Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1865-09-19
General Lee During the Petersburg
Battle.

| follows:
| Soon after sunrise on the End of April,
the Federall columns, in heavy mass, ad-
vanced from the outer line of works, which
they had carried at daybreak, to attack Gen.
Lee in his inner intrenchments near Peters
burg When the present writer reached the
vicinity of army headquarters, on the Cox
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 bis headquarters,
looking through his glass at the column as
it moved at double-quick across the fields,
and knowing the terrible significance Of the
advantage which the Federal troops had
gained, looked at the General to ascertain,
if possible what be thought Of it. He new
er appeared more calm; and if the affair had
| been review, he could not have exhibited
less emotion of any description. In full uni
form, with his gold d.hilted sword, and per-
fectly quiet look, he appeared to be witness
ing, with simple curiosity, some military pa
| rade.
/ The movement of the Federal column be-
came more rapid, and the battery was soon
charged; but it succeeded in galloping off
under heavy fire Of musketry. The col
umn then pressed on. ard the Federal artil
lery opened heavy fire on the hill, before
which the Southern guns-there was no in
fantry-withdrew. General Lee retired slow
ly with his artillery, riding his well known
iron-gray, and one person, at least in the
company forgot the she'll and shaspshooters
looking at the superb old cavalier, erect as
an arrow, and as calm as a May morning.
When he said to an officer near, s'This is a
bad business, Colonel" there was no excite
ment in his voice, or, indeed, any change
whatsoever in its grave and courteous tones.
A slight flush, however, came to his face a
moment afterwards. A shell from the Fed
eral batteries fired at the group, burst almost
upon him, killing horse near by, and cut
ting his bride reins. This brought deci-
ded expression Of eight" to the old soldier s
face, and he probably felt as he did in Cul-
pepper when the disaster at Rappahannock
bridge occurred, when he muttered, as Gen
eral Stewart told me, Il should ike to go
into charge"
) The demeanor of public men on great oc-
casions is legitimate matter for history
! General Lees personal bearing upon this
+ critical occasion, when he saw himself about
to be subjected to the greatest humiliation
to the pride Of a soldier-capture- ad-
mirably noble and serene. 1t was impossi-
be not to be struck with the grandeur of his
appcarance-no other phrase describes it; or
to refrain from admiring the princely air
with which the old cavalry officer sat on
!, his horse. With his calm and thoughtful
eye, and perfect repose of manner visible IN
spite of the restive movements of his horse,
frightened by the firing, it was hard to be-
lieve that he saw there was no hope, and fol-
himself would have cared little if one of the
bullets singing around had found its mark in
bis breast
OF General Lees soldiorship, the writer
who is announced as one ofsGen. Lees staff
goes on to say:
If General Lee continued Of his own choice
to occupy a position at Petersburg, from
which, as events showed, he could not ex
) tricate his army, it woulL go far to rob hin
of that renown which he had previously won
Upon the obvious view of the situation
| Genera. Lee, in February, issued orders to
the removal of all stores of the army t.
. Danvi.Ie Government cotton and tobacco
was hauled away from Petersburg; hundred
! of the inhabitants left the place; all the sur
: plus artillery was sent to Amelia Court Hous
and even the reserve ordinance train Of tn
army was ordered to the same point: Then
f suddenly, in the midst Of all, the movemen
stopped. The authorities at Richmond ha,
: said, "Hold your position" Lee counter
mandcd his orders and awaited his fate
| I say auaited bis fote, because [ am per
, fecty well convinced that from that momen
he regarded the event as mere question 0
/ time. Yet he determined to stand at ba
t and fight to the last. The expected attacl
came. General Grant rapidly concentrates
his army (amounting, General Meade sta te
, at Appomattox Court House, to about on
hundred and forty thousand men) on Lee
right. near Burgess Mill his most ehicien
corps of infantry and cavalry were thrown
forward, and desperate attack was made OF
the Confederate works on White Oak road
A bloody repulse awaited the first assault
but the second was successful. AT the sam
. time the lines near Petersburg were broker
! | by great force and the affair was decided
The Confederate army was cut In two th
enemy held the southside Railroad, intercept
ing the line of retreat; and what Lees clea
military judgement had foreseen, had come
! to pass Between his forty thousand men
or less, and Danville, were the one hundred
and forty th ousand men of Grant.
General Meade, it is said, expressed ex
! treme astonishment to General Lee when in
) formed of his small numbers, declaring tina
| if General Grant had suspected this weakness
: he would have long before broken through
| h, 4o1o nd how
/, doubtless been done sooner, but that up Il
} this time his adversary, by rapid movement
of his small force from point Ito point, an,
obstinate fighting, had invariably foiled him
After describing the difficulties Of swollel
streams and broken down transportation
which aided the energetic movements of Gen
Grant in producing the final surrender, th
writer speaks Of another scene in the retrea