to be of much aid in household matters ; so Robert was the housekeeper, carried " the keys," attended to the marketing, managed all the out-door business, and took care of his mother's horses. At the hour when the other school-boys went to play, he hurried home to order his mother's drive, and would then be seen carrying her in his arms to the carriage, and arranging her cushions with the gentleness of an experienced nurse. One of his relatives still lives who was often the companion of 1818.] GENERA I. ROBERT E. LEE. 23 these drives. She tells us of the exertions he would make on these occasions to entertain and amuse his mother; assuring her, with the gravity of an old man, that, unless she was cheerful, the drive would not benefit her. TVhen she complained of cold or " draughts," he would pull from his pocket a great jack-knife and newspaper, and make her laugh with his efforts to improvise curtains, and shut out the intrusive wind which wdiistled through the crevices of the old familv-coach. When he left her to go to West Point, his mother was heard to say, " How can I live without Robert? he is both son and daughter to me." Years after, when he came home from West Point, he found one of the chief actors in his child- hood's drama — his mother's old coachman "Nat" — ill, and threatened with consumption. He im- mediately took him to the milder climate of Georgia, nursed him with the tenderness of a son, and secured him the best medical advice. But the spring-time saw the faithful old servant laid in the grave by the hands of his kind young master. General Lee used to say that he was very fond hunting when a boy — that he sometimes followed the hounds on foot all day. This will account for his well-developed form, and for that wonderful strength which was never known to fail him in all the fatigues and privations of his after-life. His first teacher was an Irish gentleman, Mr. 24 APOPULARLIFEOF [1826. William B. Leary, who came to Lexington to visit him after the termination of the war; and when General Lee was returning from Georgia about two years ago, this gentleman came a great distance to meet him, and they had another most pleasant meet- ing. Only last summer, when General Lee was in Alexandria, one of the old neighbors found him gazing wistfully over the palings of the garden in which he used to play. " I am looking," said he, " to see if the old snowball-trees are still here. I should have been sorry to miss them." One of his friends gives a remarkable iucident to show the influence which, even at this early day, his simple dignity and high sense of right exercised upon all who came in contact with him, the old as well as the young. Being invited, during a vaca- tion, to visit a friend of his family who lived in the gay, rollicking style then but too common in old Virginia, he found in his host one of the grand old gentlemen of that day, with every fascination of mind and manner, who, though not of dissipated habits, led a life which the sterner sense of the boy could not approve. The old man shrunk before the unspoken rebuke of the youthful hero. Coming to his bedside the night before his departure, he lamented the idle and useless life into which he had fallen, excusing himself upon the score of loneliness, and the sorrow which weighed upon him in the loss of those most dear. In the most impressive manner 1825.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 25 he besought his young guest to be warned by his example ; prayed hira to cherish the good habits he had ah-eady acquired, and promised to listen to his entreaties that he would change his own life, and thereby secure more entirely his respect and affec- tion. Wlien it was decided that he should go to West Point, Eobert w^as sent to Mr. Benjamin Hallowell, a famous teacher of mathematics in Alexandria, whose estimation of his pupil may be seen in the following extract from one of his letters : " Robert E. Lee entered my school in Alexandria, Virginia, in the winter of 1824-5, to study mathe- matics preparatory to his going to West Point. He was a most exemplary student in every respect. He was never behind time at his studies; never failed in a single recitation ; was perfectly observant of the rules and regulations of the Institution; was gentlemanly, unobtrusive, and respectful in all his deportment to teachers and his fellow-students. His specialty was finishing up. He imparted a finish and a neatness, as he proceeded, to everything he undertook. One of the branches of mathematics he studied with me was Conic Sections, in which some of the diagrams are very complicated. He drew the diagrams on a slate ; and although he well knew that the one he was drawing would have to be rem.oved to make room for another, he drew each one mth as much accuracy and finish, lettering and all, as if it was to be engraved and printed. He 26 ■ APOPULARLIFEOF [1825. carried the same traits be exhibited at my school with him to West Point, where I have been told he never received a mark of demerit, and graduated head of his class. " A feeling of mutual kindness and respect con- tinued between us to the close of his life. " He was a great friend and advocate of education. "It was a matter of great regret to me that he thought it right to take the course he did in our recent national difficulties ; but I never entertained the least doubt that he was influenced by what he believed to be his duty, and what was entirely in harmony with the requirements of a gentleman and the dictates of honor." In 1825, when he was eighteen years of age, he entered the Military Academy at West Point, where he remained four years, graduating in 1829. From the first, he rose to the head of his class, and retained this " standing " until he left the Academy. During his whole course he never re- ceived a "demerit mark" for any breach or neglect of duty. By his comrades he was held in the highest esteem, and was noted for his studious habits and exemplary conduct. He never drank intoxicating liquor, never used tobacco, or indulged in any of the petty vices to which youth is apt. Indeed, one of those who knew him intimately from his boy- hood to his grave, declared that he never knew him 1825.] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 27 "to utter an immoral or profane word, and never saw him taste a drop of intoxicating drink." Upon leaving West Point, Robert E. Lee received the appointment of Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, to wliich branch of the service the most distinguished graduates are assigned. After a short furlough he entered upon the duties of his profession, and was first ordered to Cockspur Island, near Savannah. Li 1831, Lieutenant Lee married Mary, daughter and heiress of Washing- ton Parke Custis, and grand-daughter of the wife of General Washington. By this marriage the young officer became a frequent resident of Arling- ton House. LlEUTENAXT AXD MrS. LEE. AT THE TIME OF THKIR MaRRIVGE. 28 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1831. This fine mansion stands upon the Virginia Heights, opposite Washington City, overlooking the Potomac, and was for many years an object of attraction to all visitors to Washington on account of its historical associations, and the Washington relics collected and preserved by the patriotic father of Mrs. Lee. Here were to be seen the original A R L I >' G T o >- House. portraits of General and Mrs. Washington, painted at the time of their marriage, which have been so constantly reproduced. The portrait of Mrs. Wash- ington's first hn?band. Colonel Parke Custis, of 1831.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 29 many of his progenitors, and several pictures of the great Revolutionary battles, painted by Air. Custis, whose delight it was to perpetuate upon canvas the features of the great man who had been to him a father, and to commemorate the important scenes in which he had been an actor. Here, also, was the last original portrait of Gen- eral Washington, by Sharpless, a distinguished English artist who painted in crayons. Many of the pictures and much of the old furniture of Mt. Yernon was here ; the china presented to Mrs. Washington by certain English merchants, upon which was her monogram ; that given to General Washington by the Society of the Cincinnati ; the tea-table at which Mrs. Washington always pre- sided ; a book-case made by General Washington's own directions ; and the bed upon which he died. Arlington House was surrounded by groves of stately trees, except in front, where the hill de- scended to a lovely valley spreading away to the river. The view from the height showed Washing- ton, Georgetown, and a long stretch of the Potomac in the foreground, with wooded hills and valleys making a background of dark foliage. This place, so full of historical association, Avas to obtain yet further celebrity as the first camping- ground of the " grand army " of the N'orth, upon its entry into Virginia sixty years after Washing- ton's deatli. 30 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1831. The '' ^Vhite House,'" on the Pamunkev, tlie scene of the marriage of General AVashingtun with the '• AVidow Custis," came also into Lieutenant Lee's family, being bequeathed by the maternal grandlather to the " second son " of this marriage. This interesting old place was burned by the Federal army in 1862. AVhen forced to leaye Ar- lington, Mrs. Lee, \yith her family, had taken refuge here; but the White House being found a layorable " base " for the Federal army, the follow- ing year, they were obliged to seek a place of greater safety. Before her departure from this her last homestead, Mrs. Lee wrote and affixed to the door of the house the following appeal : " Xorthern soldiers who profess to reyerence Washington, forbear to desecrate the home of his first married life, the property of his wife, now owned by her descendants. '' A Graxd-daughter of Mrs. Washingtox.'' A Xurtht'rn officer is said to haye written be- neath this : " A Xurthern officer has protected your property, in sight of the enemy, and at the request of your oyerseer." The house, howeyer, was burned, either before « )r during General McClellan's retreat, and " not a blade of grass left to mark the culture of more than a hundred years." 1839,] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 31 After his marriage, Lieutenant Lee was sent to Old Point, Va., where he remained for three years. In 1835 he was appointed Assistant Astronomer for marking out the boundary Kne between Ohio and Michigan. The following year he was made First Lieutenant, and in July, 1838, Captain of Engineers. In 1838-39 he was sent to improve the navigation of the Mississippi at St. Louis, and to open a pas- sage for the river at the Des Moines Rapids. Here he executed one of his greatest feats of engineering. The following account of his services in the West is given by one of his early friends * in a notice of his death, published in the " Chicago Daily Argus " : "General Gratiot, Chief of the Engineer Corps, on the recommendation of Generals Jones and Dodge, of Iowa, placed R. E. Lee in charge of the improvements of the rapids of the Mississippi River. His exhibition of skill as an eno'ineer and reliable manager made for him thousands of ad- mirers and friends on the Upper and Lower Mis- sissippi, and secured for him the confidence and consideration of his superior officers," " In 1838-39 there was a serious alarm and real danger of the Mississippi River cutting a channel on the Illinois side, by which St. Louis would have become a ' deserted village,' when the talent and skill of R. E. Lee were sought and obtained. He conceived and executed a plan which saved St. Louis from destruction as a commercial city." "••" Captain May, of [llinois. 32 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1839. Wliile the work was in progress, the people of Missouri clamored and criticised and predicted failure. Unmoved by public opinion, he went on steadily — and succeeded. Free from the egotism and vanity of other men, modest 3'et firm, he reasoned out his plans, and then never swerved from the proper line of execution. This firmness and confidence came from thinking of things and principles — not of other men and their opinions. It was while upon this duty that the following letter was written to Mrs. Lee, which shows him most amiably in the tender relation of husband and father. "Louisville, June 5th, 1839. "My dearest Mary: — I arrived here last night, and before going out this morning will inform you of my well-doing thus far. " After leaving Stanton, I got on very well, but did not reach Guyandotte till Sunday afternoon, wdiere before alighting from the stage I espied a boat descending the river in which I took passage to Cincinnati. " You do not know how much I have missed you and the children, my dear Mary. To be alone in a crowd is very solitary. In the w^oods I feel sympathy with the trees and birds in whose com- pany I take delight, but experience no interest in a strange crowd. "I hope you are all well, and will continue so: 1842.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 33 and therefore must again urge upon you to be very prudent and careful of those dear children. If I could only get a squeeze at that little fellow turn- ing up his sweet mouth to ' keese Baba ! ' You must not let him run wild in my absence, and will have to exercise firm authority over all of them. This will not require severity, or even strictness, but constant attention, and an unwavering course. Mildness and forbearance, tempered by firmness and judgment, will strengthen their afiFection for you, while it will maintain your control over them." In 1842 Captain Lee was sent to Fort Hamilton, in 'New York harbor, and while there, was, in 1844, appointed one of the board of visitors to the West Point Academy. The following letter, written about this time to one of his children, will show what admirable lea- sons he was ever ready to impart to them. "Fort Hamilton, March 31st, 1846. " I cannot go to bed, my dear son, without writing you a few lines to thank you for your letter, which gave me great pleasure. I am glad to hear you are well, and hope you are learning to read and write, and that the next letter you will be able to write youi-self. T want to see you very much, and to tell you all that has happened since you went away. I do not think I ever told you of a fine boy I heard of in my travels this winter. He lived in the mountains of New Hampshire. He was just C 34 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1846. 13 years old, the age of Custis. His father was a farmer, and he used to assist him to work on his farm as much as he could. The snow there this winter was deeper than it has been for years, and one day he accompanied his father to the woods to o^et some wood. They went with their wood-sled, and after cutting a load and loading the sled, this Uttle boy, whose name was Harry, drove it home, while his father cut another load. He had a tine team of horses, and returned very quickly, when he found his father lying prostrate on the frozen snow, under the larsre limb of a tree he had felled during his absence, which had caught him in its tall, and thrown him to the ground. He was cold and stilf : and little Harry, finding he was not strong enough to relieve him from his position, seized his axe, and cut otf the limb, and then rolled it off of him. He then tried to raise him, but his father was dead, and his feeble efforts were all in vain. Although he was out in the far woods by himself, and had never before seen a dead person, he was nothing daunted, but backed his sled close up to his father, and \vith great labor got his body on it, and placing his head in his lap, drove home to his mother as fast as he could. The efforts of his mother to reanimate him were equally vain with. his own, and the sorrowing neighbors came and dug him a grave under the cold snow, and laid him quietly to rest. His mother was greatly distressed at the loss of her husband, but she thanked God, who had given her so good and brave a son. '' You and Custis must take o-reat care of vour kind 1 846.] G E N E R A L R O B E R T E . L E E . 35 mother and dear sisters, when your father is dead. To do that, you must learn to be good. Be true, kind, and generous, and pray earnestly to God to enable you to ' keep his commandments, and walk in the same all the days of your life.' Alec and Frank are well, and the former has begun to ride his pony Jim, again. Captain Bennett has bought his little boy a donkey, and as I came home I met him ridina:, with two lars^e Xewfoundland dos^s fol- lowing;, one on each side. The dos^s were almost as large as the donkey. My horse, Jerry, did not know what to make of them. I go to Xew York now, on horseback, every day; one day I ride Jerry, and the next Tom, and I think they begin to go better under the saddle than formerly. I hope to come on soon, to see that little baby you have got to show me. You must give her a kiss for me, and one to all the children, and to your mother and grandmother. Good-bye, my dear son. »' Your affectionate father, "R. E. Lee. " To Wm. H. Fitzhugh Lee, " Arlington, D, C." General Lee told an interesting: little incident connected with one of his boys (Custis), which v\^e will give here. AYhen a very little child, his father took him to walk, one winter's day, in the snow, holding him by the hand. Soon the boy dropped behind. Look- ing over his shoulder, he saw Custis imitating his every movement, with head and slioulders erect, 36 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. putting his little feet exactly in his father's foot- prints. " When I saw this," said the General, " I said to myself, ' It behooves me to walk very straight, when this fellow is already following in my tracks.'" CHAPTER III. The Mexican War — Letter to his Sons — Vera Cruz — Cerro Gordo — Encomiums of General Scott — Passage of the Pedrigal — Wounded at Chapultepec — Promotion. LIEUTEl^ANT LEE was now to exchange the quiet and comparative ease of garrison life for the stirring scenes of war. The difficulties with Mexico had culminated in a declaration of hos- tilities. Early in 1847, General Scott commenced to col- lect troops on the Island of Lobos, for an expedi- tion against Vera Cruz. Captain Lee was assigned to the central army in Mexico, as Chief Engineer under General Wool. The following letter, written at this time to his sons, Ciistis and W. H. F. Lee, then at Arlington, will be read with interest in this connection : " Ship Massachusetts, off L(3Bos, February 27th, 1847. '' My DEAR Boys: — I received your letters with the greatest pleasure, and, as T always like to talk 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 37 to you both together, I will not separate you in my letters, but write one to you both. I was much gratified to hear of your progress at school, and hope that you will continue to advance, and that I shall have the happiness of finding you much im- proved in all your studies, on my return. I shall not feel my long separation from you, if I find that my absence has been of no injury to you, and that you have both grown in goodness and knowledge, as w^ell as stature. But ah, how much I will sufter on my return, if the reverse has occurred ! You enter into all my thoughts, in all my prayers ; and on you, in part, will depend whether I shall be happy or miserable, as you know how much I love you. You must do all in your power to save me pain. You will learn, by my letter to your grand- mother, that I have been to Tampico. I saw many things to remind me of you, though that was not necessary to make me wish that you were with me. The river was so calm and beautiful, and the boys were playing about in boats, and swimming their ponies. Then there were troops of donkeys carry- ing water through the streets. They had a kind of saddle, something like a cart-saddle, though larger, that carried two ten-gallon kegs on each side, which was a load for a donkey. They had no bridles on, but would come along in strings to the river, and, as soon as their keo-s were filled, start oiF asrain. They were fatter and sleeker than any donkeys I had ever seen before, and seemed to be better cared for. I saw a great many ponies, too. They were larger than those in the upper country, but did ilot 38 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. seem so enduring. I got one to ride around the fortifications. He had a Mexican bit and saddle on, and paced delightfully, but every time my sword struck him on the flanks, would jump, and try to run ofiT. Several of them had been broken to har- ness by the Americans, and I saw some teams in wagons, driven four-in-hand, well matched, and trotting well. We had a grand parade on General Scott's arrival. The troops were all drawn up on the bank of the river, and fired a salute as he passed them. He landed at the market, where lines of sentinels were placed to keep off the crowd. In front of the landing the artillery was drawn up, which received him in the centre of the column and escorted him through the streets to his lodg- ings. They had provided a handsome gray horse, richly caparisoned, for him to ride, but he preferred to walk with his staff around him, and a dragoon led the horse behind us. The windows along the streets we passed were crowded with people, and the boys and girls Avere in great glee — the Governor's Island band jDlaying all the time. " There were six thousand soldiers in Tampico. Mr. Barry was the Adjutant of the escort. I think you would have enjoyed with me the oranges and sweet potatoes. Major Smith became so fond of the chocolate that I could hardly get him away from the house. We only remained there one day. I have a nice state-room on board this ship. Joe Johnston and myself occupy it, but my poor Joe is so sick all the time, I can do nothing with him. I left Jem to come on with the horses, as I was afraid 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 39 they would not be properly cared for. Vessels were expressly fitted up for the horses, and parties of dragoons detailed to take care of them. I had hoped they would reach here by this time, as I wanted to see how they were fixed. I took every precaution for their comfort, provided them with bran, oats, etc., and had shngs made to pass under them and attach the coverings above, so that, if in the heavy sea they should slip, or be thrown off their feet, they could not fall. I had to sell my good old horse ' Jim,' as I could not find room for him, or, rather, I did not want to crowd the others. I know I shall want him when I land. Creole was the admiration of every one at Brazos, and they could hardly beheve she had carried me so far and looked so well. Jem says there is nothing like her in all the country, and I believe he likes her better than Tom or Jerry.* The sorrel mare did not ap- pear to be so well after I got to the Brazos. I had to put one of the men on her whose horse had given out, and the saddle hurt her back. She had gotten well, however, before I left, and I told Jem to ride her every day. I hope they may both reach the shore again in safety, but I fear they .will have a hard time. They will first have to be put aboard a steamboat and carried to the ship that lies about two miles out at sea, then hoisted in, and how we shall get them ashore again I do not know. Probably "throw them overboard, and let them swim there. I do not think we shall remain here more than one day longer. General Worth's and * Two horses that he had at Fort Hamilton. 40 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. General Twiggs' divisions have arrived, which in- clude the regulars, and I suppose the volunteers will be coming on every day. We shall probably go on the first (1st) down the coast, select a place for debarkation, and make all the arrangements preparatory for the arrival of the troops. I shall have plenty to do there, and am anxious for the time to come, and hope all may be successful. Tell Rob he must think of me very often, be a good boy, and always love his papa. Take care of Speck* and the colts. Mr. Sedgwick and all the officers send their love to you. " The ship rolls so that I can scarcely write. You must write to me very often. I am always glad to hear from you. Be sure that I am thinking of you, and that you have the prayers of " Your affectionate father, "R. E. Lee. " For CusTis and W. H. F. Lee, Arlington." On the 9th of March, 1847, the American army landed near Vera Cruz, and the next day began the investment of the city. The work was commenced by General Worth, and was carried on successfully. Batteries with siege and naval guns were erected by the engineers at points commanding the city. The bombardment began on the 22d of March, and in a few days the city and castle surrendered. The elder brother of Captain Lee, Lieutenant Sidney Smith Lee, a gallant officer of the United * A little terrier who was a great pet. 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 41 States ]^avy, served also in the siege of Vera Cruz, commanding a detachment of seamen who were working the guns in the trenches. It was Captain Lee's duty as an engineer to direct the firing. He has often been heard to relate how he saw his brother's white teeth gleaming through the smoke, and Avith what anxiety, after the firing of each gun, he would look to find if he was safe. Captain Lee rendered important services during the siege ; and General Scott, quick to appreciate military genius, appointed him to a position upon his personal staff, and always asked his opinion in the council, attaching great importance to it. In the Life of General Scott, w^ritten by himself, he speaks of the services rendered by Captain Lee during this siege, saying: " I am compelled to make special mention of Captain R. E. Lee, Engineer. This officer greatly distinguished himself at the siege of Vera Cruz." Indeed, the whole of his career in Mexico is marked by the attention he obtained from his veteran commander. There is hardly a despatch in which his name is not honorably mentioned. At Cerro Gordo, General Scott wrote: "I am compelled to make special mention of Captain R. E. Lee, Engineer. This officer was again inde- fatigable during these operations in reconnoissances, as daring as laborious, and of the utmost value. l^or was he less conspicuous in planning batteries, 4^ 42 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. and in conducting columns to tlieir stations under tlie heavy lire of the enemy." During one of these reconnoissances, Captain Lee ventured so far from his supporting column (Loring's Rifles), that he found himself right in amongst the enemy. He concealed himself under a fallen tree, near a spring where the Mexicans obtained water. Wliile he lay there, Mexican soldiers passed and repassed over the tree, and even sat down upon it, without discovering him.* He remained until night enabled him to retire in safety. From Cerro Gordo the army pushed on to the capital. The direct road to the city had been well fortified, but these defences were overcome, and the battles of Contreras, Cherubusco, Molinos del Rey, and Chapultepec, placed the city of Mexico in the hands of the victorious Americans. In his accounts of these battles. General Scott savs : " Auo:ust 18th, 1847 — A reconnoissance was commenced to the left of San Augustin, first over diflicult ground, and further on over the same field of volcanic matter which extends to the mountain. " The reconnoissance was continued to-day by Captain Lee, assisted by Lieutenants Beauregard and Tower, all of the Engineers, who were joined in the afternoon by Major Smith, of the same corps, * "I am reserved for some great purpose," said Clive, in his obscure youth, when he escaped wonderfully a great danger. 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 43 and other divisions coming up, Pillow was advanced to make a practicable road for heavy artillery, and Twiggs thrown farther in front to cover the opera- tions, for by the partial reconnoissance of yesterday. Captain Lee discovered a large corps of observation in that direction, with a detachment of which, his supports of cavalry and foot, under Captain Kearney and Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, respectively, had a successful skirmish." The following interesting account of Captain Lee's great achievement, the " Passage of the Pedrigal," is given by a distinguished officer of the United States service.* " On the 19th of August, 1847, General Scott's headquarters were at San Augustin, a village four or five miles south of Churubusco. The main road running south from the city of Mexico forks at Churubusco, one branch leading to San Augustin ; the other, running in a south-westerly direction, passes a little to the east of the village of Contreras, and of a somewhat elevated Plateau about three- quarters of a mile beyond, or south of Contreras. The distances from Churubusco to the Plateau, and from the Plateau to San Augustin, are each about equal to that from San Augustin to Churubusco. The triangular space included between the roads, and a ridge of hills south of San Augustin, as the * When General Scott was asked what was the most daring achievement of the war, he said, " Lee's crossing the Pedrigal ;" and General Poinsett, who had seen the Pedrigal, said, "It is true: it is incredible." 