Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-07-10
An Interview with Gen. Lee.

A correspondent of The New York Times
gives the following account of visit to Gen.
Lee:
The residence of the chieftain of the army
Of Northern Virginia, stands on College Hill,
and is modest brick dwelling with white
wooden. pillars in front, placed amid a pretty
garden shaded by some fine trees and large
solitary weeping willow. The house is sur
rounded BY high fern hedge that lends it
somewhat the air Of aristocratic seclusion.
Although it was no la:er than nine in tho
morning, Gen. Lee had already gone TO his
Office in the college, which is but stones
throw removed. Here Sas table piled up
with papers, and ct[lege catalogues and text
books; but no reminisc.nce of war was visi-
BILE, no sword or spurot insignia. :
Whatever met the. eye was entirely Scadem.
ic, not in the least military, And seated at
the table was handsome looking gentleman,
dressed in a uniform suit of pepper-and-salt
color-a very portly, ,7ell-preservei gentle
man of some four and fifty, with bronzed
complexion, noblemndeled nose, compact
head, gray hair, and beard of the same color,
closely cropped-who rose to shake hands in
a eourtly, gracious manner. 1t vas the man
who welded the thunde.s of Charlottesville
and the Chickahominy--it was President Lee.
may say that, with bis friends, he never
recurs to the subject of the war; nor did he
to me express any opinion on political mat
ters. understand, however, from those who
are in Intimate daily converse with him, that
he is. strongly in favor Of the people of his
State, and Of the South, coming right up,
frankly acceptinethe situation, and earnestly
pursuing the york if reconstruction" Per
sonally, he is at present m theflush Of health.
He frequently rides out; and the clearest
image have been able 10 form of him in the
wat.llke mood came to me this afternoon,
when, with high-top boot; and leathcrn gaunt-
let's, he rode out on the same gray horse that
used to bear him in the stress of battle. He
is greatly beloved by the people for his mod
esty, gentleness and goodness; and is a pro-
digiout favorite With children. +" IF you
Should see him as he moves about among u.s."
said one of the people Of the town to me,
+" and the unaffected kindness and simplicity
of his life, you might fancy what he would be
in greatness"
think he is far from happy. And yet his
fame as a soldier. though lot first class, is
very sound aud complete, so that now, away
from the field of war, and buried here in
quiet academic life, among these secluded
hills, it seems as though he had passed away
from earth. He is all that is left to Virginia,
magma mater rirum, out Of the wreck of
revolution. Is it, then, wonderful that Vir-
oiui.ns almost adore him
stood this evening, ii the light Of the de.
scending sun, at the grave of one Of differ.
ent typc-at the grave oil Jackson-"in in Lex
ington, in the Valley Of Virginia !" and here
he lies, in the quiet viIIsge cburch-yard. a.
simple slab is ct the head with only the name.
/" Gen. Thomas J. jackson" and at his feet
stone with the initials, "r.. j: J.' A garland
of flowers lay on the gra7e and in my heart
could feel no other emotion than one of ten
der interest in such proofs Of affection.
Speaking of Jackson ihe same corrcspon
dent says:
Certainly he was an extraordinary man;
and standing by his grave this evening ]
seemed to realize that there lay below, the
only man who could have conducted the wal
to a successful issue on the part Of the South.
-ee--