The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-18
THE MEMORY OF GEN. LEE IN
.: BALTIMORE. ~.

That was grand meeting they had in
Baltimore last Saturday to pay honor to the
memory OF Gen. Lee. Distinguished SOL
diers, sailors, and civilians participated.
Long lists of presidents, vice-presidents,
&C., are in the papers, and volumes OF
speeches. Here is an extract from speech
made by one of Gen. Lees former staff,
Charles Marshall, Esq, which it is worth
any mans while to read. He said:
We recall him as he appeared in the hour
of victory, grand, imposing, aWe-inspiring,
vet self-forgetful and humble. We recall
the great scenes Of his triumph, when we
hailed him victor on many IL bloody field,
and when above the p9ans of victory we
listened with reverence to his voice rs he
ascribedaiall glory to the Lord of Hosts,
from whom all glories are" [Applause.,
We remember that grand magnanimity that
never STOPPED to pluck those meaner things
that grow nearest the earth upon the tree
of victory, but which, with eyes turned to
the stars and hands raised towards heaven,
gathered the golden fruits, Of mercy, pity,
and holy charity, that ripen OH its topmost
boughs beneath the approving smile of the
great God of BATTLES. [Applause.l
sELF-ABNEGATIoN OF LEE.
We remember the sublime self-abnega.
sion Of Charlottesville, when, in the midst
OF his victorious leGons, who, with the
light of battle yet on their faces, hailed him
conquercr, he thought only of his great
lieutenant lying wounded on the field, and
transferred to him all the honor of that il.
luStrious day.
I will be pardoned, am sure, for refer.
ring to an incident which affords TO my
mind q most striking Illustration of one oil
the glandest features Of his character.
,.e INCIDENT OF BATTLE.
On the morning Of May Sd, 1868, as many
of you will remember, the final assault was
made upon the Federal lines at Chancellors'
vile.
General Lee accompanied the troops in
person, and as they emerged from the fierce
combat they had waged In "the depths o
that tangled wilderness" driving the supe
rior forces Of the enemy before them across
the open greund he rode into their midst
The scene is one that can never be efface6
from the minds of those who witnessed It
The troops were pressing forward with al
the ardor and enthusiasm of combat. The
white smoke Of musketry fringed the front
| of the line Of battle, while the artillery or
the hills in the rear Of the infantry shool
the earth with its thunder, and filled the
air with the wild shrieks of the shells tina
plunged into the masses of the retreatin!
| foe. TO add greater horror and sublimit,
to the scene, the Charlottesville house ant
the woods surrounding it were wrapped il
| flames. In the midst of this awful seen,
General Lee. mounted upon that hors
| which we all remember so well, rode to tn,
| front Of his advancing battalions. His pre-
sence was the signal for one of those uncon
trollable outbursts of enthusiasm whiel
none can appreciate who have not wit
messed them. [Applause.]
The fierce soldiers, with their face
blackened with the smoke of battle, tn
| wounded crawling with feeble limbs from
the fury of the devouring flames, all SCENE,
| possessed with common impulse. On
long, un5rokeI cheer, in which the feebl
cry c. those who lay helpless on the cart
{ blended with the strong voices of those VIII
still fought, rose high above the roar of bat
tie, and hailed the presence Of the victo
rious Chief. He sat in the full realization
OF all that soldiers dream of-triumph; an
as looked upon him in the complete fru
ition of the success which his genius
; courage, and confidence in his army ha
won, I thought that it must have been fror
some such scene that men in ancient day
ascended to the dignity of the gods. lar
plausc.]
| LEES aAGNANIMITY.
His first care was for the wounded {
both armies, and he was among the fore
most at the burning marS;Oii Where SOM
OF them lay. But at that moment, wbe
the transports Of his victorious troops Wer
drowning the roar of battle with acclama
tions, note was brought to him from Gen
eral Jackson. 1t was brought to Genera
| h.,c hi 40 bnn nan
lorsville house, and unable to open it wit
his gauntleted hands, he passed it to m
with directions to read 1t to him. The not
made no mention Of the wound that Gene
raj jackson had received, but congratulate
General Lee upon the great victory.
/ shall never forget the look of pain an
anguish that passed over. his face rs he Ii:
tened. With q voice broken with emotio
he bade me say to General Jackson that tn
victory was his, and that the c0ngratulG
tions We're due to him. Applause an
checrs.l I know not how others may fe
gard this incident, but for myself, as CAV
expression to the thoughts of his exalte
mind, L forgot the genius that won the da
in my reverence for the generosity that re
fused its glory.
| LEE AT GETTYSBURG.
There is one other incident to which
| beg permission to refer, that may perfeC
the picture. On the Sd day of July, 1865
| the last assault Of the Confederate troop
upon the heights OF Gettysburg failed, an
again Gen. Lee was among his ba1fled an
| shattered battalonS as they sullenly retire
from their brave attempt. The history {
| that battle IS vet TO be written, and the re
sponsibiGty for the result is vet to be fixed
But there, with the painful consciousness
! that his plans had been frustrated by Others
and that defeat and humiliation had over
taken his army, in the presence of HI
troops he openly assumed the entir
resp onsibility of the campaign and Of tn
last battle. One word from him woul
have relieved him Of this responsibility
but that word he refused to utter until
could be spoken without fear Of doing th
least injustice. [Applause.] Thus, m
| fclIow-soldiers, | have presented to you ou
| great commander in the supreme moment
tof triumph and defeat. l cannot NOR
strongly illustrate his character. Has
been Surpassed in history! Isthere anothc
| instance of such sclf-abnegation anon
| men? The man rose high above victory il
| the one instance, and, harder still, the ma
| rose superior TO disaster in the other. |
| was such incidents as these that gave Ger
| Lee the absolute and undoubting cont
dence and affection of his soldiers.
Rev. Thomas U. Dudley, Jr., at the in
mense meeting held in Baltimore last satul
day in honor of Gen. Lee, spoke as follows
"The Rev. T. u. Dudley, of Chris
Church, said he wished to speak as Cor
federate soldier to Confaderates. He count
ed himself happy that he could bring hi
little tribute and lay it upon the bier {
their chieftaiu. Soldiers, they have burie
him to-day in the chapel at Lexington
Perhaps ut some luture day his remains wi
L. hrn,,n ,nht To Richmond 10 be buried, NO