44 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. third side, is known as the Pedrigal. This Pedrigal is a vast surface of volcanic rocks and scoriae, broken into every possible form, presenting sharp ridges, and deep fissures, exceedingly difficult for the passage, even in the day-time, of infantry, and utterly impassable for artillery, cavalry, or single horsemen. There are occasional intervals, especially near San Augustin, where small fields have been made and tilled, but these little oases grow smaller and more infrequent towards the west, and a mile or two from the Plateau cease altogether, so that the country from above Contreras to the ridge of hills on the south is an almost unbroken field of desolation, such as lava would present when in a state of violent ebullition. Indeed it appears like a sea of such lava suddenly congealed, with here and there clumps of hard.y, thorny bushes, and dwarf-trees, which have managed to force an ex- istence from the apparently sterile rock. By taking advantage of the small open spaces, a difficult, crooked, and hardly passable road, not much better than a mule track, had been opened between San Augustin and the Plateau, in front of which it joins the road to the city of Mexico. On the Plateau, General Valencia had intrenched his fine division, about six thousand strong, with twenty- four guns, which completely commanded the ap- proach from San Augustin. A mile or more north of Contreras, and the neighboring hamlet of An- selda, and on the main city road, lay General Santa Anna, with a portion of the reserves of the Mexi- can army. 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 45 " On the morning of the 19th, General Scott ordered Pillow's and Twiggs's divisions to move from San Augustin towards the Plateau, the ground having been previously reconnoitred by Captain R E Lee, assisted by Lieutenants Beauregard and Tower, of the Engineers. Pillow was directed to work the road with his force, and, if possible, to make it practicable for artillery. Twiggs was thrown in advance to cover the working parties. General Scott, in his official report, written that same day, says : , -, a " ' By three o'clock, this afternoon, the advanced divisions came to a point where the new road could only be continued under the direct fire of twenty- two pieces of the enemy's artillery (most of them of large cahbre), placed in a strong intrenched camp, to oppose our operations; and surrounded by every advantage of ground, besides immense bodies of cavalry and infantry, hourly reinforced from the city, over an excellent road beyond the volcanic field, and consequently entirely beyond the reach of our cavalry and artillery. " ' Arriving on the ground an hour later, i tound that Pillow's and Twiggs's divisions had advanced to dislodge the enemy, picking their way (all oflicers on foot) along his front, and extending themselves towards the road from the city and the enemy s left The battle, though mostly stationary, con- tinued to rage with great violence until nightfall ' "In the meantime, portions of Eiley's, Persifer Smith's, Shields's, and Cadwallader's brigades, had made their way across the Pedrigal to Contreras, 46 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. whence they watched the approach of the Mexican troops from the city. Captain Lee accompanied these troops, and the nature of the ground can, per- haps, best be understood from the description given of it by one who passed over it at the time. '' He says : ' Late in the morning of the 19th, the brigade to which my regiment was attached (Riley's) was sent out from San Augustin in the direction of Contreras. We soon struck a region over which it was said no horses coukl go, and men only with great difficulty. I^o road was available, my regi- ment was in advance, my company leading, and its point of direction was a church-spire near, or at Contreras. Taking the lead, we soon struck the Pedrigal — a field of volcanic rock, like boiling scorise suddenly solidified, pathless, precipitous, and generally compelling rapid gait, in order to spring from point to point of rock, on which tAvo feet could not rest, and which cut through our shoes. A fall upon this sharp material would have seriously cut and injured, whilst the effort to climb some of it cut the hands. Such was the general character of the part crossed by my regiment, and I believe by the brigades, though many, not push- ing as I did, may have picked out a circuitous and better route. Just before reaching the main road from Contreras to the city of Mexico, we reached a watery ravine, the sides of which were nearly per- pendicular, and up which I had to be pushed, and had to pull others. On looking back over this bed of lava or scorine, I saw the troops, much scattered, very slowly picking their way, while of my own 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 47 company (about eighty or ninety strong) only five men crossed with me, or for some twenty minutes after. AYith these five I examined the country beyond, and struck upon small guards of a pay- master's park — which, from the character of the country over which we had passed, was deemed perfectly safe from capture. My men gained a pay- master's chest, Avell filled with bags of silver dollars ; the firing and fuss we made frightened the guard, with the belief that the infernals were upon them, and hastened our own men to our support. " ' Before sundown, all of Riley's, and I believe of Cadwallader's, Smith's, and Pierce's brigades, were over, and by nine o'clock a council of war, pre- sided over by Persifer Smith, and counselled by Captain K E. Lee, was held at the church. I have always understood that what was devised, and finally decided upon, was advised by Captain Lee — at all events, it was closed by his saying that he desired to return to General Scott, with the deter- mination of General Smith ; and as it was late, the decision must be oiven soon ; that General Scott wished him to return in time to give directions for co-operation. " ' During the council, and for hours after, the rain fell in torrents, and the darkness was intense — one could move only by groping. To illustrate : my company again led to gain the Mexican rear, after nearly two hours of motion, when light broke suf- ficiently to enable us to see a companion a few feet ofi:'; we had moved not four hundred yards, and the only persons present, after a few minutes, were half a dozen officers and one guide. 48 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. " ' Captain Lee left the council to join General Scott. History gives liim the credit of succeeding, but it has always seemed incredible to me, with the distance, the dangers of that Pedrigal to be over- come, amid such darkness and storm, unaccom- panied, I believe, by lightning. Scarcely a step could have been taken without fear of death, — but that to him, a true soldier, was the willing risk of duty in such a cause. I would not believe it could have been made — that passage of the Pedrigal — if he had not said he made it.' " General Scott, in the report from which we have already quoted, says of this same night : '"It was already dark, and the cold rain had begun to fall in torrents on our unsheltered troops. Wet, hungry, and without the possibility of sleep, all our gallant corps, I learn, are full of confidence, and only wait for the last hour of darkness to gain the positions whence to storm and carry the enemy's works. Of the seven officers dispatched since about sundown, from my position opposite to the enemy's centre, and on this side of the field of rocks and lava, to communicate instructions to the hamlet [Contreras], not one has succeeded in getting through those difficulties, increased by darkness. They have all returned. But the gallant and inde- fatigable Captain Lee, of the Engineers, who has been constantly with the operating forces, is just in from Shields, Smith, Cadwallader, &c., to report as above, and to ask that a powerful diversion be made against the centre of the intrenched camp, to-mor- row morning. 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 49 " ' Brigadier-General Twiggs, cut off as above from the part of his division beyond the impracticable ground; and Captain Lee, are gone, under my orders, to collect the forces remaining on this side, with which to make that diversion about five o'clock in the morning.' * " The troops were collected, the diversion made, and the result of the combined movement, made possible only by Captain Lee's services, was the brilliant victory of Contreras, early on the follow- ing morning. " Subsequently, Gleneral Scott, whilst giving testi- mony before a Court of Inquiry, had occasion to refer to these operations, and he thus speaks of the service rendered on this occasion by Captain Lee : '' ' Captain Lee, Engineers, came to me from the hamlet, with a message from Brigadier-General Smith, I think, about the same time [midnight], he having passed over the difiicult ground by day- light, found it just possible to return to San Augus- tin in the dark; the greatest feat of physical and moral courage perfoimed by any individual, in my knoivledge, "pending the campaign.' " When we remember that Captain Lee left the council-room at Contreras to pass over miles of such ground as we have described, in a pitch-dark night, without light, without a companion or a guide, mth the additional danger to those we have named, that, if he wandered but little from his way toward the right, he would fall into the hands of * Executive Doc, No. 65 (Senate), 30th Congress, 1st Session, p. 73. 5 D 50 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1847. Valencia, if to the left, into those of Santa Anna; the risks also of falling in with straggling parties of Mexicans, some of which we have seen here in the Pedrigal ; that he had nothing to guide him on his way but the direction of the wind, as it heat the torrents of cold rain upon his face, and perhaps an occasional flash of lightning to give him a momen- tary glimpse of the country around him : it will be acknowledged that General Scott, considering the object for which this was done, the manner of doing it, and the results, has characterized this deed of devotion by the only terms, exalted as they are, that could appropriately describe it. "H. J. H." At Chapultepec Captain Lee was wounded. His skill and bravery had contributed essentially to the great achievement which closed the campaign. In his oflS.cial report of this battle. General Scott pays a high compliment to Captain Lee, who was, he declares, "as distinguished for felicitous execu- tion, as for science and daring ; " and he says fur- ther : " Captain Lee, so constantly distinguished, also bore important orders from me (September 13th), until he fainted from a wound, and the loss of two nights' sleep at the batteries." Years after, General Scott was heard to declare, " Lee is the greatest military genius in America." Captain Lee was twice 23romoted for his services in Mexico. Li 1847 he was brevetted Major for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of 1847.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. Cerro Gordo, and later was made Colonel by Bre- vet, for his con- duct at Contre- ras and Cheru- busco. It has been remarked by many of the of- ficers who serv- ed with him in this campaign, that so popular was Robert E. Lee, that no one in the army was jealous of his promotion, ^ ' Captaix Lee, but all acknOW- wounded at aui:pulte]}ec. ledged his title to it, and rejoiced in the honors bestowed upon him. 52 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1855. CHAPTER IV. Close of the War — Stationed near Baltimore — Placed in charge of the Military Academy at West Point — Transferred to the Cavalry — Ordered to Texas — Indian Warfare — Letters to his Family — Hardships of Frontier Service — Return to Arlington. AT the close of the war, Colonel Lee was ap- pointed member of the Board of Engineers, and stationed at Sollers Point, near Baltimore. Engaged in the construction of Fort Calhoun, he was occupied with that work until made Superin- tendent of the Military Academy at West Point in 1852. Here he remained three years. During his administration, the course of study was extended to five years, and various improvements were made in the Academy and its surroundings. Colonel Lee built the fine Riding Hall, made the fine road, the wharf, and other improvements. In 1855, when several new cavalry regiments were organized, he was commissioned Lieutenant- Colonel of the second cavalry. This regiment was commanded by Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston, and it is remarkable as having given many officers * * Major William J. Hardee, Major George H. Thomas ; Cap- tains Carl Van Dorn, Kirby Smith ; Lieutenants Hood, Field, Cosby, Fitzhugh Lee, Johnson, Stoneman, and Palmer, — who all became general officers on the Southern side, except Thomas and the three last-named, who became prominent generals in the Federal army. 1856.] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 53 of high rank to both sides in the war which has hitely terminated, and for having furnished more generals than any regiment of the old army. For several years it was employed in Texas against the Indians, and Colonel Lee bore an active part in this warfare, greatly distinguishing himself in one of the most desperate battles. From his own memorandum-book we learn that he '' left Alexandria, February 12th, 1856, ... on my way to rejoin my regiment," &c. March 1st, 1856. Reached Galveston. March 6th. Eeached San Antonio at live p. M., and took up my quarters with Mrs. P., in the Plaza. March 7th. Commenced preparations for journey to Fort Mason. March 21st. Left at ten a. m., for Fort Mason. March 2bth. Arrived at Fort Mason eleven a. m., twenty miles from our camp ; reported my arrival to Colonel A. S. Johnston. 3Iarch 27th. Received orders from Colonel John- ston to repair to Camp Cooper, and assume com- mand of the first and fifth squadrons of the regi- ment there stationed. April 9th, 1856. Reached Camp Cooper, situated in the Camanche Reserve, on the Clear Fork of the Brazos, thirty-five miles from its mouth, about two miles above the Indian Agency. Lodges of the Lidians situated on the left bank 54 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1856. of the river. Catumseb, cliief of the tribe, resides on the reserve. The following letters, written to one of his family at this time, will give some idea of the arduous duty to which he was here assigned, and of his senti- ments on points of great interest already beginning to agitate the country : "Camp Cooper, " On the Clear Fork of the Brazos, " 12th April, 1856. " Colonel Hardee, whom I relieve at this place, goes on Monday to Fort Mason. I am very sorry to part with him. Four companies are stationed here under Captains Yan Dorn, Stone- man, O'Hara, and TVhiting. We are on the Ca*- manche Reserve, with the Indian camps below us on the river, belonging to Catumseh's band, whom the Government is endeavoring to humanize. It will be up-hill work, I fear. Catumseb has been to see me, and we have had a talk, very tedious on his part, and very sententious on mine. I hailed him as a friend, as long as his conduct and that of his tribe deserved it, but would meet him as an enemy the first moment he failed to keep his word. The rest of the tribe (about a thousand, it is said) live north of us, and are hostile. Yesterday I returned his visit, and remained a short time at his Lodge. He informed me that he had six wives. They are riding in and out of camp all day, their paint and '■ ornaments ' rendering them more hideous than nature made them, and the whole race is extremely 1856.] GEISTERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 55 uninteresting. We have a nightly serenade from the woh^es." The memorandum-book says : '' On the loth — assumed command of the post. Reviewed and inspected the command." On the 28th of July he writes : " I have just returned from my expedition into the Oaraanche country; had a long trip of forty days, and traversed the separate columns, 1,600 miles of country. The main column, which I accompanied, travelled eight hundred miles. We visited the head-waters of the Wachita and Bra- zos rivers, the Double Mountains, and all the branches of the Double Mountain Fork, and in live separate columns (on our return) swept down the valleys of the Coneha, the Colorado, and Red Fork, to the Sausaba country, and Pecan Bayou. We could find no Indians, and all the traces of them w^ere old. The country had been fired in many places, and in some places it was still burning and abandoned. At this season of the year the Indians are generally north of the Arkansas, hunting Buffalo. We came up with a small party, four men and one woman, whom we had traced for nearly tw^o hundred miles. The men were killed, and the woman captured, by the advance, their horses, thirteen in number, and all their property, taken. The woman I have sent to the tribe below us, where her father resides. These were the only Indians seen. " The weather was intensely hot, and as we had 56 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1856. no tents, we had the full benefit of the sun. The men were generally healthy, though the water was scarce and bad, salt, sweet, bitter, and brackish. I have enjoyed good health." " Camp Cooper, August 4th, 1856. " .... I hope your father enjoyed his usual celebration of the 4th of July. My fourth was spent (after a march of thirty miles) on a branch of the Brazos, under my blanket, which was elevated on four sticks driven in the ground — as a sun-shade. " The sun was fiery hot. The atmosphere like the blast from a hot-air furnace, the water salt; still my feelings for my country were as ardent, my faith in her future as true, and my hopes for her advance- ment as unabated, as if called forth under more pro- pitious circumstances. " The weather still continues hot and dr^^, with no prospect of rain, and our hopes for a few cabbage- plants and roasting ears have passed away. " We must bear it. The worst is, that the Clear Fork no longer deserves its title, but is converted into fetid stagnant pools. However, we enjoy good health, have plenty of meat and bread, and have great cause for gratitude." On the 25th of the same month, he writes from Camp Cooper: " .... I shall leave here on the 1st proximo, as before stated, for the Rio Grande, and shall be absent in all probability from two and a half to three months. 1856.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 57 " You must write regularly, as usual, and I will do the same by every opportunity. . . . '' I shall have to pass through San Antonio going and returning — will go from here to Fort Mason, pick up Major Thomas and take him travelling w^ith me, and thus shall have a companion all the way, which will be a great comfort to me. " I received to-day notice (through my spies) that a party of Camanches who have been on a marauding expedition to Mexico, which is a cloak to cover all their thefts and murders, are endeavoring to get around our camp on their way north, and are some fifteen miles beloAV. They have separated into gangs of six, eight, and ten, to escape detection. I am in the act of sending out a company of cavalry to endeavor to catch them, which I hope may be successful. I should go myself but for my forced journey to the Rio Grande, and as I have directed, they must be followed twenty days if not sooner come up with. I might be detained too late should I go. *' These people give a world of trouble to man and horse, and, poor creatures ! they are not worth it." The memorandum-book next tells us : " Sept. 2d. Left Camp Cooper for Ringgold Bar- racks to attend a court-martial. Sept. SOth. Court adjourned to Fort Brown, Texas. Nov. 4:th. Landed at Fort Brown." 'Next in date comes a pleasant picture of his peaceful life and pursuits. 58 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1856. •^ " Fort Brown, Texas, December, 1856. " The time is approaching, dear M , when I trust that many of you will be assembled around the family hearth of dear Arlington to cele- l)rate another Christmas. Though absent, my heart will be in the midst of you. I shall enjoy in imagi- nation and memory all that is going on. May notli- ing occur to mar or cloud the family fireside, and may each one be able to look with pride and pleas- ure to their deeds of the past year, and mth con- fidence and hope to that in prospect. I can do nothing but love and pray for you all." .... " I am able to give you but little news, as nothing of interest transpires here, and I rarely see any one outside the garrison. My daily walks are alone, up and down the banks of the river, and my pleasure is derived from my own thoughts and from the sight of the flowers and animals I there meet with. The birds of the Rio Grande form a constant source of interest, and are as numerous as they are beautiful in plumage. I wish I could get for you the roots of some of the luxuriant vines that cover everything, or the seeds of the innumerable flowers. "We get plenty of papers, but all of old dates. Things seem to be going on as usual in the States. Mr. Buchanan, it appears, is to be our next Presi- dent. I hope he will be able to extinguish fanati- cism ^orth and South, cultivate love for the coun- try and Union, and restore harmony between the difterent sections. I am anxious to see who will be the Secretary of War." 1856.] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 59 " Fort Brown, Texas, 27th Dec, 1856. *^ I have just received the Alexandria Gazette from the 20th Kov. to the 18th Dec. in- clasive. Besides the usual good reading-matter, I am interested in the relation of local aiFairs, and in- fer, from the quiet and ordinary course of events, that all is going on well, especially (I hope) at Ar- lington. " The steamer also brought the President's Mes- sage, the reports of the various heads of Departments, &c., &c., so that we are assured the government is in operation and the Union in existence '^ I was much pleased with the President's Mes- sage. His views of the systematic and progressive efforts of certain peoj^le at the ITorth to interfere with and change the domestic institutions of the South are truthfully and faithfully expressed. The consequences of their plans and purposes are also clearly set forth. These peo]3le must be aware that their object is both unlawful and foreign to them and to their duty, and that this institution for which they are irresponsible and unaccountable, can only be changed by them through the agency of a civil and servile war. " There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institu- tion is a moral and political evil in any country. It is useless to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it a greater evil to the white than to the black race. While my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for 60 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1856. tlie former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, physically, and socially. The painful discipline they are under- going is necessary for their further instruction as a race, and I hope will prepare them for better things. How long their servitude may be necessary is known and ordered by a Merciful Providence. Their eman- cipation will sooner result from the mild and melt- ing influences of Christianity, than from the storms and tempests of fiery controversy. This influence, though slow, is sure. The doctrines and miracles of our Saviour have required nearly two thousand years to convert but a small portion of the human race, and even among Christian nations w^iat gross errors still exist ! While we see the course of the final abolition of human slavery is still onward, and give it the aid of our prayers, and all justifiable means in our power, we must leave the progress as well as the result in His hands who sees the end ; wdio chooses to work by slow influences; with whom two thousand 3^ears are but as a single day. Although the Abolitionist must know this, must know that he has neitlior the right nor the power of operating, except by moral means, and that to benefit the slave, he must incite angry feelings in the Master; that, although he may not approve the mode by which Providence accomplishes its purpose, the result will still be the same, that the reasons he gives for inter- ference in what he has no concern with, holds good with every kind of interference with our neighbor ; still I fear he will persevere in his evil course. " Is it not stranGce that the descendants 1857.] GENEKAL ROBERT E. LEE. 61 of those pilgrim fathers who crossed the Atlantic to preserve their own freedom of opinion have always proved themselves most intolerant of the spiritual liberty of others? " I hope you all had a joyous Christmas at Arling- ton, and that it may be long and often repeated. I thought of you and wished to be with you. Mine was gratefully but silently passed. I endeavored to find some presents for the children in the garrison, and succeeded better than I anticipated. The stores were very barren, but by taking them the week be- forehand in my daily walks, I picked up something for all. Tell M I found a beautiful Dutch doll for little Emma, one of those crying babies that can open and shut its eyes. For two others, hand- some French teapots to match their cups. Then with knives and books I satisfied the boys. After this, went to church, then by previous invitation. Major Thomas and I dined with the clergyman, Mr. Passmore, on roast turkey and plum pudding. God bless you all ! ''Yours, R. E.Lee." " Fort Brown, January, 1857. " .... I hear that my young Lieutenants have been very successful during my absence. Captains Bradfute and Johnson, Lieutenants Jenifer and "Wether ell, have at different times intercepted ma- rauding parties of Lidians, and chastised them se- verely. Upwards of a dozen in the four encounters were killed, and more wounded, and all their horses, animals, camp-equipage, &c., captured. It is a dis- 6 62 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1857. tressing state of things that requires the appHcatioii of such treatment; but it is the only corrective they understand, the only way in which they can be brought to keep within their own limits. Two of our men were killed, shot through the breast with arrows ; and three or four wounded." The next date in the memorandum-book tells us : " Feh'y 6th, 1857. Returned to San Antonio. Ordered to another Court Martial at ludianola. " llarch SOth. Returned to San Antonio. " April ISth. To Camp Cooper." From the latter port he writes : "June 22, 1857. ^' There is little to relate. The hot weather seems to have set in permanently. The thermometer ranges above 100° ; but the sickness among the men is on the decrease, though there has been an- other death among the children. He was as hand- some a little boy as I ever saw — the son of one of our sergeants, about a year old ; I was admiring his I appearance the day before he was taken ill. Last Thursday his little waxen form was committed to the earth. His father came to me, the tears flowing down his cheeks, and asked me to read the funeral service over his body, which I did at the grave for the second time in my life. I hope I shall not be called on again, for, though I believe it is far better for the child to be called by its Heavenly Creator into His presence in its purity and innocence, un- polluted by sin and uncontaminated by the vices of the world, still it so wrings a parent's heart with 1857.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 63 anguish that it is painful to see. Yet I know it was done in mercy to both, mercy to the child, mercy to the parents. The former has been saved from sin and misery here ; and the latter have been given a touching appeal and powerful inducement to prepare for hereafter. May it prove effectual, and may they require no further severe admonition. " May God guard and bless you all I " Truly and affectionatelv yours, '' E. E. Lee." A few days later, June 29th, he says : ". . Since I last wrote (22dJune), nothing of conse- quence has occurred. It was excessively hot yester- day. At 2 p. M. the thermometer stood at 112°. Kept at the Hospital Tent, the coolest place we have. The rano;e of the mercurv is recorded every day. " We had an alarm that a body of Indians were coming down from the Xorth, to attack our camp and the Indians on the reserve. The news was brought by two Camanches. The Indian camp was in great excitement, and they kept their horses sad- dled all night, but I confess I was incredulous, and went to bed with no expectation of being disturbed; now their apprehensions have subsided." From the '' memorandum " we go on to quote : ^^Juhj 2od. Express comes from San Antonio, bringing orders for Colonel Johnston to report in person at "Washington, and to turn over the com- mand to me, orderino^ me to San Antonio. 64 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1857. July 27th. Arrived at San Antonio. August 1st. Took possession of the house vacated by Colonel Johnston — having taken com- mand of the regiment the 28th October. October 21st. Received telegraphic notice of the death of G. W. P. Custis. ... Re- linquished command to Major Thomas, prepared to return home. November 11th. Reached Arlington." One of the officers who served with him at this time, says, in writing of him: ''In Texas, where Colonel Lee succeeded Colonel Albert Sidney John- ston as commandant of the department, he ex- amined everything thoroughly and continuously, until master of every detail, ever too conscientious to act under imperfect knowledge of any subject submitted to him. And with all his stern sense of duty he attracted the love, admiration, and confi- dence of all. The little children always hailed his approach with glee — his sincerity, kindliness of nature, and cordial manners, attracting their unre- served confidence." 