The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-09-19
Anecdotes, &C., of General Lee.

From cleo and His Lieutenants.' By Edward
A. Pollard. Treat & Co., publishers, New York;
In all his official intercourse and private
conversation General Lee never breathed
q vindictive sentiment towards the enemy
who SO severely taxed his resources and
ingenuity, and put against him so many adj
vantages in superior means and numbers.
He had none Of the Yankeephobia COM
mon in the Southern army ; he spoke of
the northern people without malevolence,
and in style that deprecated their politi-
cal delusions rather than denounced their
crimes; and he generally referred to the
enemy in quiet and Indifferent words,
themas which were popularity showered on
"thc Yankees" On one occasion a spec
tator describes him riding up to the Rock
bridge Artillery, which was fiercely enga-
ging the enemy, and greeting his son Ro-
bert, who as a private soldier was bravely
working one Of the guns. How dye do,
father Z" was all that Robert had to say
as he continued his duty at his gun; and
General Lee replied quietly: That's
right, my son; drive those people back"
At another time, in sight Of the enemy on
the Rapidan, General Lee was standing
near his lines conversing with two of his
officers, one of whom was known to be not
only hard fighter and hard swearer, but
a cordial hater Of the Yankees. After
silence of some moments, the latter Off
| Ger, looking at the Yankees with dark
| scowl on his face, exclaimed most emphati-
cally, 81 wish they were all dead" Gene
raj Lee, with the grace and manner pecu-
liar to himself, replied, "How can you say
so, General. Now, wish they were all
at home, attending to their own business,
and 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 tone
said, 81 would not say so before General
Lee, but wish they were all dead and in
hell" When this amendment" to the
wish was afterwards repeated to General
Lee, in spite of his goodness and Gus
tomary reproof Of profanity, he could not
refrain from laughing heartily. at the
speech, which was SO characteristic OF one
of his favorite officers.
His scanty meals were the occasion OF
some thong htless jokes and many comic
anecdotes. In his tent meat was eaten
but twice a week. His ordinary dinner
consisted of head Of cabbage, boiled in
salt water, and pone Of corn bread. The
story is loosely told that on one occasion a
number Of gentlemen having appointed to
dine with him, he had ordered his servant
to provide repast Of cabbage and mid
ding. A very small bit Of middling gar
nished the dish-so small that the polite
guests all declined middling, and it re-
manned on the dish when they rose from the
table. Next day the General remember
ing the untouched mea) ordered his
servant to bring "that middling." The
man hesitated, scratched his head, and
finally said: ode fact is, mass'r Robert,
dat ar middln' was borrid middlin', and
done Civ it back to dc man whar got it
from"
Here is ono not in the book General
Lee one day rode up to the top of little
embankment below this city, toward which
the Yankees were firing good many
shells. An old soldier looked at him very
seriously, and remarked, "That ID
old fool will keep exposing himself till he
gets killed and then what will become of
all of us ?" A remark which shows that
the soldiers regarded General Lee as their
best friend.l