The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-09-21

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World, who is supposed to be one of Gen,
Lees staff, writes as follows:
Soon after sunrise on the I'd of April,
the Federal column, in heavy mass: adj
vanccd from the outer. line Of works;
which they had carried at daybreak, to
attack Gen. Lee in his inner intrench-
ments near Petersburg. When the pres
ent writer reached. the vicinity of army.
head quarters, on the Cog road, west of
the city, Federal column was rapidly
advancing to charge battery posted in
the open field to the right of the house,
and at that time firing rapidly. General
Lee was in the lawn in front of his head
quarters, looking through his glass at the
column as it moved at double. quick
across the fields, and knowing the terri
Ile significance Of the advantage which
the Federal troops had gained, looked
at the General to ascertain, if possible,
what he thought Of it. He never ap-
peared more calm i; and if the affair had
been review, he could no. have exhib-
tied less emotion of any description. In
full uniform, with his gold-hilted sword,
and perfectly quiet look, he appeared to
be witnessing, with simple curiosity, some
military parade.
The movement of the Federal column,
became more rapid, and the battery was
soon charged, but it succeeded in gallop-
ing off under . heavy fire of muskctl9-.
The .coluan. then pressed on, and the
Federal artillery opened heavy fire on
the hill, before which the Southern guns
there was no infantry-withdrew.-
Gen. Lee retired slowly with his artillery,
riding his we'll known iron-gray, and one
person, at least in the company, forgot
the shell and sharpshootcrs looking at
tho superb old cavalier, erect as an arrow,
and as calm as q May morning. When
he said to an officer near, This is a bad
business, Colonel" there was no excite
mcnt in his voice, or, indeed, any change
whatsoever in its grave and courteous
tone, A slight flush, however, came to
his face a moment afterwards A shell
from the Federal batteries, fired at the
group, burst almost upon him, killing q
horse nearby, and cutting his bride reins:
This brought a decided expression Of
fight to the old soldic. 5 face, and he
probably felt as he did in Culpeppcr when
the disaster Of Rappahannock bridge oc-
Cured, when he muttcrcd: General Stew
art told me, ~ SHOULD like to go, into q
charge"
The dcmeanor Of public men on great
occasions is legitimate matter Of history
Gen. Lees personal bearing upon this
critical occasion, when he saw himself
about to be subjected to the greatest hu-
initiation to the pride of soldier-cap-
ture-was admirably noble and serene.
1t was impossible not to be struck with
the grandeur of his appearancc-no other
phrase describes it, or to refrain from ad-
rniring the princely air with which the
old cavalry officer sat on his-horse. With
his calm and thoughtful eye, and perfect
rcpose of manner, visible in spite of the
rcstive movements of his horse, flight
cned by the firing, it was hard to believe
that he saw there was no hope, and for
himself would have cared little if one OF
the bullets singing around had found its
mark in his breast.
Of General Lees soldiership, the wri-
ter goes on to say:
If General Lee continued, of his own
choice, to occupy q position at Peters
burg. from which, as events soon showed,
he could not cxtricate his army, it will go
far to rob him Of that rcnown which he
had previously won.
Upon the obvious view of the situation,
Gen. Lee, in February, issued orders for
the removal of all the stores Of the army
to Dahvillc. Government cotton and to-
bacco was hauled away from Petersburg
hundreds of. the inhabitants lett the place;
all the surplus artillery was sent to Amc-
lia Court House, and even the reserve
ordnance train of the army was ordered
to the same point Then suddenly, in
the midst of all, the movement stopped.
The authorities at Richmond had said,
Hold your position" Lee countcrman-
ded his orders and awaited his fate.
say auaited his fate, because am per-
fectly we'll convinced that from that mo-
ment he regarded the event as mere
question of time. Yet he determined to