1859.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 65 CHAPTER V. The John Brown War — Return to Texas — Letters to his Family The gathering Storm — Summoned to Washington — Seces- sion of Virginia — The Sad Alternative — Resigns his Com- mission—Farewell to General Scott — To his Sister — His Reticence. IN the autumn of 1859, Colonel Lee was recalled to Washington, and there ordered to take part in the " John Brown War," as it was termed. In Colonel Lee's " Memorandum-Book " the fact is thus noted : ''17th Oct, 1859. Eeceived orders from the Secretary of War, in person to repair in evening- train to Harper's Ferry. " Reached Harper's Ferry at 11 p. m '' Posted the Marines in the TJ. S. Armory. . . . " Waited until daylight, as a numher of citizens were held as hostages, whose lives were threatened. Tuesday, about sunrise, with twelve marines under Lieut. Green, broke in the door of the engine- house, secured the insurgents, and released the prisoners unhurt. All the insurgents killed or mortally wounded, but four, John Brown, Stevens, Coppie, and Shields." John Brown, who had obtained great notoriety in the troubles in Kansas between the Pro-slavery 66 APOPULARLIFEOF [1859. and the Anti-slavery parties, came to Virginia to excite an insurrection among the slaves, thinking, with the aid promised him from Canada and else- where, to destroy that institution throughout the South. With sixteen whites and five negroes he seized the Government armory, arsenal, and rifle-factory at Harper's Ferry, and threw the inhabitants of the town and country into the greatest consternation. The news spread over the country, greatly ex- aggerated; and the Government took immediate measures to suppress the insurrection. General Scott being absent from Washington, the Secretary of War sent for Colonel Lee, as the . most trusted officer of the army, who was dispatched with a bat- talion of marines to Harper's Ferry, where already the militia of the neighboring counties had as- sembled. The insurgents had taken prisoner some of the principal citizens, and with them had retired to the " engine-house " in the armory yard. Colonel Lee surrounded the buildins^ with his marines, and sent his aid Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart with a flag of trace, to demand a surrender, prom- ising to protect the insurgents from the violence of the citizens, and to secure them a trial according to law. These terms were refused by Brown, who demanded to be permitted to march out with his men, arms, and prisoners, to be allowed to go un- 1859.] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 67 molested as far as the second toll-gate, where lie would free his prisoners, and was then wilhng to fieht the troops, if he could not escape from them. This proposition could not be listened to. Lieu- tenant Stuart then remonstrated with the insurgents upon the folly of their course. Insensible to his appeals, they announced their determination to kill the hostages, so soon as they were themselves attacked. Among the prisoners was Colonel Lewis Washington, of that neighborhood, whose voice was heard, " Never mind us - fire ! " Colonel Lee is said to have remarked, upon hearing these words, " The old revolutionary blood does tell." It had been agreed upon between Colonel Lee and his Lieutenant, that in the event of the msur- crents proving inexorable. Lieutenant Stuart should raise his arm as a signal, when the marines would rush upon the door of the engine-house, through which the parleying took place, and by the sudden- ness of their attack so occupy the insurgents, as to save the lives of the prisoners. This was happily accomplished. The marines captured the buildmg, and the hostages were released from their perilous position unharmed. Several of the insurgents were wounded, among them Brown himself. But for the precautions of Colonel Lee, there is no doubt that these men would have ejqierienced hard treat- ment at the hands of the excited citizens. He at once telegraphed to Washington for in- 68 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1860. structions, and was directed to deliver his prisoners to the District Attorney for the District of Co- lumbia. From the memorandum-book we learn : " February dth, 1860. Received general orders, No. 2, from the Headquarters of the Army assign- ing me to duty according to my Brevet rank, and directing me to assume the command of the Depart- ment of Texas. February 10th. At six a. m., left Arlington, &c. February 19th. Reached San Antonio, and took lodgings with Mrs. P., in the Plaza. February 20th. Assumed command of Depart- ment of Texas. March 16th. Finished arrangements preparatory to departure to Rio Grande. Left San Antonio at noon, and encamped on the Medina. March 16th. Continued my route ; report hav- ing reached me that Cortinas * was ascending the Rio Grande ; altered my march, &c. March 20th. Could get no account of Cortinas's whereabouts, or learn that he had ever ascended the Rio Grande, higher than La Mesa, &c. ; re- sumed march, &c. 3Iarch Zlst. Reached Ringgold Barracks. Aiml M. Followed the river-road to Browns- ville April 10th. Resumed journey; nearly all the * Cortinas was a notorious brigand. I860.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 69 ranches on the road have been burned. Those spared by Cortinas, burned by the Rangers, &c. April nth. Eesumed journey ; reached the scene of Cortinas's defeat by Major Heintzehnan Reached Fort Brown, A. m." The following letter, of date May 2d, Fort Brown, gives a more particular account of his movements: " Wlien I last wrote, dear M , I thought I should have been on my way to San Antonio, indeed had prepared to leave some days ago, wagons were greased, mules foraged, and men provisioned ; but the day before I was to have started, rumors came that Cortinas had returned to the vicinity of the Rio Grande, and yesterday the report was so straight that I laid a plan to take him by surprise; have sent two detachments across the river to attempt it. . . . If he should give us the slip, or should the report prove a false alarm, I will commence my journey to San Antonio, and leave the troops to watch and punish him if possible." The journal resumes : ''May 7th. Have been engaged corresponding with the Mexican authorities; succeed in getting them to issue orders for the arrest of Cortinas. ... He has left the frontier and withdrawn to the Ceritos with his property, horses, &c. 3Iay Sth. Commenced my journey to San An- tonio. May 17th. Reached San Antonio — distance 264 miles. 70 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1861. Deceraher 19fA. Left for headquaiters of mv regiment Decernherr 22d. Eeached Ft. Mason.'' In a letter written at this time he says : " I am far from comfortable in my present situa- tion, though I feel that I have more than I deserve. My present jjosition being but accidental, I have not thought it best to incur the expense of estab- lishinor mvself. and am therefore boardino-." "FoET Masox, Texas, 23d Januaiy, 1861. " I received Everett's ' Life of Washington,' which you sent me, and enjoyed its perusal. How his spirit would be grieved could he see the wreck of his mighty labors. I will not, however, permit myself to believe, until all the ground for hope is gone, that the fruit of his noble deeds will be de- stroyed, and that his precious advice and virtuous example will so soon be forgotten by his country- men. As far as I can judge by the papers, we are between a state of anarchy and civil war. May God avert both of these evils from us I I fear that mankind for years will not be sufficiently christian- ized to bear the absence of restraint and force. I see that four States have declared themselves out of the Union ; four more will apparently follow their example. Then, if the border States are brought into the gulf of revolution, one half of the country ^vill be arrayed against the other. I must try and be patient and await the end, for I can do nothing to hasten or retard it." 1 1 I 1861.] GEXEKAL ROBERT E. LEE. 71 The last entries made in this memorandum-book are as follows : '-'-Fehrwjxy 15th, 1861. Relinquislied command of the regiment, Second Cavalrv, and in compliance with Department Special Orders Xo. 16, took mv departure from Fort Mason and commenced my joui'ney to Washington City, to report to the Com- mander-in-chief. 16^A. Reached San Antonio 2'2d. Arrived at Indianola "Zoth. Reached Xew Orleans. 3Iarch Ist Arrived in Alexandria ; took a car- riage and reached Arlington." VTe have seen with what interest and apprehension Colonel Lee, from his remote post in northwestern Texas, noted the approaching storm, but took no part in the agitations which excited the country. The election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presi- dency by the Republican or Anti-slavery paiiy, alarmed the South, and early in 1861, seven of the Southern States withdrew from the Union and formed a new confederacy, which was termed the " Confederate States of America." For a long time, Virginia clung to the Union, exhausting every means in her power to preserve peace ; but finding that troops were to be sent to compel obedience, and being directed to furnish her quota of these troops, she took sides with the South, and in this course was followed by others of the slaveholdins: "Border States." 72 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1861. At tliis crisis, tlie men of each section who had been scattered abroad, engaged in different occupa- tions, rushed to the old homes where had been left family and friends. Southern men who had lived happily a lifetime in the ^orth, hurried back to the place of their birth, and J^orthern men dwelling South felt the same devotion prompting them to side with their section in the approaching conflict. To none did this separation bring so painful a struggle between inclination and duty, as to the ofii- cers of the army and navy, and to no individual a greater struggle than to Colonel Lee. ''For more than a quarter of a century he had served with dis- tinction in the Federal Army, in which, in the opinion of both the army and the country, he held only the second position." * He was expected by all to be the successor to General Scott, and was bound to him by the strongest ties of affection and respect. If he remained in the Federal Army, the highest honors awaited him. The President of the United States sent one of his Cabinet to offer him the command of the army,t and General Scott used all his great influence to induce him to remain. On the 18th of April, Colonel Lee was summoned to Washington by President Lincoln, when his in- terview with Mr. Blair took place. He then bade fiirewell to his old commander, who was much * Lee and his Campaigns. f Statement of Hon. Montgomery Blair. 1861.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 73 affected, and who parted from him with the words, " Lee, you have made the greatest mistake of your life ; but I feared it would be so." Colonel Lee's feehngs are best explained by him- self in the following letter to General Scott, which accompanied his resignation as an officer in the United States Army: " Arlington, Va., April 20th, 1861. ^' General : — Since my inter^dew with you on the 18tli inst., I have felt that I ought not to retain my commission in the army. I therefore tender my resignation, which I request you will recom- mend for acceptance. It would have been pre- sented at once but for the struggle it has cost me to separate myself from a service to which I have devoted all the best years of my life, and all the ability I possessed. " During the whole of that time, more than a quarter of a century, I have experienced nothing but kindness from my Superiors, and the most cor- dial friendship from my comrades. To no one. General, have I been as much indebted as to your- self for uniform kindness and consideration ; and it has always been my ardent desire to merit your approbation. I shall carry to the grave the most grateful recollections of your kind consid- eration ; and your name and fame will always be dear to me. " Save in defence of my native State, I never de- sire again to draw my sword. Be pleased to accept my most earnest wishes for the continuance of your 74 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1861. happiness and prosperity, and believe me most truly yours, R. E. Lee. " Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott, Commanding United States Army." A copy of tlie preceding letter was enclosed in the following one to his sister, Mrs. A. M., of Bal- timore. "Arlington, Va., April 20th, 1861. "My dear Sister: — I am grieved at my in- ability to see you I have been waiting for a ' more convenient season,' which has brought to many before me deep and lasting regret, i^ow we are in a state of war which will yield to noth- ing. The Avhole South is in a state of revolution, into which Virginia, after a long struggle, has been drawn; and though I recognize no necessity for this state of things, and would have forborne and pleaded to the end for redress of grievances, real or supposed, yet, in my own person, I had to meet the question whether I should take part against my native State. "With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the army, and, save in defence of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword. I know you will blame me ; but you must think as kindly of me as you can, 1861.] GENERAL KOBEKT E. LEE. 75 and believe that I have endeavored to do what I thought right. To show you the feebng and strulgle it has cost me, I send a copy of my letter of resignation. I have no time for more May God guard and protect you and yours, and shower upon you everhxsting blessings, is the prayer of your devoted brother, R- E. Lee. In the meantime, Virginia had passed her ordi- nance of secession, April 17th, 1861 ; but, from cir- cumstances well known at the time, the fact was concealed for some days. Before the decision of his State was known to him, on Monday the 22d, Colonel Lee sent in his resignation. A deputation came to invite him to take command of the State forces, and on the same day he left the home he was never again to see, and repaired to Richmond. Great must have been the sense of duty, and sublime the struggle, which resulted in this deci- sion. Not only did he sacrifice honors and distinc- tion, his private fortune, the military associations, which were so dear to him, but he knew that suf- fering and privation were before bim, that the name of traitor would be applied to him by the Government he had served so well, and that he would lose many of the best friends of his eariy life and manhood. AVhenever a man acts conscien- tiously, from a sincere conviction of duty, a just worid gives credit for his motives, and describes his conduct as generous and noble, whatever may have 76 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1861. been the error of his decision. Judged even by this rule, Colonel Lee's adhesion to his native State, on her declaration of war, was a noble action, because it could not have been determined by any other consideration than that of duty, and sacrificed to that sense the meaner questions of fortune.* He has been charged with having influenced other Southern men to leave the United States Army, but nothing can be further from the truth than this as- sertion. One of his old comrades in the United States service writes : '' Immediately upon the elec- tion of Mr. Lincoln, I wrote in the confidence of our long friendship, to ask his advice, and to inquire what would be his course, without eliciting any reply, and we all remarked, that, great as we had ever found his reticence in expressing himself upon all matters connected with the Government, and punctilious as had been his observance of every duty connected Avith his commission, it was even more noticeable at this crisis." Li the address delivered in Richmond, November 3d, 1870, by Mr. Jefierson Davis, he mentions an incident which further illustrates the extreme deli- cacy and nice sense of honor which distinguished Robert E. Lee. Mr. Davis says: " While stationed in Baltimore as captain of engineers, the Cuban Junta selected Captain Lee to be their leader in the struggle for the independence of their native coun- ■^ Lee and his Lieutenants. 1861.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 77 try. They were anxious to secure his services, and offered him every temptation that amhition coukl desire. He thought the matter over, and came to Washington to consult me as to what he should do ; and when I began to discuss the complications which might arise from his acceptance of the trust, he gently rebuked me, saying that this was not the line upon which he wished my advice ; the simple question was ' whether it was right or not ' ? He had been educated by the United States, and felt it wrong to accept a place in the army of a foreign power. But when Virginia withdrew, the State to which he owed his first and last allegiance, the same nice sense of honor led him to draw his sword and throw it in the scale for good or for evil" 78 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1861. CHAPTER VI. Lee in Kichuiond ^ — Ajipointcd Couiniander-in Chief of tlie Vir- ginia Forces — Presented to the Virginia Convention — Address of President Janney — Organization of an Army — Appointed General in the Confederate Service — Ordered to Western Vir- ginia, GliEi^T joy was felt in Richmond when it was known that Colonel Lee had given his name and military talents to the cause of Virginia. Im- mediately upon his arrival, the Governor nominated him as Major-General, with the command of the forces already organized in Virginia, and the State Convention unanimously confirmed the nomination. J^.r;rr'---^r ccn called the Priiu'o Rupert of the South. Fond of adventure, and full of reckless dar- ing, he was yet the true cavalier in every gentle and chivalric virtue, of a blameless life and unaffected l)iety, and possessing a military genius unsurpassed in his own branch of the service, he stands witb Lee and Jackson in the great triumvirate of Vir- ginian heroes. CHAPTER XXV. Skirmishing on the North Anna — On to the Chickahominy — The Second Battle of Cold Harbor. OE" the 23d of May, General Grant arriving at the North Anna River, found Lee again con- fronting him. He had marched by a shorter route from the Court-House, as soon as it was evident that Grant designed moving in this direction, and w^as now established in a very strong position. Two miles back of the river lay Hanover Junc- tion, where the Fredericksburg and Richmond, and the Virginia Central railroads intersected. General Lee's right extended to Hanover Junc- tion, his left to Little River. His centre was at Oxford Mills, close to the river; the two wings thrown back, gave to his line the form of the two 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 249 Sides of an equilateral triangle. Botli flanks were protected by marshes, and also strongly intrenched. General Grant resolved to cross his two wings, thinkino- by this movement to compel his adversary to leave the river. His right, under Warren, was ordered to make the passage at Jericho Ford; and Hancock, on the left, had instructions to cross at the Telegraph bridge, about six miles from the former point. The Telegraph bridge was guarded by a small force, which offered but slight resistance. At Jericho Ford there was no guard ; but after Warren had crossed, he was met by A. P. Hill be- fore reaching the Central railroad, and his advance checked. Grant had been suffered to accomphsh his object. His two army corps were on the south side of the river; but General Lee showed no dis- position to retire. He had planned his position with consummate skill. Grant was lured over the river only to find himself in a trap. His two wings were separated, cut off from all communications south of the river, and should the Confederates mass their forces for an attack on either the right or left, the other would be totally powerless to ren- der any assistance.* To extricate himself from this dangerous situa- tion, General Grant ordered General Burnside to make an attack upon Lee's centre, and drive him *A Northern bistorian says: "The game of war ^eWo"" P",; sen.s a more effectual checkmate than was here given by Let. 250 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. back. H« succeeded in crossing one division at Oxford Mills, but they met with such a rough re- ception, that it was speedily withdrawn. An at- tempt made by Warren to communicate with Burn- side resulted in similar discomfiture. Failing in these efforts, he prudently resoh^ed to recross his troops, withdraAV from the ^orth Anna, and continue his lianldng march. General Lee was indeed master of the situation. If he had been strong enough to assume the offen- sive, he might have made it no easy matter for Grant to resume his former position. But returning unmolested to the north bank of the river. General Grant pushed on to the Pa- munkey, where he would have but a short march to the Chickahominy, which, if he could place between himself and Lee, would put Richmond within his grasp. On the 28th the Federal army had arrived at Hanovertown, Avhere they made the passage of the Pamunkey. But Lee, prompt to forestall his adversary's plans, as soon as it was known that the Federal army had marched to the Pamunke}^, ordered Ewell forward to intercept tlioir advance to the Chickahominy, and soon concentrating all his forces on the banks of the Tottapotomoi, prepared to contest their further progress. Sheridan, in the meanwhile, in command of the Federal cavalry, had been sent to 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 251 destroy the Central Railroad. He was met by Fitz Lee and driven to his supports, when the latter fell back toward Richmond. Several days of skirmishing and manoeuvring for position preceded the great struggle, which was to take place on the old battle-field of '62, and to be known as the " Second Battle of Cold Harbor.^'' Both armies had been reinforced. Grant by six- teen thousand men from Butler's force on the Pen- insula; Lee by Breckinridge with two thousand men, and the divisions of Hoke and Pickett, mak- ing his whole force about forty-four thousand men. General Lee, profiting by his previous knowledge of the ground, gained in the campaign of 1862, was careful to secure good positions for his troops. On the 2d of June both armies were in line of battle. The Confederates held the ground occupied by McClellan in '62, the Federals the old line of the Confederates. Lee's left under Ew^ell w^as at Atlee's Station; his right under Breckinridge, with a part of Hill's corps, held the Cold Harbor ridge. At daw^n on the morning of the 3d, Grant opened the attack wdth a charge along the Avhole line. Hancock assailed Breckinridge on the Confederate right, and succeeded in driving him from a salient in his line, capturing a number of prisoners and several guns. But immediately rallying, Breckin- ridge soon re-established his line. The Florida brigade and Maryland battalion contending wdth 252 A POPULAK LIFE OF [1864. the enemy in a desperate encounter, drove them back after a short struggle from the works they had gained. Seven times in the short space of thirty minutes the attack was renewed, and each time Hancock was repulsed with heavy loss. Ewell, on the left, was attacked by Warren and Burnside, but with little vigor, and easily repulsed the enemy. The contest had been decided in half an hour, between the hours of eleven and twelve.* The Southern loss was not quite twelve hundred; the Federal loss had been something terrible, not less than thirteen thousand men. This enormous disproportion was in a measure due to the fact that the Confederates fought behind breastworks. In the afternoon. General Grant, wishing to renew the attack, gave orders to the corps commanders to be transmitted to their subordinates ; but when the orders reached the men, they refused to advance. They felt that they were called upon for a useless sacrifice of life. "N^o man stirred, and the immo- bile lines pronounced a verdict, silent, yet emphatic, *"It took hardly more than ten minutes of the figment men call time to decide the battle. There was along the whole line a rush — the spectacle of impregnable works — a bloody loss — then a sullen falling back, and the action was decided " The troops went forward 'as far as the example of their offi- cers could carry them,' nor was it possible to urge them beyond : for there they knew lay only death, without even a chance of vic- tory." — SwiNTON : Army of the Potomac, 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 253 against further slaughter." The battle had been decisive, and with it closed the overland campaign. On the 6th General Grant had determined to retire south of the James, and besiege Richmond from this direction. He had been foiled in every successive attack by his wary antagonist, and had proved by the reductio ad ahsurdum argument, as Swinton observes, the futility of the " hammering " mode of warfare un- accompanied by manoeuvring. Lee's successes were the triumphs of military art over brute force. Tac- tical skill, which availed him so well in this cam- paign against the pressure of mere nilmbers, when, as at Cold Harbor, '' the army of the Potomac lost at least twenty men to Lee's one," was yet to achieve much in the new field of operations. It was competent for great results, as the prolonged and skilful defence of Petersburg was to testify. That it was invincible, when all other supports failed, when forbidden to shift his quarters, but at bay behind breastworks, with the encircling legions of '' the Hammerer " fast closing in upon his com- munications, he knew was a fatal delusion. But the Confederacy believed otherwise ; they had the most implicit faith that all was safe as long as he was in command of the army. Accustomed to see him succeed with small means in foiling his ene- mies, they forgot he was mortal and could not always command success, however he might deserve it. 22 254 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. CHAPTER XXYL Operations in the Valley — Hunter's Raid — His Cruelty — But- ler's Advance from Bermuda Hundreds — Battle of Drewry's Bluff — Grant crosses the James — Attempt to take Petersburg by Surprise — Commencement of the Siege. THE programme of General Grant, at the com- mencement of the spring campaign, had em- braced two other movements, in connection with the advance of the main army ; the one having for its object the capture of Lynchburg in southwest- ern Virginia; the other, under Butler, looking to co-operation with Grant from the Peninsula. In May, Sigel had been defeated at New Market by General Breckinridge, but the latter was soon afterwards recalled to General Lee's army, leaving the forces of Hunter, who had succeeded Sigel, with only the small command of General Wm. E. Jones to oppose their progress. On the 5th of June he was met at Piedmont by the Confederates, who were overpowered by supe- rior numbers. The gallant General Jones lost his life while cheering on his men, and half of his small forc^ were made prisoners. Continuing his march, Hunter passed through Lexington, setting fire to the Military Listitute and the dwelling of ex-governor Letcher. On the 16th, he had reached Lynchburg. His 1864.] GENEEAL ROBERT E. LEE. 255 march was marked by ruin and outrage, lighted by the glare of burning houses. As he had declared, he warred upon the womeyi"^ of Virginia, so he spared no opportunity of laying waste their home- steads, and destroying their means of subsistence. General Lee lost no time in sending a portion of his army to the relief of Lynchburg. Ewell's corps, under the command of General Early, was detached for this service. Before Hunter had completed his preparations for assault, Early had arrived with a portion of his corps. The attack was made on the 18th, and repulsed. The remainder of the Confed- erate troops arriving, an advance upon Hunter en- sued, and the latter was soon in full retreat. Early captured thirteen pieces of artillery and took a good many prisoners, forcing Hunter to retreat by a circuitous route, which left open the Valley, thus enabling Early to pass into Maryland. The greatest damage done by Hunter was the destruction of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad *When in the Roanoke Valley, he went with two soldiers to burn the house of a lady, whose crime was that she had harbored a Southern soldier. She pleaded for her children and herself, who would thus be left without protection and without shelter. "General," she said, "'you do not war against women?" "It is the very thing I came to do, Madam. I intend to make the women feel this war. They are instigating and encouraging the men in 'rebellion,' and they shall sutfer too." He then rode off, leaving the two men to carry out his orders; but the soldiers, more humane than their general, and moved by the tears of the poor lady, spared the house. This anecdote is given by a lady who was present at the time, and several others testify to his having used the same language to them in similar circumstances. 