The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-11-11

How well he mcrited the culOgy G
his countrymen and the place assigne
him at the head of the army of Virgi
mia, his subsequent career attests. Ii
1851, first iU the hearts of the people
in 1865 he still held that place, an
with q tenacity that found public ex
preston by the Assembly of the Legis
lature of Virginia, which, early in Jan
uary of that year, adopted resolution
requesting his appointment to the com
mand of all the armies of the COnfede
rate States. This was laid before Pre-
sident Davis, who RESPONDED as follows
thus setting the seal of his attestatiol
and appreciation of the great soldier:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, RIcHMoND,1
January Is, 1865. !
To Messrs. James f. johnson, Presi
dent pro tenn. of the Virginia Senate
and Hugh w. She1fey, Speaker O
the Virginia House of Delegates:
Gentlemen-I have the honor to &C
knowledge the receipt of your join
letter of the 18th inst, inclOsing q reso
luton of the General Assembly q. .Xir
ginia, passed on the 18th in nj
communicated in confidence, met
ed by the Assembly, IL olutiol
informs me that, in the dpnion of tn.
General Assembly of Virginia, the ap
pointinent of General Robert i. Lee t
the command of all the armies of the
Confederate States WOULD promote theil
efficiency, and operate powerfully tt
reanimate the spirits of the armies, a,
well as Of the people of the several
States, and to inspire an increased CON
fidence in the final success of our cause
In your communication you kindly
assure me that the General Assembly
with sincere confidence in my patri-
otic devotion to the welfare of the coun-
try, desire, in this critical period of oul
affairs, by such suggestions as occur te
them, and by dedication, if need he, OF
the entire resources of the Common
wealth to the common cause, to
strengthen my hands and to give sue
cess to our struggle for liberty and in-
dependence. This assurance to me is a
source of the highest qualification and
while conveying to you my thanks for
the expression of confidence of the Gen.
eral Assembly in 10y sincere devotion
to our country and sacred cause, l must
beg permission, i'm return, to bear wit
ness to the ulhesitating spirit with
which Virginia has, from the moment
when she first drew the sword, conse-
Grated the blood of her children and all
ler material resources to the achieve
ment of the object of our struggle.
The opinion expressed by the Gencr-
al Assembly, in regard to General Ro-
bert f.. Lee, has my full concurrence.
Virginia cannot have higher regard
for him, or a greater confidence i'm his
character aud ability than is entertain
ed by me. When General Lee took
of the Army of Northern
Virginia, he was in command of all the
armies of the Confederate States. By
my order of assignment, he continued
in this general command, as well as in
the immediate command of the Army
of Northern Virginia, as longs as could
resist his opinion that it was necessary
to him to be relieved from one of these
two duties. Ready as he has ever
shown himself to be to perform any
service that I desired him to render to
his country, lie left it for me to choose
between his withdrawal from the COM
mand of the army in the field, or re-
lieving him of general command of all
the armies of the Confederate States.
1t was only when satisfied with this
/ came to the conclusion to
relieve him of general command, be-
lieving that the safety of the Capital,
and the success of our cause, depended,
in o great measure, on then retaining
him in command in the field with the
Army of Northern Virginia. On sew
eral subsequent occasions the desire, Oh
my part, to enlarge the sphere of Gen.
eral Lees usefulness, has led to renew
ed consideration of the subject, and he
mas always expressed his inability to
the command of other armies
han those now confided to him, unless
of the immediate command in
he field of that army now opposed to
General Grant.
In conclusion, assure the General
that whenever it shall be
ound practicable by General Lee to as.
;ume command of all the armies of the
Confederate States, without withdraw
ng him from direct command OF the
Army of Northern Virginia, | will
leem it prOmOtive of the public inter-
,sts to place him in such command,
md will he happy to know that by so
loing / am responding to their express
ID desires. 1t will afford me great
pleasure to see you, gentlemen, as pro-
,osed in your letter, whenever it may
Ne convenient for you to visit me.
1 am, very respectfully and truly
yours, JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The people of the South were not
Ilone or singular in their estimate of
lis character. Foreign statesmen,
journalists and writers WED with each
,ther and were earnest in their appre-
iative expressions of SO exalted
character. From many before us we
elect one article said, at the time of
Is appearance (1S64) in the Montreal
to have been inspired, if
lot written 10y an English officer of
Ugh rank and great ability. 1t reads
IS follows:
Posterity will rank General Lee
Ibove Wellington or Napoleon, before
sake or Turenne, above Marlborough
II Frederick, before Alexander or C;r-
ar. Careful of the lives of his men,
critic in resource, a powerful tactician,
lifted with the swift intuition which
nables a commander to discern the
purpose of his enemy, and the power
# rapid combination (which enables
lin TO oppose to it prompt resis-
ance, modest, frugal, scIf-denying,
old of arrogance or self-asserGOn, trust
ng nothing to chance; among men
lOble as the noblest, in the lofty dig
lity of the Christian gentleman /;
mong patriots less self-seeking, and
s pure as Washington and among
Oldiers combining the religious Sim
,licity of HavelOck with the genius of
the heroism of Bayard and
sydney, and the untiring, never-falter-
ng duty of Wellington. In fact, Ro-
,ert +. Lee, of Virginia, is the greatest
ieneral of this or any other age. He
las made his own name and the Con- |
ederacy he serves immortal"
Another, an English journal, the
Iondon Standard, only a few days
ince said:
"a country which has given birth
O such q man as Robert +. Lee may
ook the proudest nation, in the most
period of the history of Eu-
ope, feariessly in the face, for no race
las in any way produced a nOoler SOL
ier, Christian gentleman and man /
han the heroic Virginia Captain"
In conclusion, We present the follow
ng orders from the deceased hero, the |
irst as illustrating his lofty dignity |
nd moderation IN the hours of victory; |
he other setting forth the sublimity
f moral courage in the trying time of
efeat. Flushed with victory, he ad /
Iressed his troops thus:
;eneral Order No. Al.
Headquarters Army Northern Va
May H. 1861.
l. The General Commanding takes