256 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. for the distance of a hundred and thirty-five miles, but it was repaired in sixty days. On the south side, Butler, early in May, bring- ing up his troops from York River, landed at City Point, and threw up fortifications near Bermuda Hundreds. The country between the Appomattox and the James was at this time very poorly defended. Petersburg contained but one regiment, and Drew- ry's Blufi" was garrisoned by a very small force. As soon as the Confederate Government was made aware that active operations might be ex- pected in this quarter, measures were taken for its protection. General Beauregard was put in com- mand of the defences of the south side. "With him came all the troops that could be spared from Charleston, and the divisions of Hoke and Pickett were brought up from IS'orth Carolina. Pickett arrived at Petersburg with his division on the same day that Butler landed at Bermuda Hundreds. On the 6th, a skirmish occurred at Port Walthal Junction, about half-way between Petersburg and Drewry's Bluff, in which the enemy were driven back. Butler advanced again on the morning of the 7th, and was repulsed by Pickett's division at the same point. Pickett, in order to deceive the enemy with the idea that reinforcements were com- ing into Petersburg, ran the locomotives backwards 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 257 and forwards all niglit, but fortunately Butler did not attempt to occupy the town. On tlie 9th, however, he proceeded with his whole force to Chester, on the railroad between Petersburg and Richmond, and di^ading his army, with one-half facing Richmond, was about to moye upon Petersburg with the other. At this juncture, a despatch from the Federal Goyernment reached him that Grant was pressing Lee upon Richmond. Butler immediately abandoned his plan of attack- ing Petersburg, and turned all his thoughts upon Richmond. Beauregard arrived on the 13th, and occupied a strong line in front of Drewry's BlulF. Butler fol- lowing the Confederates to Drewry's Bluff, was permitted by Beauregard to occupy his outer line of works. Beauregard was anxious to draw him as far as possible from his gun-boats, and deter- mined to strike a decisive blow, which, if success- ful, would have resulted in the destruction or sur- render of his whole command. On the morning of the 16th of May, under cover of a dense fog, General Beauregard made his at- tack. Butler's right was completely broken. The attack upon the other wing was not so successful, but the advantage gained was sufficient to have in- sured the destruction of Butler's army had it not been for the extraordinary inaction of General Whiting. This officer, who was in Butler's rear at 22* R 258 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. Port Waltlial Junction with a large force, was ordered to throw forward his command across the neck of land between the two rivers, place himself upon the line of retreat, and cut Butler oiF from his base at Bermuda Hundreds. But General Whiting remained stationary at Port Walthal Junction, and thus prevented the execution of Beauregard's bril- liant scheme. During the night of the 16th, Butler withdrew his forces to Bermuda Hundreds. By the 1st of June his army " was as completely shut off from further operations directly against Eichmond," in the forcible language of General Grant, ''as if it had been in a bottle strongly corked." On the 12th of June General Grant prepared to leave the Chickahominy on his march to the James, which he crossed at Wilcox's Landing on the 14th. General Lee was well informed as to his adversary's movements, but, in the absence of Early, did not deem it prudent to attempt to stop his progress. He proceeded to put his army in a position to cover Eichmond, or to march to the defence of Peters- burg, in case this should be the object of Grant's attack. Grant, it was soon apparent, had resolved upon surprising Petersburg, and gaining possession of it before Lee could send forward a sufficient force to resist him. General Smith was dispatched in advance of the main army to carry this plan into" effect. About six miles from Petersburg he came 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 259 upon Confederate works, guarded by a small force of local militia, made up of men and boys of the town, under Captain Farinliolt, wlio fought bravely. These works were soon taken ; but advancing upon the fortifications nearer the city, he was surprised at their strong appearance, and, deceived by the steady fire of the Confederates, concluded that their force was much greater than he had been led to suppose. Late in the evening an attack was made upon the outer line, and the Confederates, after repulsing three successive assaults, at length fell back to the inner works. Beauregard, seeing the great danger to which Petersburg was exposed, detached the greater por- tion of his command from Butler's front to aid in its defence. General Lee, who was advancing as rapidly as possible, found Butler menacing the railroads and already occupying Beauregard's deserted works. Anderson's corps hastened forward, and Pickett's division, dashing impetuously upon the enemy, drove him back to Bermuda Hundreds, and re- established Beauregard's line. General Lee, not wishing to bring on a battle at this point, gave orders not to press the enemy, but to confine themselves to checking Butler's advance. But the gallant men of Pickett's division could not be held back. 260 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. " "We tried very hard," wrote General Lee, in a complimentary despatch to the corps commander, " to stop Pickett's men from capturing the breast- works of the enemy, but could not do it." The Federal General in front of Petersburg, in the meanwhile, contented himself with holding the works he had won, and awaited the arrival of Grant to renew the attack. General Lee's advanced forces arrived in Peters- burg on the night of the 15th. The Federals, re- inforced by the arrival of the 9th corps, had as- saulted the Confederate works that day about noon, and again driven in the besieged forces ; but upon General Lee's arrival with fresh troops, the works were regained. The attack renewed on the 17th and 18th each time proved unsuccessful. Grant losing in these assaults ten thousand men. It was plain that the " Cockade City " was no longer an easy prey, and Grant, becoming con- vinced that the city could not now be taken by direct assault, intrenched his army and prepared for a regular investment. In order to complete his operations, it was necessary to get possession of the Weldon Railroad, and a force was sent out for this purpose on the evening of the 21st. General Lee ordered Mahone's division to cut them off, which was promptly done. Mahone falling upon them, captured several regiments and a bat- tery of guns, returning to his position with equal celeritv. 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 261 A cavalry party of the enemy was sent off about the same time for the purpose of getting possession of the railroads south of the Appomattox. After partly accomplishing their work, they were pursued by General W, H. F. Lee, and routed by General Hampton in an engagement on the 28th. Besides a number of prisoners taken, all the artil- lery and trains, abandoned in their rapid retreat, fell into the hands of the Confederates. CHAPTER XXYIL The Battle of the Crater — Terrible Carnage— Early's Advance into Maryland — Battle of Monocacy — In Sight of the Capitol — Early Retires to the Opequon. A T this time. General Grant's able chief of artil- lery and of engineers pronounced an assault upon the defences of Petersburg " impracticable." These defences extended in a strong line east and south of the city, and far enough on the west to reach beyond the extreme left of the besieging army. Xorth of the Appomattox similar works secured it against any attack from Butler. There were frequent skirmishes between the op- posing forces, but no event of any importance took place until the latter part of July, when occurred 262 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. wliat is known in the South as the battle of the Crater. One of Burnside's officers had in June proposed a plan by which he deemed the city could be made an easy capture. This was to dig a mine under an angle of the Confederate works that extended within a hundred and fifty yards of the Federal line. The fort which occupied this angle destroyed by the explosion, a breach would be made through which a column of the assailants could rush upon the ridge beyond. A lodgment once secured, the reduction of the whole line would soon follow. The work was planned and executed with the greatest secrecy. At length, on the 25th of July, the mine was ready. A tunnel five hundred feet in length conducted to the magazine, which was di- rectly under the Confederate fort. In this were placed twelve thousand pounds of powder. In order to divert suspicion, and to force General Lee to weaken the garrison at Petersburg, General Grant detached Hancock's corps to unite with But- ler in a feint upon Eichmond. General Lee sent off several divisions to meet this demonstration, and succeeded in pressing Hancock so heavily as to make it evident nothing was to be accomplished in this direction. At the same time. Grant, confi- dent from the resistance offered to Hancock, that Lee had considerably reduced his numbers, ordered the former to return with the utmost secrecy on 1864.] GENERAL KOBERT E. LEE. 263 the 29tli, to take part in the great assault to be made the following day. General Lee, though ignorant of the real state of affairs, was not deceived by the movement north of the James, and believed that it covered some de- sign upon the lines in front of Petersburg. At dawn on the morning of the 30th, this design suddenly unfolded itself The Confederates were roused from sleep by a terrific explosion, which actually hurled the fort into the air. A chasm a hundred and fifty feet long, sixty-five feet wide, and twenty-five or thirty feet deep, filled the space where a moment before the Confederate works had been. Instantly, before the clouds of smoke and dust had subsided, the fire of the Federal artillery opening along the whole line, lent its terrors to the scene. A Federal corps, fifteen thousand strong, advanced quickly to the edge of the crater. It was expected they should gain the ridge before the Confederates could recover from their surprise and alarm. But they halted unaccountably ; a sudden irresolution seized them. In the meanwhile, the men of Lee, quick to recover their self-possession, brought up guns and formed in line. Mahone's di- vision was ordered forward to meet the assailants, but the latter, after one feeble charge, fell back into the fatal pit, upon Avhich the Confederate guns poured a destructive fire. Afraid to advance, and hesitatins: to encounter the almost certain destruc- 264 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. tion which awaited them if they attempted to cross the open space which lay between the pit and their own lines, the demoralized and panic-stricken foe, black and white commingled, trampled one another down in this cavern of death. So terrible was the carnage created by the Con- federate guns, that General Mahone is reported to have turned away, saying, " Stop the fire ; it makes me sick." In this "miserable affair," as General Grant after- w^ards termed it, the Federal loss was four thousand, while the Confederate loss had been but a few^ hun- dreds. A singular verdict was afterwards rendered by the Congressional Committee, convened to pro- nounce judgment on this afiair of the mine. " The first and great cause of disaster was the employment of white instead of black troops to make the charge.'^ While General Lee was engaged with Grant in front of Petersburg, Early, who had driven Hunter before him from the Valley, pushed forward into Maryland. By thus threatening the Federal capi- tal. General Lee hoped to remove the pressure from his front. On the 3d of Jul}^, Early had reached Martins- burg. On the 7th he w^as at Frederick City, from which place he could move either upon Baltimore or Washington. But some troops had been hastily collected to oppose him, under the command of General Wallace; and establishing themselves on 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 265 the left bank of the Monocacy near Frederick City, prepared to resist the Confederate advance. Gen- eral Early attacked them on the 8th. The Federals, breaking, retreated in the utmost confusion in the direction of Gettysburg, leaving the way open to Washington. General Wallace lost a thousand killed and wounded in this engagement and seven hundred prisoners. Leaving Monocacy, General Early reached Rock- ville on the 10th, in sight of Washington. Great alarm prevailed here and throughout the ]N"orth at the near approach of the " Rebel " leader. From the windows of the capitol the Southern flag could be plainly distinguished, and the firing of the Con- federate skirmishers could be heard in the chambers of the White House. At last it seemed as if the cherished hope of seizing Washington was to be accomplished. But General Early hesitated; the long and arduous march in the heat of summer had reduced his num- bers to eight thousand infantry, which, with two thousand cavalry and forty pieces of artillery, made up his whole command. They had marched five hundred miles, averaging twenty miles a day. Many had dropped down on the way, exhausted by heat and fatigue. General Early had no means of knowing what forces lay behind the strong de- fences of Washington, and did not deem it pru- dent to attack them. It was afterwards ascertained 23 266 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. that a large force under General Wright, ordered to the defence of the capital, had arrived there just before Early. Falling back from before Washington, General Early's rear-guard engaging General Wright, who had followed in pursuit, at Snicker's Ferry, the lat- ter was repulsed, -and returned to Washington. Later in July, Early sent a cavalry party into Pennsylvania under General McCausland, to burn Chambersburg, in retaliation for the outrages com- mitted by Hunter in Virginia. General Grant, who had at first concluded to recall the troops sent from Petersburg, finding Early's army remained in the Valley, a standing menace to Washington and Pennsylvania, decided to leave them under the command of Hunter. A new command was organized to be known as the Middle Military Division, and given to General Hunter. General Early brought back with him from Mary- land valuable supplies, which were much needed — &ve thousand horses and twenty-five hundred beef cattle. His movement had been not without success as regarded its primary object, justifying the wise policy of the Confederate commander-in-chief. An army of forty or fifty thousand men were sent to watch Early, who had established himself on the banks of the Opequon, Grant's forces being depleted to this amount. 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 267 CHAPTER XXYIII. Battle of Chafin's Farm — Struggles for the Weldon Road — Ream's Station — The South Side Road — Hatcher's Run — General Lee's Despatch — Reverses in the Valley — Winchester — Fish- er's Hill — Cedar Creek — General Lee's Letter to General Early. AFTEE tlie failure of tlie mine no further direct attack was made upon Petersburg. General Grant sought to extend his lines to the left, in order to gain possession of the important railroads, which were the avenues of communication between Rich- mond and the South. At the same time several movements were made on the north side of the James, of which the ulte- rior object was to draw off attention from the south side. In August, General Hancock landed at Deep Bottom with a large force, from Avhich point it was deemed a successful attack might be made on Cha- fin's Bluff. Several days of indecisive skirmishing were followed, on the 16th, by an assault on the Southern position. At first successful, it ended at length in the complete repulse of the attacking force, the Confederates holding the entire line after nine hours' heavy fighting. On the 20th Hancock returned to the south side, having lost in his fruitless expedition fifteen 268 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. hundred men. The Confederate loss did not ex- ceed five hundred. General Lee had long before expressed his ina- bility to hold the Weldon Road, should the enemy make any serious effort to gain it. But, in obedi- ence to the wishes of the Government, he endeav- ored to retain it as long as possible. Therefore when General Grant, in pursuance of the plan al- ready intimated, taking advantage of the depletion of Lee's lines from the withdrawal of the rein- forcements sent to meet Hancock, occupied the Weldon Road, it was nothing more than General Lee had anticipated. He resolved, however, to make an effort to dislodge the Federal force under Warren, which held possession of it. On the 19tli, two divisions of Hill's corps attacked Warren with some success, though failing to drive him off. A series of ens-ao'ements followed, resultino' in severe losses to the Federals, but they continued to retain the road. General Warren reported in this under- taking a loss of four thousand four hundred and fifty-five in killed, wounded, and missing. At Ream's Station another engagement ensued, on the 25th of August, between Hancock, avIio had been sent up behind Warren, and a portion of A. -P. Hill's corps. Here the Federal forces were re- pulsed with severe loss ; Heth's division, making a vigorous charge, broke their line, and Hampton's cavalj?y following, completed their discomfiture. 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 269 But this victory did not alter the general result. "Warren threw up intrenchments and prepared to make his position a permanent line. In September, another movement was planned for an advance upon the north side. Butler moved out towards Chafin's Farm on the 28th, and, under cover of a movement of Warren's, succeeded in capturing Fort Harrison, an impor- tant post, from which he threatened the Confederate main line. An effort was made subsequently to recover this fort, but without success. All attempts on the part of Butler, however, to penetrate fur- ther towards the Confederate works at Chafin's Bluff were repulsed. The loss of the Weldon Road was of minor im- portance to the Confederates as long as they re- tained the South Side Road. This, therefore, was the great object to which all General Grant's move- ments tended. In October, a final attempt was made on a large scale to accomplish its capture before the winter set in. The troops were put in light marching order. Three corps proceeded, on the 27th, to Hatcher's Run, leaving a force barely sufiacient to hold the works at Petersburg. Hatcher's Run crosses the Boydton Road,* where the extreme right of the Con- federate force was intrenched. Upon nearing the Boydton Road, the Confederate line was found to extend much beyond the point where they had sup- 23* 270 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. posed it terminated, and was, moreover, so strong that Hancock hesitated to attack it. During the march, a gap occurred between the 5th corps, which had been sent to Hancock's as- sistance, and his own immediate command. This afforded an opportunity for the Confederates to throw a force in between them. Mahone attacked Hancock's right, driving it more than a mile. Hampton's cavahy closed in upon his rear at the same time. Four hundred prisoners and six pieces of artillery fell into the hands of the Confederates. Later in the day Hancock attacked Mahone, and endeavored to regain his former position, but with- out success. General Lee's despatch of 28th October gives the following report of this affiiir : "Headquarters Army Northern Virginia, " October 28, 1864. "Hon. Secretary of War. " General Hill reports that the attack of General Heth upon the enemy on the Boydton Plank Road, mentioned in my despatch last evening, was made by three brigades under General Mahone in front, and General Hampton in the rear. Mahone cap- tured four hundred prisoners, three stand of colors, and six pieces of artillery. The latter could not be brought oif, the enemy having possession of the bridge. " In the attack subsequently made by the enemy, General Mahone broke three lines of battle, and 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 271 during the night the enemy retreated from the Bojdton Koad, leaving his wounded and more than two hundred and fifty dead on the field. '^ About nine o'clock p. m., a small force as- saulted and took possession of our works on the Baxter Road, in front of Petersburg, but were soon driven out. " On the Williamsburg Road, General Field cap- tured upward of four hundred prisoners and seven stand of colors. The enemy left a number of dead in front of our works, and to-day retreated to his former position. R. E. Lee." Thus ended this ambitious movement. The Con- federate outer lines had been found to be quite as strong as those around Petersburg. In the meantime, events in the Valley had not fulfilled the expectations of the army and the country. General Early had a difficult task before him. The circumstances were very similar to those that had called into action the splendid genius of Jack- son, and the theatre of war the same that had wit- nessed his great feats of arms. Sheridan, who had succeeded Hunter, command- ed in this Valley campaign not less than thirty thousand infantry and ten thousand cavalry. General Early's force numbered eight thousand five hundred infantry-, and three thousand cavalry, badly mounted and badly armed. Notwithstanding 272 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. tliis great advantage, Sliericlaii remained inactive through the month of August, and it was not until the latter part of September that any movement was made. On the 19th, the battle of Winchester took place, or, as it has been called by Northern writers, the battle of the Opequon. Thirty thousand inftmtry engaged eight thousand. After several hours of hard fighting, during which the Southern forces bravely held their ground, at four in the evening Sheridan brought up his cavalry. They completely enveloped the Confederate left. All the troops were closely engaged. There were no forces to bring against this overwhelming advance of the Federal cavalry. "With their flank turned and hotly pressed in front, the Confederates, who had so gal- lantly withstood the infantry attack from eleven o'clock until four, were compelled to fall back.* General Early lost twenty-five hundred prisoners and ^ve pieces of artillery. Eetreating through the Valley, he took up a position at Fisher's Hill, on the Shenandoah, near Strasburg. General Early, in his " Memoirs of the Last Year of the "War," says of this battle : " As it was, con- *"The Confederate cavalry of the Valley, consisting of two divisions under Fitz-Lee and Lomax, was at this time in a deplor- able condition, materially and morally. 'Our horses,' says a letter from a Confederate oflficer of this force, ' had been fed on nothing but hay for some time, and were quite weak ; and want of dis- cipline had greatly demoralized the men.' " — Sinnton.. 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 273 sidering tlie immense disparity of numbers and equipment, tlie enemy had very little to boast of. I had lost a few pieces of artillery and some very valuable officers and men, but the main part of my force and all my trains bad been saved, and the enemy's loss in killed and wounded was far greater tlian mine." At Winchester fell the gallant Major-General Eodes, to whose valuable counsels General Early expressed himself much indebted at this time of grave responsibihty and trial. At Fishefs nm, on the 22d of September, another engagement occurred. It could scarcely be called a battle. Early's army now numbered but four thousand infantry, and his cavalry was also much reduced. Attacked at the same time in front and rear, his left resting on North Mountain ha^dng been flanked by an infantry corps, Early was driven in disorder, but his line of retreat, kept open at Mil- ford by a division of Confederate cavalry under General Wickham, enabled him to reach the Blue Eidge in safety. Sheridan now proceeded to lay waste the Valley, destroying not only forage and those articles which it might be considered allowable to waste m time of war,* but farming implements, and '' over seventy mills filled with flour and wheat." This has been * He says : " I have destroyed 2,000 barns filled with hay and farming implements." S 274 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. characterized even by a I^orthern writer as a viola- tion of the law of nations. After quoting Sheri- dan's despatch, he adds, " this dread bulletin recites acts, some of which are indefensible." * Cooke thus graphically describes the desolation caused by this cruel conduct : " Before the torches in the hands of his troops, houses, barns, mills, farming implements, all dis- appeared in flame. Women and children were seen flying by the light of burning dwellings. Corn, wheat, and forage, the only supplies left the inhabitants, were seized or destroyed. The very ploughs and rakes were broken up and rendered useless. From the women, gray beards, and chil- dren, threatened with starvation, went up a cry to God for vengeance on the author of this enor- mity." As the IsTorthern historian quoted above has observed, the desolation of the Palatinate by the French armies in 1674, which called down on Louvois the censures of the civilized world, was not more complete. General Early was reinforced at this time by Kershaw's division of infantry, and six hundred cavalry, and returning to the Yalley, determined upon an assault on the Federal position at Cedar Creek. A direct attack was deemed too hazardous, and a surprise was accordingly planned, consisting of a flank movement on the enemy's left. * SwiNTON : Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac. 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 275 On tlie niglit of the 18tli, a column of Confed- erate infantry succeeded in getting in their rear. The Federal troops were roused from sleep hy the shouts of the victorious Southerners in their midst. The camp, with all that it contained, hecame the prize of the Confederates. Eighteen pieces of artillery and fifteen hundred prisoners fell into their hands. General Wright, in temporary com- mand of the Federal troops, endeavored to rally the disor2:anized masses, hut without success. The attack in front, which had followed the flanking movement, was equally resistless. The victory seemed complete. At Middletown, General Wright had paused. Pursued hy the Confederates, he con- tinued his retreat, hut soon halted again, and, re- forming his hne, prepared to attack Early in turn. The Confederate troops in the meanwhile, attracted hy the rich spoils of the Federal camp, shamefully forgot their duty, and losing all disciphne, were in no condition to receive the counter-charge. The Confederate victory of the morning, in the afternoon was changed to defeat. With this morti- fying result ended all hopes for the Valley. "^ Of this hattle. General Early says : '' This was the case of a glorious victory given up hy my own troops after they had won it, and it is to be accounted for on the ground of the partial demorahzation caused by the plunder of the ene- my's camps, and from the fact that the men under- 276 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. took to judge for themselves when it was proper to retire " I read a sharp lecture to my troops, in an ad- dress published to them a few days after the battle, but I never attributed the result to a want of cour- age on their part, for I had seen them perform too many prodigies of valor to doubt that there was an individuality about the Confederate soldier which caused him- to act often in battle according to his own opinions, and thereby impair his own effi- ciency, and the tempting bait offered by the rich plunder of the camps of the enemy's well-fed and well-clothed troops, was frequently too great for our destitute soldiers, and caused them to pause in the career of victory." * * General Early was not long afterwards relieved of his com- mand in the Valley, upon which occasion General Lee wrote him the following considerate letter : " Headquarters C. S. Armies, "30th March, 1865. "Lieutenant-General J. A. Early, Franklin Co., Va. "General : — My telegram will have informed you that I deem a change of commanders in your department necessary ; but it is due to your zealous and patriotic services that I should explain the reasons that prompted my action. The situation of aflFairs is such that we can neglect no means calculated to develop the resources we possess to the greatest extent, and make them as efficient as possible. To this end it is essential that we should have the cheerful and hearty support of the people, and the full confidence of the soldiers, without which our efforts would be embarrassed and our means of resistance weakened. T have reluctantly arrived at the conclusion that you cannot command the united and willing co-operation which is so essential to success. Your reverses in the Valley, of which the public and the army judge chiefly by the results, have, I fear, impaired your influence both with the people and the soldiers, and would add greatly to the difficulties which will under any circum- stances attend our military operations in S. W. Virginia. While my own confidence in your ability, zeal, and devotion to the cause 1864.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 277 CHAPTER XXIX. Winter in the Trenches — Sufferings of the Troops — "Z-es Mise- rables" — Disasters in the South — Depression of the People — General Lee appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Armies — Failure of Peace Negotiations — Proposed Enlistment of Negroes. AFTEE the '' great reconnoissance " in October, the armies around Petersburg went into win- ter-quarters. Xo extensive movement could be car- ried on at this season. In December, however, another attack was made on the Weldon Road, for the purpose of extending the Federal lines further southward. Hampton encountered Warren's pick- ets and drove them in, repulsing the latter at Bell- field ; but Warren succeeded, before Hampton ar- rived, in destroying a considerable portion of the is unimpaired, I have nevertheless felt that I could not oppose what seems to be the current of opinion, without injustice to your reputation and injury to the service. I therefore felt con- strained to endeavor to find a commander who would be more likely to develop the strength and resources of the country, and inspire the soldiers with proper confidence ; and to accomplish this purpose, I thought it proper to yield my own opinion, and to defer to that of those to whom alone we can look for support. I am sure that you will understand and appreciate my motives, and no one will be more ready than yourself to acquiesce in any meas- ures which the interests of the*country may seem to require, re p-ardless of all personal considerations. " "Thanking you for the fidelity and energy with which you have always supported my efforts, and for the courage and devo tion you have ever manifested in the service of the country, I am, vei-y respectfully and truly, " Your obedient servant, "R. E. Lee, General." 24 278 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. road. With tlie exception of continual picket- firing, all was now quiet. But winter, though bringing with it exemption from active duty, fear- fully increased the suiferings and privations of the poor soldiers of the South. At one time during this last month of '64, Gen- eral Lee had hut nine days' rations for his army. Owing to the want of warm clothing and short rations, desertions became more and more frequent. Fortunately, the arrival of several ships at "Wilming- ton, loaded with supplies, enabled the Government to relieve the army in this great emergency. Cooke, in one of his interesting books about the war, gives a graphic picture of their condition at this period of the struggle : " They had a quarter of a pound of rancid ' ^N'assau bacon,' from ^ew England, for daily rations of meat. The handful of flour or cornmeal which they received was musty. Coffee and sugar were doled out as a luxury now and then only ; and the microscopic ration became a jest to those who looked at it *' Their clothes, blankets, and shoes were no bet- ter — even worse. Only at long intervals could the Government issue new ones to them. Thus the arm}^ was in tatters. The old clothes hung on the men like scarecrows. Their gray jackets were in rags, and did not keep out the chilly wind sweeping over the frozen fields. Their old blankets were in shreds, and gave them little warmth when they 1864.] GENEEAL ROBERT E. LEE. 279 wrapped themselves in them, shivering in the long, cold nights. The old shoes, patched and yawning, had served in many a march and hattle, and now allowed the naked sole to touch the hard and frosty ground." They were indeed " Lee's Miserables."* And their noble leader felt keenly the privations of his men. He spared no exertion to ameliorate the hardships of their condition. But the Govern- ment seemed to find it impossible to make any bet- ter provision for its defenders. The cheerfulness and composure of General Lee under the pressing anxieties of this memorable winter excited the wonder and admiration of all who saw him. The love and confidence of the soldiers had long been his ; and as one by one the armies of the South and * "They called themselves Lee's Miserables, . . . and the name had had a somewhat curious origin. Victor Hugo's work, Les Miserables, had been translated and published by a house in Rich- mond; the soldiers, in the great dearth of reading-matter, had seized upon it ; and thus, by a strange chance, the tragic story of the great French writer had become known to the soldiers in the trenches. Everywhere you might see the gaunt figures in their tattered jackets, bending over the dingy pamphlets—' Fantine,' 'Cosette,' or 'Marius,' or 'St. Denis,' and the woes of 'Jean Valjean,' the old galley-slave, found an echo in the hearts of these brave soldiers, immured in the trenches and fettered by duty to their muskets or their cannon." — Mohun. A story went the rounds of the papers at this time, of an old woman, who, seeing the notice of one of this series in a booksel- ler's shop, " Les Miserables," "Fantine," mistook it for a bulle- tin from the seat of war. " Lee's Miserables, fainting ! " exclaimed the excited old lady, and she went in to ask for further details, as her son was " one of them." 280 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1864. West fell back before the foe, leaving Sherman to pursue his unmolested " march to the sea," allow- ing Wilmington, though bravely defended by the handful of troops at Fort Fisher, to be lost to the South, with its valuable seaport, all eyes turned upon General Lee as the one hope of the sorely tried nation. In an editorial of the " Examiner " of December 29, we have a glimpse of the state of public feeling, and the measure that was clam- ored for as a remedy for the evils that were believed to exist, namely, the transfer of the supreme mili- tary power to General Lee. " The Southern States," says this writer, " are in no danger so long as the spirit of the people is what it has hitherto been. But let us not be blind to the truth, that there is such a thing possible as a decay of national confidence and a death of national spirit. There is such a thing as heartbreak for na- tions as for individuals. There are such things as hopelessness and despair, lethargy and apath}^ A conviction that all that it will do must come to nought, all sacrifices it can make be rendered vain by an irremediable cause, — a conviction resting on rational grounds, both of reflection and experiment, — will produce this state of feeling in any nation, however heroic and obstinate " ISTo thing will remove the cloud, or rather the lurid, ill-omened light which now rests on the fu- ture, but measures that touch the root of our evil. Such a measure there is. . . . It is the creation of a new officer — a commander-in-chief — who shall 1865.] GENEEAL ROBERT E. LEE. 281 exercise supreme control over the armies and mili- tary affairs of this Confederacy ; and the appoint- ment of General Lee to be that officer." With the beginning of the 'New Year came ru- mors of peace, and the public mind was greatly ex- cited by the secret visit of Mr. Blair to Richmond. In the meanwhile, General Lee's army, dimin- ished to thirty-three thousand men, was stretched along a line forty miles in extent ; and Grant con- fronted this feeble hne ^vith not less than a hundred and sixty thousand. That General Lee should have succeeded so long in keeping this host at bay, is a proof of his consummate genius. Swinton says of these operations around Petersburg : "The success of the Confederate tactics was wonderful. Each movement, saving that of the Weldon Railroad, which was conducted on a differ- ent principle, ending in a check, generally accom- panied by one or more thousand prisoners. The aggregate of captures made by the enemy in these successive swoops is astonishing." In February, the last of these movements was made by Grant, in which he established himself on Hatcher's Run. A fight took place between the Federal troops and Hill's and Gordon's corps. On the 6th, Pegram's division was hotly engaged. " The battle was obstinately contested for several hours; but General Pegram being killed while bravely encouraging his men, and Colonel Hoffman 24* 282 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. wounded, some confusion occurred, and the division was pressed back to its original position. Evan's division, ordered by General Gordon to support Pegram's, charged the enemy and forced him back, but was in turn compelled to retire. Mahone's di- vision arriving, the enemy was driven rapidly to his defences on Hatcher's Run." * The Federal loss was two thousand men ; the Con- federate loss, one thousand. General Grant had extended his lines two or three miles, but had ad- vanced no nearer to the South Side Road. Indeed, as pointed out by a Northern historian, all Grant's movements to the left, after reaching the Weldon Road, had resulted in carrying him farther away from the object of these expeditions ; '' for Lee, by thrusting his right southward along the Boydton Plank Road, caused the Union intrenched line to run in the contrary direction to that of the South Side Railroad." f A day or two after this affair. General Lee re- ceived his appointment as Commander-in-Chief, which had at length passed the House. With char- acteristic modesty, he rather shunned than courted a position of such high responsibility. His rela- tions also with the President, always of the most friendly nature, made him hesitate to accept an office which might seem to clash with the preroga- tives of the Executive. But the combined voice of rulers and people had elected him as the tried spirit * General Lee's Report. f Swinton. 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 283 best fitted to deliver tliem from the perils fast clos- ing in on every side. He could not refuse; but the confidence came too late. About this time, the result of the conference be- tween the Peace Commissioners at Fortress Monroe became known. President Davis had made " Iiide- pendence " the basis upon which alone peace could be estabhshed. Popular indignation was roused to the utmost when the humiliating proposals of the enemy were made known. Mass meetings in Rich- mond attested the spirit and resolution of the people, stung to new exertions by the thought of what fail- m^e would bring to them. Patriotic resolutions from the army were sent to the daily papers, in which they declared their determination to " con- secrate anew " their lives and fortunes to the sacred cause for which they had battled so long. " There is a profound and powerful spring of revivified passion, wrath, and resolve in our Con- federate people," says the "Examiner." "The high and keen military spirit of the war's first year flames up again; and that tide is rising which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." The spirit was there indeed, but how to utilize it to the great end in view ? General Lee needed more men. But if the Gov- ernment could with difficulty sustain those already in the field, how arm and equip new levies? how feed them ? The proposal to use negro troops had 284 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. met with great opposition in the early part of the war by the people generally. But on the failure of the conscription, which it had been estimated would put four hundred thousand troops in the service, a bill was brought forward in the House, in I^ovem- ber, providing for the enlistment of negroes. Gen- eral Lee was in favor of the measure, and in Febru- ary wrote a letter to the House expressing his views on the subject. In this communication, he says : ^' I think the measure not only expedient, but necessary. The enemy will certainly use them against us if he can get possession of them ; and as his present numerical superiority will enable him to penetrate many parts of the country, I cannot see the wisdom of the policy of holding them to await his arrival, when we may, by timely action and judicious management, use them to arrest his progress." He gives it as his opinion that the}^ would make good soldiers, if properly trained ; and adds, ^' I think those who are employed should be freed. It would be neither just nor wise, in my opinion, to require them to serve as slaves." The bill, which passed the House in March, too late to be of any jDractical use, was wanting in the marks of wisdom and justice here indicated, as it provided for the use of slaves at their master's option without freeing them. In the latter part of February, a Qorrespondence between General Lee and General Grant took place, 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 285 arising out of a misapprehension of the Federal General Ord, with regard to the subject of opening peace negotiations by means of a military conven- tion. But General Grant professed to have no power to act except in matters of a purely military character. This ended the last effort for peace. It was now felt that the struggle must be fought out to the bitter end. E'one dreamed how near that end was. CHAPTEE XXX. General Lee's Order Assuming Command of the Confederate Forces — Fight at Hare's Hill — At Five Forks — Last Days at Petersburg — Gallant Defence of Fort Gregg. GE:NrERAL LEE having accepted the new office conferred upon him, issued the following gen- eral order : Headquarters Confederate Army, February 9, 1865. " General Order, Ko. 1. " In obedience to General Order, E'o. 3, Adjutant- and Inspector-General's Office, 6th February, 1865, I assume command of the military forces of the Confederate States. Deeply impressed with the difficulties and responsibility of the position, and humbly invoking the guidance of Almighty God, I rely for success upon the courage and fortitude of the army, sustained by the patriotism and firmness 286 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. of the people, confident that their united efforts, under the blessing of Heaven, will secure peace and independence. " The headquarters of the arm}^, to which all special reports and communications will be ad- dressed, will be, for the present, with the army of I^orthern Virginia. The stated and regular returns and reports of each army and department will be forwarded , as heretofore, to the office of the Adj utant- and Inspector-General. " R. E. Lee, General." A [N'orthern editor, commenting on this appoint- ment, and one of its first results, — the evacuation of Charleston, — writes : " It has been said that the rebellion was a shell ; the shell is ours, and while we hold the worthless fragments, its invulnerable core, the great, strong heart, defies and baffles us. " To one who trul}^ conceives the meaning of the change of ]3olicy that has been inaugurated by the abandonment and destruction of Charleston, the shadow of coming battles looks darker and more vast than ever before. To one brain, we know how fertile the resources, — to one heart, we know how firm and true, — to one intellect, we know how gifted with martial attributes, — to one man, we know how capable to plan, to strike, to thwart, to retrieve error, or to take advantage of it, the mili- tary fortunes of the South have been confided." * *New York News, Feb. 22, 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 287 But the policy here foreshadowed it was not per- mitted him to carry out. Had the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond followed that of Charleston, the war would doubtless have been prolonged to a successful issue. General Lee knew that the line he held, already so attenuated, could not be stretched much farther. With the opening of the spring campaign. Grant would make a final effort to take the South Side Road, and this lost, all was lost. General Lee's plan was therefore — giving up these two cities, which he well knew could not be much longer de- fended — to move his army into J^orth Carolina, and there effect a junction with the army of General Johnston. With the two armies united in the interior, a new lease of life would be gained for the tottering fabric of the Confederacy. But the Government opposed the views of the commander- in-chief. General Lee then abandoned his intention, yielding to the considerations which represented the bad moral effect likely to result from the volun- tary surrender of the Confederate capital. Li the latter part of March General Lee prepared to assume the offensive. Since it was decided to maintain the defence of Petersburg, it was impera- tive that a bold effort should be made to relieve the Confederate right from the heavy pressure upon it, and by striking a blow at Grant in the opposite direction, ward off the danger that menaced the 288 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865- South Side Eoad. An attack on the Federal cen- tre, east of Petersburg, would oblige Grant to draw in his left. A Confederate force wedged in between the two wings threatening the City Point Railroad, by which Grant received most of his supplies, would materially alter the aspect of affairs. Then, while Grant was massing troops in his front to re- sist their further advance. General Lee could, in the event of his weakness rendering it necessary, withdraw his army silently by the South Side Road and retire into Xorth Carolina, as he had first pro- posed. Such was the daring and brilliant scheme which General Lee had fixed upon to extricate himself from the perils of the situation. General Gordon commanded that portion of the line immediately in front of Petersburg, his force consisting of thiee small divisions. GeneralJLong- street held the Confederate left, which extended north of the James ; and General A. P. Hill com- manded the right, ending at Hatcher's Run. To Gordon, therefore, fell the task assigned for the 25th of March. The assault was to be made on Harems Hill, distant from the Confederate line less than two hundred yards. Fort Steadman, the first of the Federal works at this point, was stormed at daylight by General Gor- don, with his three or four thousand men, and the enemy, completely surprised, fell back before their 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 289 impetuous charge, with the loss of five hundred prisoners. The fort was in the hands of the Con- federates; it only needed that this gallant begin- ning should be supported, to complete the success of the movement. But this was not done ; and the neighboring forts, opening their fire, poured their destructive volleys upon him from every side. General Gordon found himself surrounded, and could with difficulty effect the retreat of the rem- nant of his small force. Two thousand were dead or in the hands of the enemy. "With the failure at Hare's Hill ended the last ag- gressive movement of the army of ^N^orthern Vir- ginia. But General Lee did not lose confidence. He had no thought of surrender, and awaited calmly the decisive struggle. His slow and cautious adversary had at first re- solved to wait the arrival of Sherman before risking a general attack. But, afraid that Johnston would come to Lee's aid should Sherman leave the Eoan- oke, he determined to make the assault without fur- ther delay. A timely and important reinforcement decided him at this juncture. Sheridan, who had been directed to march to North Carolina to cut off Gen- eral Lee's retreat, — an event daily expected by Grant, — prevented by the condition of the river from carrying out this programme, had brought his ten thousand cavalry to operate with General Grant. 25 T 290 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. The Federal army, now numbering seventy thou- sand men, strong in the consciousness of over- whehiiing numbers, prepared to hurl themselves against the thin line that had so long and so skil- fully parried every blow hitherto aimed against it. On the 29th, a strong column, twenty-five thou- sand men in all, moved towards the South Side Road. To meet this movement upon his right. General Lee was forced to strip his lines elsewhere ; and collect- ing with difficulty seventeen thousand men, he hur- ried them forward to oppose the enemy's advance. Detached from the main line of intrenchments, and about four miles further west, the Confederates held an important work. This point was known as Five Forks, from the circumstance of several roads meeting here. The possession of Five Forks would give the enemy a great advantage, and it was thither, therefore, that the contest drifted. Sheridan, moving in advance of the infantry column, occupied DiuAviddie Court-House, eight miles south of Five Forks ; and on the 31st moved on towards that point. Here he was encountered by an infantry force of the Confederates under Pickett and Bushrod Johnson, and driven back within two miles of the Court-House. On the 1st of April, Sheridan, now joined by Warren, advanced again upon Five Forks. The Confederates, shut up within their works, pressed flank and rear by the Federal troops, at length gave 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 291 way. " Yet, vital in all its parts, what of the two divisions remained still continued the combat with unyielding mettle. Parrying the thrusts of the cavalry from the front, this poor scratch of a force threw back its left in a new and short crotchet to meet the advance of "Warren, who continued to press in at right angles to the White Oak Road." * But it w^as of no avail. Five Forks was lost, and the Confederate right broken and well-nigh anni- hilated. Simultaneously with the attack on the right, the Federal batteries opened along the whole line. '* The days thundered, and the nights were like the days. From the White Oak Road west of Petersburg, to the Williamsburg Road east of Rich- mond, cannon glared and roared, musketry rattled, mortar-shell rose, described their fiery curves like flocks of flame-birds, burst and rained their iron fragments in the trenches. The cannoneer, sighting his gun, fell by bullets entering the embrasure ; the musketeer, who sank to sleep in the trenches for an instant, was torn asunder by the mortar-shells, and never woke." f Such were some of the horrors of the last days at Petersburg. At dawn, on the morn- ing of the 2d, the assault began at different points along the line. A heavy column was thrown for- ward on Gordon's position, who fell back upon the inner line of works, and there held his ground * SwiNTON : Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac. f Cooke : Hammer and Rapier. 292 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. firml}^ On the right of Gordon, A. P. Hill's left, feebly held by artillerists, was unable to withstand the Federal charge. The enemy, pressing forward, seemed about to cut the Confederate army in two, and bring upon them irretrievable disaster. But just in rear of this part of the line were placed two fortifications, which, if held, would enable General Lee to bring in his lines to the works immediately around the city, and insure the safety of the army. Both forts were thinly garrisoned. Fort Alex- ander fell after a brief though brave resistance. Fort Gregg was now the last hope. The devoted garrison knew how much depended on their valor, and resolved to be not unworthy of the trust. This small force consisted of a Maryland battery, under Captain Chew, some dismounted drivers — Virgin- ians and Louisianians — apart of Harris's Missis- sippi brigade, with a few I^orth Carolinians, in all two hundred and fifty men, the whole commanded by Captain Chew. The Federals, confident of an easy victory, advanced within fifty yards of the fort, when the Confederates opened upon them with a determined fire. Again and again they ad- vance, each time the noble little band receiving the charge with undiminished valor. Cheei's from the Confederates within the inner lines greet each repulse of the advancing column ; but no help can 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 293 be sent them, and it is evident tliey must at length succumb. Every man is needed at his post, to re- sist the attacks upon the rest of the line. But when the Federal flag waves over the captured fort, the object for which they strove is accomplished. Gen- eral Lee's army is safe within the interior fortifica- tions. In this valiant defence of Fort Gregg, out of two hundred and fifty, but thirty men survived. The enemy's loss was between Hve and six hundred, two for each Confederate killed. '^ And to the illumined story of the army of Northern Virginia, Fort Gregg gave a fitting con- clusion, an ornament of glory that well clasped the record of its deeds." * * Pollard's Lost Cause. 26* 294 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. CHAPTEE XXXI. Death of General A. P. Hill — Evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond — The Army without Rations — The Consequent Delay — The Retreat to North Carolina Cut Off — Loss of Ewell's Corps — A Council of War. TjlORT Gregg fell at 7 o'clock on the morning of -^ the 2cl of April. A few hours later, General Lee had been reinforced by Longstreet, who, find- ing the Federal force in front of him to be nothing more than a mask, joined his command to the lines defending Petersburg in time to check the enemy's advance. The Confederates now held a strong in- terior line, against which repeated assaults made by the besieging forces were successively repulsed. An offensive demonstration was also made by a portion of General Lee's army, under A. P. Hill, the object of which was to recover some important ground on the left. The attack was made with great spirit, pressing the Federal corps opposing them so closely as to make it necessary for them to require reinforcements; but the Southern troops were at length compelled to withdraw. In this movement. General A. P. Hill lost his life. This gallant officer had served through the entire war with great distinction. General Lee held Petersburg when night closed in. But as the Federal forces occupied all the 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 295 country south of tlie Appomattox to the South Side Road, it was absolutely necessary to evacuate the city. luTotice was forwarded to Richmond of the intended retreat. The tobacco and cotton stored in the warehouses of Petersburg were consigned to the flames ; and every preparation being completed, the army silent- ly withdrew under cover of the darkness, and marching by the north bank of the Appomattox, had, by the morning of the 3d, advanced seventeen miles on their route. Augmented by the troops that had held the line of the James, and Ewell's command from Richmond, the army now amounted to twenty thousand men. The soldiers were in fine spirits. ^' They were out of the trenches and in the bud- ding woods. They were moving, not massing; going to fight, not to stand a siege in ditches full of mud and water; and Lee, on his gray horse, was leading them." * The Commander-in-Chief was not' less hopeful. " I have got my army safe out of its breastworks," he is reported to have said, "and in order to follow me, the enemy must abandon his lines, and can de- rive no further benefit from his railroads or James River." General Lee's object was to march by way of the * Cooke: Hammer and Rapier. 29t) A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. Danville Railroad, cut tlirougli any force of the enemy's cavalry that might be in his path, and thus make his way into ]^orth Carolina. Grant's cavalry were at Dinwiddle Court-House, and he had the shorter and interior route, by which, with diligence, he might bring up his army and cut off General Lee's retreat at Burkesville Junction. But General Lee rightly concluded that Grant would divide his army to facilitate the pursuit, and reckoned, by rapid marching, he could effect his purpose before the Federal infantry could mass in any sufficient numbers on his line of retreat. But an important element in this calculation was the question of food. The army had carried with them but one ration. Orders had been given that a supply should meet them at Amelia Court-House. Through a mistake of the Richmond authorities, the cars coming up from the South were sent on from Amelia Court-House, without unloading, to aid in carrying off the Government property; and the supplies upon which depended the safety of Lee's army, were lost in the conflagration and confusion that marked the expiring hours of the Confederate capital. The brave heart must now have faltered, the bronzed cheek blanched, under this unforeseen and appalling calamity. The army had marched through mud and wet, enduring hunger and fatigue — delayed by the ris- 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 297 ing river, which must be crossed to the south side — buoyed up by the thought that the means of reUef were near at hand by which to gain new strength and endurance for the perilous journey. When, at the end of the three days' march, they struck the Danville Road at Amelia Court-House, the bitterness of disappointment awaited them. It was impossible for starving men to march and fight. It was necessary to accept the dangerous delay thus forced upon them — to break up a part of the forces into foraging parties, to procure from the impover- ished country around them what scanty means of subsistence could be had. This gave General Grant the advantage he needed. General Sheridan with twenty thousand cavalry, far in the van of the main army, reached Jetersville, on the Danville Road, on the same afternoon that Lee arrived at the Court-IIouse. On the following day, the 5th, he was joined by General Meade with two corps of infantry. Thus General Lee's retreat to ]!»[orth Carolina was cut off, while his troops were scattered about looking for bread. The only course now was to turn off in a westward direction, to Farmville, from whence, retreating to Lynchburg, he could, in the fastnesses of the Virginia moun- tains, still carry on the war. Just as Grant was moving up his forces to attack Lee at Amelia Court- House, it was discovered he had " slipped past " and turned off towards Farm vi He. General Grant dis- 298 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. posed his troops to follow him : one cokimn moved on the same route, in his rear, the other two hy parallel lines, north and south of the Confederate line — while the Army of the James, as it was called, having reached Burkesville, sent forward a column to destroy the hridge near Farmville. So the " circle of the hunt " seemed about to com- plete itself But the army of Northern Virginia marched on, still confident in the ability of their leader, and despite danger and hardship, ready to follow him through all vicissitudes to the hoped-for goal. Sheridan had been hanging on the Confederate flank all along their way, and on the 6th struck the wagon-train at Sailor's Creek, a small stream emptying into the Appomattox a few miles east of Farmville. Pickett's division, having the train in charge, was so sorely pressed that it was necessary to send to General Ewell for reinforcements. The latter, promptly bringing up his corps, began making his dispositions to resist the Federal charge, when it was discovered that Gordon's corps, forming the rear-guard of the army, had taken another route ; and the enemy were in his rear, completely cutting him off. In the meantime the Federal infantry came up, Sheridan advanced, and a hot strug- gle ensued. General Ewell soon found himself surrounded; but notwithstanding the exhaustion 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 299 of his men, of whose condition it was said, " Many of them were so worn out that they would drop the guns which they had just loaded or dis- charged, and, regardless of the firing, sink down upon the ground and fall asleep," * he held his ground for some time, causing the Federal corps to fall back under the hot fire of his veterans. f The enemy returning to the charge. General Ewell found himself overpowered by a force five times his own, and was compelled to surrender. This, with the loss of the wagons, — four hundred in number, and sixteen pieces of artillery, — was an irrepara- ble blow. Nearly the whole of Ewell's corps, with several general ofiicers, besides General Ewell him- self, were in the hands of the enemy. It was evening when the aiFair just narrated had taken place ; the Federal forces hurried on to attack the rest of the army, when they were met by a wall of bayonets and cannon. General Lee had hastened with a handful of men to erect this barrier between the disordered rem- nant of Ewell's corps and the advancing enemy. It was a magnificent spectacle, the grim faces of these ragged, half-starved veterans, " lit up by the glare of the burning wagons, by the horizon all * McCabe : Life of Lee. f " But even thus environed, these men showed they could still exact a price before yielding; and when an advance was made by a part of the Sixth corps, they delivered so deadly a fire, that a portion of that veteran line bent and broke under it." — Swinton. 300 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. flaming, above which rose, red and threatening, the Federal signal rockets, and in the midst of all, on his iron-gray, the old cavalier Lee, sitting calm and collected, with a face as unmoved as on some peace- ful parade." ^^ Before that rock, bristling with bayonets, the Federal wave went back. Mght fell; and with cannon thundering upon the long-drawn line of Federal horsemen ready to rush upon his rear, Lee continued his retreat, crossing the river at Farm- ville, and making for Lynchburg."* The Federal column sent to Farmville, encoun- tering the head of the Confederate line, was over- whelmed and driven back, the Federal officer in charge of this expedition losing his life in the attack. "When General Lee had reached Farmville with what remained of his army — now reduced to the corps of Gordon and Longstreet — intrenchments were thrown up for the night on the neighboring heights. That evening a council of war was held by some of the chief officers, at which General Lee was not present. At this meeting three courses were proposed, between which it was necessary to decide what seemed most expedient to be done : — to disband the forces, and let them come together as they best could at some specified point ; to en- deavor to cut their way through the Federal lines ; * Cooke : Hammer and Rapier. 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 301 or to surrender then and there. The first proposi- tion was rejected as unworthy the dignity of the army; the second they regarded as apparently hopeless ; the third was unwillingly accepted as the only alternative, and this conclusion was communi- cated to General Lee by his chief of artillery, Gen- eral Pendleton. " Surrender ! " he exclaimed. " I have too many good fighting-men for that." With his scrupulous sense of duty, with his jealous devotion to the sacred charge entrusted to him, he felt that the mo- ment had not come when he could say, " I have done all that I could do ; this alone is left to me." But the hour was at hand, and had already thrown its dark shadow over the weary remnant of the army of Northern Virginia. An eloquent foreign critic says: "Brilliant as were General Lee's earlier triumphs, we believe that he gave higher proofs of genius in his last campaign, and that hardly any of his victories were so honorable to himself and to his army as that six days' retreat." 26 1 302 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. CHAPTEE XXXIL Starvation and Death — The Veterans still march and fight — General Grant proposes a Surrender — Correspondence between the two Commanders — Preparations for another Battle — The White Flag — The Surrender — Interview between General Lee and General Grant. rpHE siiiFerings of the soldiers of Lee find few -L parallels in history. A Northern writer has said : " One would have to seek its like in what be- fell upon the snowy wastes of Muscovy in 1812." They have been vividly and faithfully described in the narrative of a young Englishman who was with the army at the time. ^' . . . The sufferings of the men from the pangs of hunger have not been approached in the military annals of the last fifty years. But the sufferings of the mules and horses must have been even keener, for the men assuaged their craving by plucking the buds and twigs of trees just shooting.in the early spring ; whereas the grass had not yet started from its winter sleep, and food for the unhappy quadru- peds there was none. ... It is easy to see that the locomotion of an army in such a plight must have been slow and slower. . . . Upon the 5th, many of the mules and horses ceased to struggle. It became necessary to burn hundreds of wagons. At inter- vals the enemy's cavalry dashed in and struck the interminable train here or there, capturing and 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 303 burning dozens upon dozens of wagons. Towards the evening of the 5th, and all day long upon the 6th, hundreds of men dropped from exhaustion, and thousands let fall their muskets from inability to carry them any farther. The scenes of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, were of a nature which can be appre- hended in its vivid reality only by men who are thoroughly familiar with the harrowing details of war. Behind and on either flank an ubiquitous and increasingly adventurous enemy — every mud- hole and every rise in the road choked with blazing wagons — the air filled with the deafening reports of ammunition exploding, and shells bursting when touched by the flames — dense columns of smoke ascending to heaven from the burning and explod- ing vehicles — exhausted men, worn-out mules and horses lying down side by side — gaunt famine glar- ing hopelessly from sunken, lack-lustre e3^es — dead mules, dead horses, dead men everywhere — death many times welcomed as God's blessing in disguise — who can wonder if many hearts, tried in the fiery furnace of four years' unj)aralleled sufiering and never hitherto found wanting, should have quailed in presence • of starvation, fatigue, sleeplessness, misery, unintermitted for five or six days, and cul- minating in hopelessness." * General Lee, continuing his retreat, on the 7th left Farmville, halting his army four miles beyond. Orders had been given to destroy the bridges over the Appomattox, and a brigade of Gordon's was * Francis Lawley's Narrative. 304 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. left beliind to guard the crossing while the order was carried out. The Second Federal corps shortly coming up, after a sharp encounter succeeded in driving oflP the Confederates and saving the bridges almost entire. Following on in the rear of Lee's army they attacked the wagon-train, and had cap- tured a number of wagons, when Gordon, turning back, drove them off, taking two hundred prisoners. Pushing on in advance, this Federal corps, under General Humphreys, finally came upon General Lee's whole army, strongly intrenched. Attempt- ing to flank the Confederate position, deeming it too strong to be attacked in front, he found him- self compelled to send for reinforcements. Li the meanwhile, attacking Lee's left, he was speedily repulsed, losing six hundred men in killed and wounded. When reinforcements had arrived, it was too late to make another attack. Another instance of the spirit of these broken- down troops occurred on the same day, in which the cavalry under Fitz-Lee, attacked by six thou- sand of Sheridan's well-appointed force, achieved a signal success ; General Gregg, the officer in com- mand of the Federal cavahy, being taken prisoner. General Grant occupied Farm vi lie on the morn- ing of the 7th, soon after General Lee's army moved out. "Wliile at Farmville, he addressed Gen- eral Lee the following note : 1 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 305 " April 7, 1865. " General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A. " General : — The result of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further resist- ance on the part of the Army of Northern Vir- ginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard it as my duty to shift from myself the re- sponsibility of any further effusion of blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the Confederate Southern Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia. " Very respectfully, ^' Your obedient servant, "U. S. Grant, " Lieutenant-General Commanding Armies of the United States." General Grant wrote this at Farmville, thinking General Lee's chances of escape entirely hopeless. Before the answer (written the same night) was re- ceived, General Lee had put a long night's march between his army and that of General Grant. To which General Lee immediately responded : "April 7, 1865. " General : — I have received your note of this day. Though not entirely of the opinion you ex- press as to the hopelessness of further resistance oh the part of the Army of Northern Virginia, I recip- rocate your desire to avoid useless effusion of blood, and therefore, before considering your proposition^ 26* U 306 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. ask the terms jou will offer on condition of its sur- render. II. E. Lee, General." " To Lieutenant-Geneeal U. S. Grant, Command- ing Armies of the United States." To this General Grant replied : "Aprils, 1865. " General: — Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of same date, asking the condition on which I will accept the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, is just received. In reply, I would say that j^eace being my great desire, there is hut one condition I would insist upon, namely : That the men and officers surrendered shall he dis- qualified for taking up arms again against the Gov- ernment of the United States until properly ex- changed. I will meet you, or will designate officers to meet any officers you might name for the same purpose, at any point agreeable to you, for the pur- pose of arranging definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia will be received. " U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General." " General R. E. Lee." Meanwhile, the night-march of the Confederates having left the Federal forces very far behind, it was necessary to renew pursuit on the morning of the 8th. Lee's retreat was by the narrow neck of land between the Appomattox and the James, en- deavoring to reach Lynchburg ; and it was the aim of Sheridan's cavalry to intercept him. 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 307 Flying as he wrote, General Lee responded to General Grant: " April 8, 1865. " General : — I received at a late hour your note of to-day. In mine of yesterday, I did not intend to propose the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, but to ask the terms of your proposition. To be frank, I do not think the emergency has arisen to call for the surrender of this army ; but as the resto- ration of peace should be the sole object of all, I de- sire to know whether your proposals would lead to that end. I cannot, therefore, meet you with a view to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia, but as far as your proposal may affect the Confed- erate States forces under my command, and tend to the restoration of peace, I should be pleased to meet you at ten A. m., to-morrow, on the old stage road to Richmond, between the picket lines of the two armies. R. E. Lee, General " Lieutenant-General Grant." To this note General Grant replied the next morning : " April 9, 1865. " General : — Your note of yesterday is received. I have no authority to treat on the subject of peace. The meeting proposed for ten a. m., to-day, would lead to no good. I will state, however, General, that I am equally anxious for peace with yourself, and the whole I^orth entertains the same feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. By the South laying down their arms, 308 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. they will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands of human lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet destroyed. Seriously hoping that all our difficulties may be settled without the loss of another life, I subscribe myself, &c., " U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General. "General R. E. Lee." This reply was never received by General Lee. Sheridan's cavalry reached Appomattox Sta- tion, on the Lynchburg Railroad, ^ve miles be- yond the Court-House, on the evening of the 8th. He planted himself directly in front of General Lee, and captured four trains loaded with supplies for the starving Confederates. The last council of war of the Army of ITorthern Virginia was now held between Generals Lee, Long- street, Gordon, and Fitz-Lee, and it was submitted to these officers by General Lee, to decide what should be done. It w^as resolved to attempt to cut through Sheridan's lines, and at dawn this was at- tempted. Of the proud army of Virginia there only remained about eight thousand men of Gordon's and Longstreet's corps, and the gaunt figures of some thousands of unarmed men too weak to carry their muskets. With these Gordon commenced the at- tack with such wonderful impetuosity that the enemy found themselves forced back nearly a mile. At this moment Sheridan arrived from Appomat- tox Station, followed by a body of infantry eighty 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 309 tliousaiid strong — the army of the James ; while in the rear of the Confederates, closely pursuing, came the army of the Potomac. General Lee had decided that the attempt must be made to cut their way through Sheridan's lines. If they had only cavalry before them, it might be effected ; if infantry, then there would be no course but surrender. After driving Sheridan's troopers, Gordon had found himself in front of the Federal infantry, and was himself forced back. When General Lee learned from Gordon that the enemy were driving him, he felt that an attempt at further resistance would involve the immolation of his brave men. Accordingly , j ust as Sheridan was about to charge upon the feeble lines in front of him, a white flag was held aloft, and at the same time the following note was sent from General Lee to General Grant : "April 9, 1865. " General : — I received your note this morning on the picket line, whither I had come to meet you and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in your proposition of yesterday with reference to the surrender of this army. " I now request an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose. " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, " R. E. Lee, General." " To Lieutenant-General Grant, Commanding Armies of the United States." 310 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. The interview was granted by General Grant, who replied : " April 9, 1865. " General R. E. Lee, commanding Confederate States Armies : — Your note of this date is but this moment, 11.59, a. m., received. " In consequence of my having passed from the Richmond and Lynchburg Road to the Farmville and Lynchburg Road, I am, at this writing, about four miles west of Walter's Church, and will push forward to the front for the purpose of meeting you. " ^N'otice sent to me on this road where yoa wish the interview to take place, will meet me. " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ^' U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General." At the house of Mr. Wilmer McLean, in the vil- lage of Appomattox Court-House, took place the meeting of the two commanders. General Lee was accompanied by his aid Colonel Marshall ; General Grant, by a few of his officers. General Grant behaved with great courtesy and delicacy. General Lee's manner, on this trying occasion, is thus described by a Federal officer. '' General Lee looked very much jaded and worn, but nevertheless presented the same magnificent physique for which he has always been noted. He was neatly dressed in gray cloth, without embroid- ery or any insignia of rank, except three stars worn on the turned portion of his coat-collar. His cheeks 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 311 were very much bronzed by exposure, but still shone ruddy beneath it all. He is growing quite bald, and wears one of the side-locks of his hair thrown across the upper portion of his forehead, which is as white and fair as a woman's. He stands fully six feet one in height, and weighs something over two hundred pounds, without being burdened with a pound of superfluous flesh. During the whole interview he was retired and dignified to a degree bordering on taciturnity, but was free from all exhibition of tem- per or mortification. His demeanor was that of a thoroughly possessed gentleman who had a very disagreeable duty to perform, but was determined to get through it as well and as soon as possible." Seated at a common deal table, the following pa- pers were exchanged : "Appomattox Court-House, Virginia, " April 9, 1865. " General : — In accordance Avith my letter to you of the 8th instant, I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to wit : — Eolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate, one copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me, the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their in- dividual paroles not to take up arms against the United States until properly exchanged ; and each company or regimental commander to sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, artillery, and public property to be parked and 312 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. stacked, and turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to retm^n to his home, not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside. '' U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General. " General E. E. Lee." "Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, " April 9, 1865. " General : — I have received your letter of this date containing the terms of the surrender of the Army of IN'orthern Virginia as proposed by you. As they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 8th instant, they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipulations into effect. "R. E. Lee, Generah "Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant." Commissioners were appointed on both sides to carry out the details of the surrender. Thus passed out of existence the Army of IN'orthern Virginia. The able and candid historian of the " Army of the Potomac," in speaking of the achievements of the latter, adds these words, which may be accepted as a not unworthy epitaph from a generous enemy : " Kor can there fail to arise the image of that I,ov. 1871. MISS EMILY MASON'S WORKS. PuWished for the Beneflt of the Lee Memorial Association of Richmond. In a very neat volume, {old style,) small 4to, price in cloth, $1; cloth gilt, ig^l.oO. JOH OF i mi m or mm, i7S2. Eclited by EM:ILY^ ^V. JVLJ^SOl^. From the Baltimore Gazette. — " We have before us an advance copy of a Journal of a Young Lady of Virginia, 1782, printed and published for the benefit of the Lee Memorial Association of Richmond, by John Murphy & Co. "The picture of life and manners presented by the Journal is extremely in- teresting, and well worthy of being preserved. The publication of it, for th3 object with which it is connected, ia most appropriate. "Independent of the intrinsic merit of the little volume, is its typographical execution, which is in the very highest style of the art. In every respect it is admirable. Type, paper and arrangement, leave nothing to be desired. All the minor niceties even, have been attended to, so that, to the most fastidious of the printers' craft, the work is unexceptionable." 4®"The Sale of 1,000 Copies, in less than 60 days, is a gratifying evidence of the merits of this interesting little volume, and the Popularity of the ebject for which it has been Published. 'iS'This Work will be Supplied to Subscribers only. Now Ready, in 1 vol. Demi 8o. Morocco cloth, bevelled, black and gold, $3. Librar-y style, $3.50. Half Morocco, $i. Hophr Lift tlStiiiimnilViliD LEE, I>e(licatecl \>y i*©rinlssion to IVtrs. Ij E: 13. Dedicatory Prei ace.— 3Ii/ Dear Mrs. Xee.— With your permission I dedicate to 5'ou this life of our beloved hero. It may seem daring in one so unpracticed to attempt a theme so lofty. But I have hoped that the love and admiration I felt for Gen. Lee, would inspire me with ability to present him to others a.s I knew him. Other writers will exhibit his public life, his genius and magnanimity. I wish to show more of his domestic character and private virtues ; his unwearied in- dustry, his self-control and self-denial, his unselfish temper ; his generous kind- ness, his gentle manners ; his modesty and moderation in success ; his patience in difficulties and disappointments, and his noble fortitude in defeat and disaster. That you, who are most jealous of his fame should honor me with your ap- proval, leads me to hope for the like indulgence from the American people to whose history he belongs. EMILY V. MASON. This work is issued in an elegant and attractive volume, embellished with 1 7 Fine Original Engravings, by Professor Volck, Illustrating the principal scenes in his Life. It is rated at a very low price, so as to place it within the reach of the soldiers whom he commanded, and the people by whom he was loved and honored. ;e®=".4 GENTS wanted in all parts of the U. S. to sell these and oth.er Popular Works. For particulars, address MURPH.Y & CO, Publishers, Baltimore* A Juvenile Life of General Lee, This little volume, intended as a Model for American Youth, will be issued iu a very neat and attractive style early in 1872. 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 313 other army that was the adversary of the Army of the Potomac, and which — who can ever forget that once looked upon it? — that array of "tattered uniforms and bright muskets ; " that body of in- comparable infantry, the Army of Northern Vir- ginia, which for years carried the revolt on its bayonets, opposing a constant front to the mighty concentration of power brought against it, which, receiving terrible blows, did not fail to give the like, and which, vital in all its parts, died only with its annihilation." CHAPTEE XXXIII. The Last Hours of the Army of Northern Virginia — The Night of Peace — General Lee's Farewell to his Army — His Recep- tion in Richmond — His Retired Life — Testimonials of Affec- tion and Esteem — His Noble Bearing in Adversity. TXTHEJSr what had taken place became known to * ^ the army, whole lines broke ranks, and rush- ing up to their beloved commander, sobbed out words of comfort and affection, striving, mth "a refinement of unselfishness and tenderness which he alone could fully appreciate, to lighten his bur- den, and mitigate his pain, and struggling to take him once more by the hand." In a voice broken by emotion. General Lee said : " Men, we have fought through the war together. I have done the best I could for you. My heart is too full to say more." 27 314 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. One of his officers * who was with him to the end, thus speaks of this scene : " I can never forget the deferential homage paid this great citizen by even the Federal soldiers, as with uncovered heads they contemplated in mute admiration this now captive hero as he rode through their ranks. Impressed forever, daguerreotyped on my heart, is that last parting-scene with that hand- ful of heroes still crowding around him. Few in- deed were the words spoken; but the quivering lip, and the tearful eye, told of the love they bore him, in symphonies more eloquent than any lan- guage." He is reported to have said to an officer standing by when the surrender was resolved upon : " How easily I could get rid of all this and be at rest. I have only to ride along the lines and all will be over." He then added, with a sigh, " But it is our duty to live. What will become of the women and children of the South, if we are not here to protect them?" The victors were kind and mas^nanimous. 'No bands played; no cheers were heard save from some far off division who did not know exactly what was passing ; and these were apologized for by one of the officers. " As the armies were enemies no longer, there ^ General Gordon. 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 315 was no need of martial array tliat niglit, nor fear of surprise, nor call to arms; but hostile clevise- ment gave place to mutual helpfulness, and the victors shared their rations with the famished van- quished. In that supreme moment, these men knew and respected each other. If the one army drank the joy of victory, and the other the bitter draught of defeat, it was a joy moderated by the recollection of the cost at which it had been pur- chased, and a defeat mollified by the consciousness of many triumphs. "If at length the Army of l!^orthern Virginia fell before the massive power of the !N'orth, yet what vitality had it shown ! How terrible had been the struggle ! How many hundreds of brave men had fallen before that result could be achieved ! " * On the day after the capitulation, General Lee issued the following farewell address to his old soldiers : " Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, " April 10, 1865. " General Order, I:To. 9. " Veterans of the Army of Northern Virginia : After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the army of I^orthern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. " I need not tell the survivors of so many hard- fought battles, who have remained steadfast to the * SwiNTON : Army of the Potomac. 316 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. last, that I have consented to this result from no distrust of them ; but, feeling that valor and devo- tion could accomplish nothing that could compen- sate for the loss that would have attended the con- tinuation of the contest, I have determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. " By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes and remain there until exchanged. " You will take with you the satisfaction that pro- ceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully per- formed ; and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you His blessing and protection. ^' With an unceasing admiration of your con- stancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kindness and generous con- sideration of myself, I bid you, soldiers, an affec- tionate farewell. R. E. Lee, General." On the 12th April, the Army of ^N'orthern Vir- ginia made their last sad march to Appomattox Court-House, where they laid down their arms and the colors under which they had fought so well. Less than eight thousand men with arms surren- dered, but the capitulation included about eighteen thousand unarmed stragglers. Major-General Gib- bon received the surrender, General Grant, vnth great delicacy, remaining at his quarters. General Lee had already departed for Richmond, and escorted b}^ a detachment of Federal cavalry and 18G5.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 317 acconipanicd by tbe officers of liis statf, he reached there on the evening of the Vl\h. All along his route, the people were looking for him, and from ont their little stores the best was prepared for his refreshment. Coming in sight of Richmond, he left his escort, General Lee Exteri.xg Ekumjnd after the Surrender. and attended by a few officers, and followed by the little old ambulance which had accompanied him 21* • 318 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. in all his campaigns, he entered the desolate and ruined city. In a moment he was recognized. Men, women, and children shouted and waved him a welcome. Even the United States soldiers crowded around his door and raised their hats to salute him. It was with difficulty he could dis- mount. Men kissed his feet, and arms were thrown about the neck of the faithful " Traveller " who had borne him unharmed through so many dangers. Struggling mth his emotion. General Lee at length disengaged himself, and lifting his hat again and again to the crowd, took shelter within his own house. Here he remained closely secluded, going out only after night, so as to avoid those demonstra- tions from the people so painful to his feelings, and which he knew would provoke censure from those inimical to him. During this time he received the following letter from one of his old soldiers : " Dear General : — We have been fighting hard for four years, and now the Yankees have got us in Libby Prison. They are treating us awful bad. The boys want you to get us out, if you can. But if you can't, just ride by the Libby, and let us see you and give you a good cheer. We will all feel better after it." 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 319 All who were in Richmond at this time must re- member how his doors were besieged with visitors of every class, all eager to do him honor, — how the Northern tourists, who came " on to Richmond " by the "round trip," to see the rebeUious city which had cost so dear, lingered by his door in hopes to catch sight of the fallen hero ; many, actu- ated by curiosity or interest, even penetrating into the privacy of his house. He received most kindly deputations of Federal officers who called to evince their appreciation of his character and their good feelings towards him, and every steamer which de- livered its burden of returned prisoners sent a rag- ged and miserable deputation to look again upon the features of their beloved commander, before re- turning to their ruined homes. Many a touching scene occurred with these, showing the simplicity and devotion of these poor fellows. General Lee often spoke of the pain caused him by these interviews, and how impossible it was to decline them. One day, being called down to see some gentle- men, he found two of these " ragged rebs " in the passage, who advanced to him with the military salute, and immediately commenced to tell that they were sent as ambassadors by some fellows "round the corner," but w^ho were too badly dressed to present themselves. They came on the part of one hundred of the "boys" just returned from the 320 A P O P U L A II LIFE O F [1865. prison of roint Ijookout, to |)ro|>oso to General Lee to go with them to the mountains of Botetourt County, where they had live thousand acres among tlu'jii. They offered him a plantation, which they would stock and work for him; and these hun- dred men had banded together to protect him from arrest. " Come with us," they urged; " not a whole army can take you from us there. We want to take care of you. We have heard that our Presi- dent is captured, and they threaten you. Come to our mountains, where we will die in your defence." " But," said the General, " you would not have your General run away and hide. He must stay and meet his fate." And then he explained how the terms of the surrender ensured his safety, and how he relied on General Grant's word. It was with difficulty he could dissuade them from their generous purpose. At length, with his usual tlioughtfulness, he sent his daughter to bring down to each a suit of his own clothing, which he begged they would accept in remembrance of him who had nothing else to offer, and as an assurance of his gratitude for their interest in his behalf. Seizing the clothing, they pressed it to their lips, and rush- ing to exhibit such a prize to their comrades, the General was enabled to escape from their importu- nities. Another day General Lee was told a Federal soldier, an L'ishman, was at the door with a basket, 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 321 who wisliGd to speak to Mm. The General sent one of his nephews to tell the visitor he was busy, and begged he would excuse him. The messenger returned, saying the man would not go away, that he had brought General Lee a present of something to eat, and that he would give it only into his own hands. The General then sent word that he was in no want, and begged that what was brought to him might be taken to the Sanitary Commission, for the sick soldiers. This the man positively refused to do, and was so persistent in his determination to see General Lee, that at last he went down, when, the generous Lishman dropping his basket, which con- tained a ham, cheese, canned fruits, vegetables, and other luxuries, threw his arms about the astonished General, exclaiming, " I don't think the less of you for having surrendered. God bless you for a true man and a good soldier," and other expressions of affectionate admiration. The General disengaged himself, and with many thanks begged his friend to bestow the contents of his basket upon his own sick comrades ; in vain, so the gifts were retained until the next day, when they were transferred to the " Sanitary." There occurred at this time another visit from one of these warm-hearted Irishmen. He was met at the door by a member of General Lee's family, who asked that the General might be excused, as he was very busy writing. '' I know he is busy," V 322 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. said the visitor: " I will detain him but one moment. I only want to take him by the hand." At this in- stant, the General, passing through the entry, heard these words, and came forward, oifering his hand, which was grasped with intense emotion. " I have come all the way from Baltimore to take your hand. I have three sons born during the war, Beauregard, Fitz-Lee, and Eobert Lee. My wife would never forgive me if I should go home without seeing you. God bless you!" And with this outburst he de- parted. At this time, while smarting under the mortifica- tion of defeat, no one ever knew him to utter a word of bitterness or ill-feeling towards the ]N"orth- ern people. Hearing such sentiments uttered by the young people who crowded about him, he con- stantly rebuked them, setting an example of moder- ation and charity which it was impossible for them not to wish to imitate.* He did everything to * The following anecdote will illustrate this noble trait of Gen- eral Lee's character : The day after the great battle of Spottsyl- vania Court-House, General Lee was standing near his lines, con- versing with two of his officers, one of whom was known to be not only a hard fighter and a hard swearer, but a cordial hater of the Yankees. After a silence of some moments, the latter officer, look- ing at the enemy with a dark scowl on his face, exclaimed most emphatically, "I wish they were all dead." General Lee, with the grace and manner peculiar to himself, replied, " How can you say so, General. Now I wish they were all at home, attending to their own business, leaving us to do the same." He then moved off, when the first speaker waiting until he was out of earshot, turned to his companion, and in the most earnest tones said, " I would not say so before General Lee, but I wish they were all 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 323 reconcile Ms people to their fate, by bearing bis own so cheerfully. When he heard them threaten to leave the country and seek homes in foreign lands, he would remind them that if they really loved the South, it was their duty to remain and strive to bind up her bleeding wounds. And to this end did he labor, and to these young men did he devote him- self from this time to his death, refusing places of emolument in several of the great cities of the North and South, declining estates offered him in England and Ireland, where he had many admir- ers,* nobly replying, " I am deeply grateful, but I dead and in hell!'' When this "amendment" to the wish was afterwards repeated to General Lee, in spite of his goodness, he could not refrain from laughing heartily at the speech, which was so characteristic of one of his favorite officers. *Mr. George Long, of England, in a note to the Second Edition of his translation of the "Thoughts of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus," after disclaiming a dedication inserted without his knowledge in the American reprint, says: "I have never dedicated a book to any man, and if I dedicated this, I should choose the man whose name seemed to me most worthy to be joined to that of the Roman soldier and philosopher. I might dedicate the book to the successful General who is now President of the United States, with the hope that his integrity and justice will restore peace and happiness, so far as he can, to those un- happy States which have suffered so much from war and the unre- lenting hostility of wicked men. But, as the Roman poet said : " ' Victrix causa Deis placuit, sed victa Catoni ; ' and if I dedicated this little book to any man, I would dedicate it to him who led the Confederate armies against the powerful in- vader, and retired from an unequal contest defeated, but not dis- honored; to the noble Virginian soldier, whose talents and virtues place him by the side of the best and wisest man who sat on the throne of the Imperial Csesars." 324 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. cannot consent to desert my native State in the hour of her adversity. I must abide her fortunes and share her fate." He was heard to say that he had yet a mission to fulfil to the young men of his country; and beauti- ful and appropriate was it that those who had fought under his banner should now come to learn science and philosophy at his feet. CHAPTEE XXXIY. He is Offered the Presidency of Washington College — Letter of Acceptance — Installation — Condition of the College — His Earnest Devotion to his New Duties — Influence of his Charac- ter and Example — His Valuable Services to the College. DURING the summer of this year, while General Lee was with a friend in the country, he re- ceived a visit from Judge John W. Brockenborough, Rector of Washington College, Lexington, Virginia, inviting him, on the part of the Trustees, to accept the presidency of that institution. To this invita- tion General Lee made the following reply : " Powhatan County, August 24, 1865. "Gentlemen: — I have delayed for some days replying to your letter of the 5th instant informing me of my election, by the board of Trustees, to the 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 325 Presidency of Washington College, from a desire to give the subject due consideration. Fully im- pressed with the responsibilities of the office, I have feared that I should be unable to discharge its duties to the satisfaction of the Trustees, or to the benefit of the country. The proper education of youth requires not only great ability, but, I fear, more strength than I now possess ; for I do not feel able to undergo the labor of conducting classes in regular courses of instruction. I could not, there- fore, undertake more than the general administra- tion and supervision of the institution. " There is another subject which has caused me serious reflection, and is, I think, worthy of the con- sideration of the Board. Being excluded from the terms of amnesty in the proclamation of the United States of the 29th of May last, and an object of cen- sure to a poTtion of the country, I have thought it probable that my occupation of the position of president might draw upon the college a feehng of hostility, and I should therefore cause injury to an institution which it would be my highest object to advance. " I think it the duty of every citizen, in the pres- ent condition of the country, to do all in his power to aid in the restoration of peace and harmony, and in no way to oppose the policy of the State or gen- eral Government directed to that object. It is par- ticularly incumbent on those charged with the in- struction of the young to set them an example of submission to authority, and I could not consent to be the cause of animadversion upon the college. 28 326 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. Should you, however, take a different \aew, and think that my services, in the position tendered me by the Board, will be advantageous to the college and the country, I will yield to your judgment and accept it; otherwise I must most respectfully de- cline the offer. ^' Begging you to express to the Trustees of the college my heartfelt gratitude for the honor con- ferred upon me, and requesting you to accept my cordial thanks for the kind manner in wdiich you have communicated its decision, " I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant, '' R. E. Lee. " Messrs. John W. Brockembohough, Rector. Ch. M. D. Eeid; Alfred Leyburn; Horatio THOMSOisr, D. D. ; Bolivar Christian ; T. J. KiLPATRiCK, Committee" His delicate scruples being overcome, General Lee accepted the position pressed upon him, and on the 2d of October w^as installed in the office. The ceremonies on this occasion are thus described by an eye-witness. " General Robert E. Lee was to-day installed Presi- dent of Washington College. There was no pomp or parade. The exercises of installation were the sim- plest possible — an exact compliance with the re- quired formula of taking the oath by the new presi- dent, and nothing more. This was in accordance with the special request of General Lee. It was proposed to have the installation take place in the 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 327 college chapel, to send invitations far and wide, to have a band of music to play enlivening airs, to have young girls robed in white and bearing chap- lets of flowers, to sing songs of welcome, to have congratulatory speeches, to make it a holiday. That this proposed programme was not carried out was a source of severe disappointment to many. But General Lee had expressed his wishes contrary to the choice and determination of the college Trustees and the multitude, and his wishes were complied with. " The installation took place at 9 a. m., in a reci- tation room of the college. In this room were seated the Faculty and the students, the ministers of the town churches, a magistrate, and the county clerk ; the last officials being necessary to the cere- monial. General Lee was ushered into the room by the Board of Trustees. Upon his entrance and introduction all in the room rose, bowed, and^then resumed their seats. Prayer by the Eev. Dr. White, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, directly followed. To me it was a noticeable fact, and perhaps worthy of record, that he prayed for the President of the United States. " Altogether, it was a most fitting and impressive prayer. ""^The prayer ended. Judge Brockenborough, chairman of the Board of Trustees, stated the object of their coming together, to install General Lee as President of Washington College. He felt^ the serious dignity of the occasion, but it was a serious- ness and dignity that should be mingled with heart- 328 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. felt joy and gladness. Passing a brief eulogy upon General Lee, he congratulated the Board and Col- lege, and its present and future students, on having obtained one so loved, great, and worthy to preside over the college. General Lee remained standing, his arms quietly folded, and calmly and steadfastly looking into the eyes of the speaker. Justice Wil- liam Wliite, at the instance of Judge Brockenbor- ough, now administered the oath of office to Gen- eral Lee. " For the benefit of those curious to know the nature of this new oath, to which General Lee has just subscribed, I will give it entire. It is as follows : " ' I do swear that I will, to the best of my skill and judgment, faithfully and truly discharge the duties required of me by an Act entitled " An Act for the incorporating the Rector and Trustees of Liberty Hall Academy," without favor, affection, or partiality: so help me God.' " To this oath General Lee at once affixed his signature, with the accompanying usual jurat of the swearing magistrate appended. The document, in the form stated, was handed to the county clerk for safe and perpetual custodianship, and at the same time the keys of the college were given up by the Rector into the keeping of the new President. "A congratulatory shaking of hands followed, and wound up the day's brief but pleasing, impres- sive, and memorable ceremonial. President Lee and those of the Trustees present, with the Faculty, now passed into the room set apart for the use of the President — a good-sized room, newly and very tastefullv furnished. 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 329 '' General Lee was dressed in a plain but elegant suit of gray. His appearance indicated the enjoy- ment of good health — better, I should say, than when he surrendered his army at Appomattox Court-IIouse, the first and only occasion before the present, of my having seen him." There was nothing to tempt ambition in this position, still less did it promise to secure to Gen- eral Lee that ease and repose which his wearied mind and body must have coveted. The war had left the college a wreck; — its library robbed, the buildings torn and defaced; the Faculty, few in number, were disorganized and dispirited, and its endowment was so small that it was doubt- ful if the institution could be put in condition to receive students. But these difficulties, which would have discouraged another, only stimulated General Lee's ardor to enter a field which promised a life of labor and usefulness. " The same high principle of action that had characterized his conduct in the gravest crisis of public affairs marked his decision here ; and here, as ever, duty alone determined his choice." * He had resolved to continue to labor for his country, and here was a sphere opened to him, un- congenial, it is true, and opposed to the active * " General Lee as a College President." — University Monthly, March, 1871. 28* 330 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. habits of his former life, but one in which he found opportunity for great usefuhiess, and in which he developed an ability and displayed a power only second to that which he had shown in the career for which nature and education had desis^ned him. The influence of his great name brought contri- butions to the college even from foreign lands, and students flocked to him from all parts of the South, and some even from the ]!^orth, eager to profit by his teaching and his example. Although many oflfers were made to him during his residence at Lexington, promising him ease and emolument, he steadily refused to abandon the task he had assumed.* ^ Soon after he took charge of Washington College, he was vis- ited by the agent of an insurance company, who offered him the presidency at a salary of ten thousand dollars. He told the agent that he could not give up his position in the college, and could not properly attend to both. "But, General," said the agent, " we do not want yoti to discharge any duties. We simply wish the use of your name; that will abundantly compensate us." " Excuse me, sir," was the prompt and decided rejoinder. " I cannot consent to receive pay for services I do not render." He received many offers of this sort, and just a short time be- fore his death, a large manufacturing company in New York offered him a salary of fifty thousand dollars a year if he would become their president. But to all such offers he had the same reply — "his duty in the college fully occupied his time, and he would not receive pay where he did not render service." He refused to receive from the college anything like so large a salary as they desired to pay him ; and when the Trustees deeded to Mrs. Lee a house and annuity of three thousand dollars, the General respectfully declined, on Mrs. Lee's behalf, to accept it. He declined all gratuities ; and though a loving people, for 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 331 Wlien asked by a friend what could induce him to "undertake that broken-down institution," — "I have a mission to fulfil," he replied, and nobly did he perform it. The students were taught to regard him as their friend, and his relation to them partook of the tender watchfulness of a parent. l!^ot only was their intellectual training the object of his care- ful solicitude, but he desired above all things their spiritual w^elfare. As a disciplinarian, he was careful that no false- hood or dishonorable conduct should be overlooked. But, at the same time, he was tolerant of mere thoughtlessness and the faults of high-spirited youth. Though exacting obedience to lawful authority, he was cautious in the administration of punishment, and so tender and mild in his reproofs, that nothing was more dreaded by the students than a rebuke from General Lee. It has been said by one of the professors * that the whole college felt his influence, and that his character was quietly yet irresistibly impressed upon it, not only in the general working of all its departments, but in all the details of each. " In the latter years of his administration, hardly a single case of serious discipline occurred. We whom he had toiled so heroically, would most joyously have set- tled on him a handsome property, he preferred to earn his daily bread by his personal exertion, and to set to his people an ex- ample of honest industry. — Christian Observer. * Professor Joynes. — University Monthly, March, 187L 332 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. doubt, indeed, whether at any other college in the world so many young men could have been found as free from misconduct, or marked by as high a tone of feeling and opinion, as were the students of "Washington College during these latter years of General Lee's life." He rarely came before the students in the full dignity of his official . capacity. The addresses made on these occasions were called by the boys his " General Orders," and were always respected and obeyed. One of these is given in the article from which we have quoted.* " Washington College, Nov. 26, 1866. " The Faculty desire to call the attention of the students to the disturbances which occurred in the streets of Lexington on the nights of Friday and Saturday last. They believe that none can con- template them Avith pleasure, or can find any reason- able grounds for their justification. These acts are said to have been committed by students of the College, with the apparent object of disturbing the peace and quiet of a town whose inhabitants have opened their doors for their reception and accom- modation, and who are ahvays ready to administer to their comfort and pleasure. '^ It requires but little consideration to see the error of such conduct, which could only have pro- * " General Lee as President of a College." — University MonOdy, March, 187L 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 333 ceeded from tliouglitlessness and a want of reflec- tion. The Faculty therefore appeal to the honor and self-respect of the students to prevent any sim- ilar occurrence, trusting that their sense of what is due to themselves, their parents, and the institution to which they belong, will be more effectual in teachino; them what is ri2:ht and manly, than any- thing they can say. " There is one consideration connected with these disorderly proceedings, which the Faculty wish to bring to your particular notice ; the example of your conduct, and the advantage taken of it by others to commit outrages for which you have to bear the blame. They therefore exhort you to adopt the only course capable of shielding you from such charges — the effectual prevention of all such occurrences in future. ^'R. E. Lee, " President Washington College." His administration of the duties of his office was most thorough and laborious. Every part of the institution fell under his searching eye, and he never shrank from the dryest business aflfairs in its connection. It was said of him that he gave him- self to the duties of President of a college as heartily and entirely as if he had never known any other ambition. To an old comrade in arms he wrote : " I am charmed with the duties of civil hfe." In them he found solace and relief from the mem- ories of the painful past. 334 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1865. The marked ability displayed by General Lee in tliis office made it readily admitted by those who saw the results of his admirable plans for the im- provement of the college, that, had he lived long enough to complete them, he would have attained an eminence in his new profession as great as in his military career As it was, " he found the col- lege," says the author above quoted, " practically bankrupt, disorganized, deserted; he left it rich, strong, and crowded with students. He called into existence the schools of Applied Mathematics, and Engineering and of Law, as part of the collegiate organization, and later he submitted to the Trustees a plan for the complete development of the scien- tific and professional departments of the college, which will ever remain as an example of his en- larged wisdom, and which has anticipated by many years, we fear, the practical attainments of any school in the country. Had this been the profes- sion of his life. General Lee would not have been less famous, relatively, among college presidents than he is now among soldiers," — an exemplifica- tion of Dr. Johnson's definition of genius : a mind of large general powers accidentally determined to some particular direction. " This life at Washington College, so devoted, so earnest, so laborious, so full of far-reaching plans and of wise and successful eftbrt, was begun under the weight of a disappointment which might have 1865.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 335 broken any ordinary strengtli, and was maintained, in the midst of public and private misfortune, with a serene patience and a mingled firmness and sweet- ness of temper, that give additional brilliancy even to the glory of his former fame. It was his high privilege to meet alike the temptations and perils of the highest stations before the eyes of the world, and the cares and labors of the most responsible duties of private life under the most trying circum- stances, and to exhibit in all alike the qualities of a great and consistent character, founded in the no- blest endowments, and sustained by the loftiest principles of virtue and religion. It is a privilege, henceforth, for the teachers of our country, that their profession, in its humble yet arduous labors, its great and its petty cares, has been illustrated by the devotion of such a man. It is an honor for all our colleges that one of them is henceforth identi- fied with the memory of his name and his work. It is a boon for us all : an honor to the country which in its whole length and breadth will soon be proud to claim his fame; an honor to human na- ture itself, that this great character, so often and so severely tried, has thus approved itself consistent, serene and grand, alike in peace and in war, in the humblest as well as the highest offices. Among the monuments which shall perpetuate his fame, not the least honorable will be that which shall commemorate his life at Washington College." * * University Monthly, Maixh, 1871. 336 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1866. CHAPTER XXXY. Summoned before the Reconstruction Committee — His Testimony — Letters to a Friend — Incidents illustrating his Character — His Last Hlness — Death — Funeral Rites. IX March, 1866, General Lee was summoned to Washington by the Congressional Committee on Reconstruction, with which summons he prompt- ly complied ; and it is difficult to say whether we are most amazed at the questions which were there submitted to him, or the temper and forbearance with which he replied to them. Besides being asked the thoughts and opinions of the Southern people on every point social and political, he was required to give his views of the position, capacity, and future prospects of the colored race. Among the one hundred questions asked, were the fol- low^ing : Q. By Mr. Howard. "Do they (the colored men) show a capacity to obtain knowledge of math- ematics and the exact sciences ? " A. " I have no knowledge on that subject. I am merely acquaint- ed with those who have learned the common rudi- ments of education." Q. "I msh to inquire whether you had any knowledge of the cruelties practised toward the Union prisoners at Libby Prison and on Belle Isle?" A. "I never knew that any cruelty was 1866.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 337 practised, and I have no reason to believe that it was practised. I can believe, and have reason to believe, that privations may have been experienced by the prisoners, because I know that provisions and shelter could not be provided for them." Q. " Were you not aware that the prisoners were dying from cold and starvation ? " A. " I was not." Q. " Did these scenes come to your knowledge at all ? " J-. " ^ever, ISTo report was ever made to me about them. There was no call for any to be made to me. I did hear — it was mere hearsay — that statements had been made to the War Depart- ment, and that everything had been done to relieve them that could be done, even finally so far as to offer to send them to some other points, — Charleston was one point named, — if they would be received by the United States authorities and taken to their homes ; but whether this is true or not, I do not know." .... Q. *' And of course you know nothing of the scenes of cruelty about which complaints have been made at those places (Andersonville and Sal- isbury) ? " A. " Nothing in the world, as I said before. I suppose they suffered from want of abil- ity on the part of the Confederate States to supply their wants. At the very beginning of the war, I knew that there was suffering of prisoners on both sides, but, as far as I could, I did ever^'thing in my power to relieve them, and to establish the cartel which was established." Q. " It has been frequently asserted that the Confederate soldiers feel more kindl}' townrds the 2'.) w 338 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1866. government of the United States than any other people of the South. Wliat are your observations on that point ? " A. " From the Confederate sol- diers I have heard no expression of any other opin- ion. They looked upon the war as a necessary evil, and went through it. I have seen them relieve the w^ants of Federal soldiers on the field. The orders always were that the whole field should be treated alike. Parties were sent out to take the Federal wounded as well as the Confederate, and the sur- geons were told to treat the one as they did the other. These orders given by me were respected on every field." Q. " Do you think that the good feeling on their part toward the rest of the people has continued since the close of the war ? •' A. " I know nothing to the contrary. I made several efforts to exchange the prisoners after the cartel was suspended. I do not know to this day which side took the initiative. I know that there were constant complaints on both sides. I merely know it from public rumors. I ofi:ered to General Grant around Richmond that we should ourselves exchange all the prisoners in our hands. There was a communication from the Christian Commission, I think, Avhich reached me at Petersburg, and made an application to me for a passport to visit all the prisoners South. My letter to them I suppose they have. I told them I had not that authority; that it could only be obtained from the War Department at Richmond, but that neither the}^ nor I could relieve the suffering of the prisoners; that the only thing to be done for them 1866.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE 339 was to exchange them ; and to show that I would do whatever was in my power, I offered them to send to City Point all the prisoners in Virginia and North Carolina over which my command extended, provided they returned an equal number of mine man for man. I reported this to the War Depart- ment, and received for answer that they would place at my command all the prisoners at the South if the proposition was accepted. I heard nothing more on the subject." He was also called as a witness in the proposed General Lee and Traveller. 340 A POPULAR LIFE OF |"18()7. trial of Mr. Davis; and these were the only occa- sions on which he appeared before the public after the surrender. The three following years he continued to devote himself to his college duties, with occasional ab- sences in pursuit of that health which now began perceptibly to fail him. On one of these occasions, at the Green Brier "White Sulphur, occurred a scene which showed the devotion mixed with awe with which he was regarded by his old soldiers. About twenty of these came in from the mountains to visit him, many of them very roughly dressed, and some without coats. They ranged themselves in the drawing-room to meet him. The General descended, and shaking hands, greeted them alter- nately in his genial way. N'ot one spoke, but all regarded him with devouring eyes in which the tears glistened. In Norfolk, where he went to visit his old friend and physician, Dr. Selden, a still more touching re- ception awaited him. He had written to beg that in consideration of his being so unwell, he might be suffered to come and go unnoticed, and be excused from visits. Great care was taken that this request should be known and complied with. Finding no *' committee " at the station. General Lee Avalked off greatly relieved. But what was his dismay when at every turn a hat was doffed to him. Every man who met him uncovered. WHien he left church. 1869.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 341 the congregation formed on eacli side the steps, and as he descended, every hat was lifted. This was still more oppressive to the poor General's feelings, and he hurried away to escape the exhibition of such delicate devotion. The following letters were addressed to Captain May, of Illinois, who kindly interested himself in endeavoring to recover for Mrs. Lee the Washing- ton relics bequeathed her by her father, which had been taken from Arlington. "Lexington, February 12, 1869. "... Mrs. Lee has determined to act upon your suggestion, and apply to President Johnson for such of the relics from Arlington as are in the Patent Office. From what I have learned, a great many things formerly belonging to General Wash- ington, bequeathed to her by her father, in the shape of books, furniture, camp equipage, &c., were carried away by individuals, and are now scattered over the land. I hope the possessors appreciate them, and may imitate the example of their origi- nal owner, whose conduct must at times be brought to their recollection by these silent monitors. In this way they will accomplish good to the country." After President Johnson had given his consent to the removal of these articles. Congress appointed an investigating committee to consider the propriety of allowing it, and decided in the negative. 29^ 342 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1869. " Lexington, March 12, 1869. " My dear Captain. " I am sorry to learn from your letters the trouble you have incurred by your kind endeavors to have restored to Mrs. Lee certain articles taken from Arlington, and I particularly regret the inconven- ience occasioned to yourself and Mr. Browning in having *'been summoned before the Investigating Committee of Congress. I had not supposed that the subject could have been considered of such im- portance, and had I conceived the view taken of it by Congress, I should have dissuaded Mrs. Lee from making the application. But I thought that there would not only have been no objection to restoring to her family relics bequeathed her by her father, now that the occasion for their seizure had passed, but that the Government would thus be relieved of their disposition " General Lee was a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, but w^as entirely free from all sectarian feeling. An anecdote given by an officer of the Engineers illustrates his truly Christian charity and moder- ation. During the last sad days at Petersburg, a soldier who had been in the habit of asking for furloughs very often, sent up a petition to General Lee, ask- ing to go to Richmond for the Passover, he being an Israelite. His captain, in Avrath, indorsed upon the paper, " If all these sorts of applications are 1869.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 343 granted, we shall soon have the whole army turn- ing shaking Quakers." General Lee sent back the petition with a kind note to the soldier, regretting that the exigencies of the times prevented his acceding to a request so natural and proper ; and below the captain's indorsement he wrote : " We should always have charity for those who differ from us in religion, and give every man all the aid in our power to keep to the requirements of his faith." His delicacy in giving reproofs is exhibited in two incidents related by one of his chaplains. Upon one occasion, while inspecting the lines near Petersburg, with several general officers, he asked General if a certain work, which he had directed him to complete as soon as possible, had been finished. General looked rather confused, but answered that it was. General Lee at once pro- posed to ride in that direction. On getting to the place, it was found that no progress had been made on the work since General Lee was last there. General at once apologized, and said that he had not been on that part of the line for some time, but that Captain had told him that the work was completed. General Lee made no reply at the moment, but not long after began to compliment General on the splendid horse he rode. " Yes, sir," replied General , " he is a very fine ani- mal. He belongs to my wife." ^' A remarkably 344 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1869. fine horse," returned General Lee, " but not a safe one for Mrs. . He is too mettlesome by far, and you ought to take the mettle out of him before you permit her to ride him. And let me suggest. General , that an admirable way of doing that is to ride him a good deal along these trenches J'' The face 'of the gallant General turned crimson. General Lee's eyes t^^nnkled with mischief. 'Eo further allusion was made to the matter ; but Gen- eral adopted the suggestion. Late one night, General Lee had occasion to go into a tent where several officers were sitting around a table, on which was a stone jug and tivo tin cups, busily engaged in the discussion of a mathematical problem. The General obtained the information he desired, gave a solution of the problem, and re- tired, the officers hoping that he had not noticed the jug. The next day one of these officers, in presence of the others, related to General Lee a very strange dream he had had the night before. " That is not at all surprising," replied the General; " when young gentlemen discuss at midnight math- ematical problems, the unknown quantities of which are a stone jug and two tin cups, they may expect to have strange dreams." A friend, who had known General Lee in his early days, tells us in a letter, how early were formed those habits of self-restraint and self-denial which were so conspicuous in his character. 1869,] GENERAL ROBERT E. lei:. 345 " When an Assistant Professor at West Point, he told me it was the custom of the officers to meet just before dinner, to partake of some 'refresh- ment,' and that for a time he found himself arrang- ing to finish his round of business so as to meet this company, it being a very pleasant daily reunion. But finding after a while that he began to look to it with great eagerness, and fearing that a habit might be formed which would prove injurious to him, he ceased to attend the meetings, and determined never to ' indulge ' at all." While President of Washington College, Gen- eral Lee was present, one evening, when a party of gentlemen were discussing some recent legislation of Congress upon Southern affairs. They spoke with indignation and bitterness of the unjust and ungenerous treatment of the South. General Lee remained silent; but when the conversation was over, wrote the following lines upon a slip of paper and handed them to the gentlemen, saying, " If a heathen poet could write in tliis way, what should be the feeling of a Christian ? " " Learn from yon orient shell to love tby foe, And store with pearls the hand that brings thee woe. Free, like yon rock, from base, vindictive pride, Emblaze with gems the wrist that rends thy side. Mark, where yon tree rewards the stony shower With fruit nectareous or the balmy flower. All nature cries aloud, — Shall man do less Than heal the smiter, and the railer bless? " 346 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1870. 'No Life of General Lee would be complete which did not dwell upon that most distinguishing trait of his character, his unaffected sweetness, which sprang from the goodness of his heart. He was so tender- hearted, that a message from one of his old soldiers was seen to move him to tears. And a gentleman relates how he once saw him in a railroad-car ap- proach a poor soldier who in yain was trying to draw his overcoat over his wounded arm. The General rose from his seat, put on the coat as gently as a woman would have done, and after speaking some pleasant words, quietly resumed his place, the wounded man little knowing that it was his Gen- eral who had rendered him this kindly service. His charities were so private, that it was known onl}^ after his death how much he had given to the orphan and widow and to different religious asso- ciations. His last act was to attend a meeting of the vestry of his church, and his last gift a contri- bution to some good object. The following, the last letter ever penned by his hand, has been kindly furnished by his friend, Mr. S. H. Tagart, of Baltimore: " Lexington, Va., Sept. 28, 1870. " My dear Mr. Tagart. ''Your kind note of the 26th reached me this morning, and see how easy it is ' to inveigle me into a correspondence.' In fact, when a man de- sires to do a thing, or when a thing gives a man 1870.] GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 347 pleasure, he requires but small provocation to in- duce him to do it. Kow I wanted to hear how you and Mrs. Tagart w^ere, what you were doing, and how you had passed the summer, and I desired to tell you so. That is the reason I write. In answer to your question, I reply that I am much better. I do not know whether it is owins^ to havino; seen you and Dr. Buckler last summer, or to my visit to the Hot Springs. Perhaps both. But my pains are less, and my strength greater. In fact, I suppose I am as well as I shall be. I am still following Dr. B.'s directions, and in time I may improve still more. I expect to have to visit Baltimore this fall, in relation to the Valley K. R., and in that event I hope to see you, if you will permit me. I am glad to hear that you spent a pleasant summer. Colonel and I would have had a more agreeable one had you been with us at the Hot, and as everyplace agrees so well with Mrs. Tagart, I think she could have enjoyed as good health there as at Saratoga, and we should have done better. " Give my sincere regards to Mrs. Tagart, and remember me to all friends, particularly Mr. . Tell his brother is well and handsome, and I hope that he will study, or his sweethearts in Balti- more will not pine for him long. " Captain is well and bus}^ and joins in my remembrances. Mrs. Lee and my daughters unite with me in messages to you and Mrs. Tagart, and I am most truly yours, "R. E. Lee. " S. H. Tagart, Esq." 348 A POPULAR LIFE OF [1870. On the evening of this day, 28th of September, after a morning of great fatigue, he attended the vestry meeting referred to, returned home, and, seated at the tea-table, opened his lips to give thanks to God. The family looked up to see the parted lips, but heard no sound. With that last thanksgiving his great heart broke. For many days his weeping friends hung over him, hoping for a return of health and reason, but in vain. He murmured of battles and sieges; of guarded tents and fields just won. Among his last words were: "Strike my tent! Send for Hill!" RemarkabW coincident with those of his great Lieutenant, Jackson, whose words were : " Let A. P. Hill prepare for action ! March the infantry rapidly to the front ! Let us cross the river and rest under the shade of the trees." At 9 o'clock on the morning of the 12th of Octo- ber, the great soldier breathed his last. The following day his body was borne to the college-chapel, escorted by a guard of honor com- posed of Confederate soldiers. Next the hearse was led General Lee's favorite horse " Traveller," * who had borne him in so many battles. The Trustees and Faculty of the college, the cadets of the Military Institute, and the citizens, followed in procession. Above the chapel floated the flag of Virginia draped in mourning. * "Traveller" oiilv survived his master a few months. 1870.] GENERAL ROBERT E.LEE. 349 Through this and the succeeding day, the body, covered with flowers, lay in state, visited by thou- sands who came to look for the last time upon his noble features. On the 15th, the last sad rites were rendered, amid the tolling of bells, the sound of martial music, and the thundering of artillery. The students, officers and soldiers of the Confed- erate army, and about a thousand persons, assem- bled at the chapel. A military escort, with the officers of General Lee's staff, were in the front. The hearse followed, with the faithful " Traveller " close behind it. I^ext came a committee of the Virginia Legislature, with citizens from all parts of the State. Passing the Military Institute, the cadets made the military salute as the body appeared, then joined the procession, and escorted it back to the chapel. It had been the request of General Lee that no funeral oration should be pronounced over his re- mains. His old and long-tried friend, the Rev. Wm. N". Pendleton, simply read the burial services of the Episcopal Church, after which was lowered into a tomb beneath the chapel all that was mortal of Robert E. Lee. We cannot better close this brief history than in the words of one of his ]N"orthern admirers,* who says of him : *Hon. John E. Ward. 30 350 LIFE OF GENERAL LEE. [1870. " He lived to illustrate to the world how, despite failure and defeat, a soldier could command honor and love from those for whom he struggled, and admiration and respect from his foes, such as no success had ever before won for warrior, prince, or potentate. And when his life was ended, the whole population of the South, forming one mighty fu- neral procession, followed him to his grave. His obsequies modestly performed by those most ten- derly allied to him, he sleeps in the bosom of the land he loved so well. His spotless fame will gather new vigor and freshness from the lapse of time, and the day is not distant when that fame will be claimed, not as the property of a section, but as the heritage of a united people." APPENDIX. WE need offer no apology for giving, in an Appendix, a brief summary of the history of Washington Col- lege, now the Washington and Lee University. It is remarkable that the institution which enjoyed the munificence and inherited the name of the hero of the first American Kevolution, should have opened its arms to receive, in his retirement, the foremost man of the second; that the College which was fostered by Wash- ington should have become the refuge of Lee, and should keep as its rich dowry the blended names and memories of these two peerless characters. The careers, as well as the characters of these two great men, offer an interesting parallel. Both engaged reluc- tantly, but earnestly and from a strong sense of duty, in a rebellion against an established government. Both of them came into the contest at an age of matured judg- ment and ripe experience, enjoying at the outset the full confidence and affection of their countrymen. Both en- countered early in the struggle difficulties and disasters that seemed about to overwhelm them, and yet emerged from the "sea of troubles" facile princeps; and finally both added a crown of civic glory to the garland of mili- tary fame, endearing themselves anew in peace to those whom they had served so faithfully in war. 351 352 APPENDIX. I. The Washington and Lee University. The Washington and Lee University had its origin more than a quarter of a century before the Revolu- tion, in a classical and mathematical school established in Augusta County, in the year 1749. Its founder, Rob- ert Alexander, Master of Arts ' from Trinity College, Dublin University, was one of the Scotch-Irish emigrants who had located in the Valley of Virginia. It was to meet the wants of this considerable settlement that this, the first high school in the Valley started into existence, to be afterwards developed to the proportions of a college as the community enlarged and prospered. Founded by members of the Scotch kirk, it was for a long while under the control and patronage of the Presbytery of Hanover, and during this period it was supplied with funds through the annual contributions of the people. Its locality was changed several times, and its name went through similar mutations. It was originally known as the " Augusta Academy." After the first battles of the Revolution, it was patriotically christened " Liberty Hall ; " afterwards changed to " Washington College," in acknowledgment of General Washington's gift to the institution. William Graham, one of the early principals of the academy, was a friend and fellow-student, at Princeton, of General Henry Lee, the father of General Robert Lee. It has been suggested that it was probably through Lee's influence with Washington, on behalf of his friend Gra- ham, that " Liberty Hall " was selected as the recipient of his noble benefaction. Mr. Graham, under whose able and zealous admiuistra- APPENDIX. 353 tion the College greatly flourished, introduced the same course of study pursued at Princeton, his alma mater ; and the MS. lectures of the President of Princeton College were copied for the use of the students. In 1782, the College received a charter from the Legis- lature, and was after that time managed by trustees, its connection with the Presbytery being dissolved. Removed, in 1785, to within a short distance of Lex- ington, it was, upon the destruction of the building by fire, in 1803, finally established within the town limits. In 1793, General Washington settled upon the College the sum of $50,000, the proceeds of stock presented him by the State of Virginia in gratitude for his services during the Revolution, and accepted by him on the sole condition that it should be applied to some such object. He wrote, ujDon this occasion, to the Governor of Vir- ginia : " After careful inquiries to ascertain that place [in the upper country*], I have, upon the fullest consideration of all circumstances, destined the hundred shares in the James River Company to the use of Liberty Hall Acad- emy, in Rockbridge County." To the Board of Trustees he wrote : "To promote literature in this rising empire, and to encourage the arts, have ever been amongst the warmest wishes of my heart ; and if the donation which the gen- erosity of the Legislature of the Commonwealth has ena- bled me to bestow upon Liberty Hall — now, by your politeness, called Washington Academy — is likely to *nis desire was to endow some institution "in the upper part of the State, for the education of the children of the poor, partic- ulai-ly of such as have fallen in defence of the country." 30* X 354 APPENDIX. prove a means to accomplish these ends, it will contribute to the gratification of my desires." The " Society of the Cincinnati," composed of the sur- viving officers of the Revolution, upon dissolving their association in 1803, anxious to emulate their leader, donated the residue of their funds, amounting to nearly $25,000, to the same institution. In 1826, an old soldier of AVashington, one of the Trustees of the College, John Robinson, an Irishman, left to Washington College his entire estate, amounting, at the time, to $75,000. Thus, endowed by Washington and his compatriots, and associated preeminently with Virginia's historic past, this College seemed peculiarly appropriate as the scene of the closing labors of him whose great name, entwined with that of Washington, gives to the Lexington Uni- versity the title by which it will be known to posterity. II. The Funeral of General Lee. Lexington, Va., October 15, 1870. The funeral obsequies of General Robert E. Lee took place here to-day. The day w^as clear and pleasant, and many persons were present from a distance and from the surrounding country. Delegations from cities and Houses of the Legislature arrived in the morning to attend the funeral. To-day, as upon the past three days, all business was suspended, and every house was in mourning. The National Hotel, churches of various denomina- tions, the "Gazette" ofiSce, and public buildings, were draped in mourning, flags were draped and at half-mast, bells were tolled and minute-guns fired during the mov- APPENDIX. 355 ing of the procession and the services at the chapel. At 10 o'clock the procession formed into line under Profes- sor White, of Washington College, Chief Marshal, aided by twenty Assistant Marshals, in the following order : AWSia Escort of Honor, consisting of Officers and Soldiers OF THE Confederate Army. Chaplain and other Clergy. Hearse and Pall-bearers. General Lee's Horse. The Attending Physicians. Trustees and Faculty of Washington College. Dignitaries of the State of Virginia. Visitors and Faculty of Virginia Military Institute. Other Kepresentative Bodies and Distinguished Visitors. Alumni of Washington College. Citizens. Cadets Virginia Military Institute. Students of Washington College as Guard of Honor. The procession was halted in front of the chapel, when the cadets of the Institute and the students of Washing- ton College were marched through the College chapel past the remains, and were afterwards drawn up in two bodies on the south side of the chapel. The remainder of the procession then proceeded into the chapel and were seated under the direction of the marshals. The gallery and side blocks were reserved for ladies. As the procession moved off to a solemn dirge by the Institute band, the bells of the town began to toll, and the Institute battery fired minute-guns, which were kept up during the whole exercises. Along the streets the buildings were all appropriately 356 APPENDIX. draped, and crowds gathered on the corners and in the balconies to see the procession pass. Not a flag floated above the procession, and nothing was seen that looked like an attempt at display. The old soldiers wore their ordinary citizens' dress, with a simple black ribbon in the lapel of their coats, and "Traveller," led by two old soldiers, who had the simple trappings of mourning. The Virginia Military Institute was very beautifully draped, and from its turrets hung at half-mast, and draped in mourning, the flags of all of the States of the late Southern Confederacy. When the procession reached the Institute it passed the corps of cadets drawn up in line, and a guard of honor presented arms as the hearse passed. When it reached the chapel, where an immense throng had assem- bled, the students and cadets, about 650 strong, marched into the left door and aisle past the remains and out by the right aisle and door to their appropriate place. The rest of the procession then filed in. The family, appropriately joined by Drs. Barton and Madison, the attending physicians, and Colonels W. H. Taylor and C. S. Venanble, members of General Lee's staff during the war, occupied seats immediately in front of the pulpit, and the clergy, of whom a number were present. The Faculty of the College and Faculty of the Institute had places on the platform. The coffin was literally covered with flowers and ever- greens, while the front of the drapery thrown over it was decorated with crosses of evergreen and immortelles. Rev. Dr. Pendleton, the long intimate personal friend of General Lee, his chief of artillery during the war, and his pastor the past five years, read the beautiful services of the Episcopal Church. No sermon was preached, and APPENDIX. 357 nothing said besides the simple service, in accordance with the known wishes of General Lee. After the funeral services were concluded in the chapel, the body was removed to the vault prepared for its reception, and concluding services read by the chaplain from the bank on the southern side of the chapel, in front of the vault. The pall-bearers were: Judge F. T. Anderson, David E. Moore, Sen., Trustees of the College; Commodore M. F. Maury, Captain J. M. Brooks, Professor W. Preston Johnson, Professor J. Randolph Tucker, Professors of Washington College; William L. Prather, Edward P. Clark, students of Washington College ; Captain J. C. Bonde, Captain J. P. Moore, soldiers of the Confederate States Army; William G. White and Joseph G. Steele, citizens of Lexington. There was sung, in the chapel, the 124th hymn of the Episcopal collection ; and after the coffin was lowered into the vault, the congregation sang with fine efiect the grand old hymn, "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord."* The vault is constructed of brick, lined with cement. The top just reaches the floor of the library, and will be double-capped with white marble, on which is the simple inscription : "Robert Edward Lee. " Born January 19th, 1807. Died October 12th, 1870." *Tbis was General Lee's favorite hymn. 358 APPENDIX. III. Memorial Meetings. — Tributes of Respect. In the numerous meetings held throughout the country, to testify their sense of this national bereavement, many eloquent addresses were made by the friends and fellow- soldiers of the Southern hero. A number of these are given in the following pages. Baltimore, Maryland, October 15