, 1870-11-01

The London Standard ef Oct. II publishes
the following letter from ticnfss. Eas'e.:::
''Nfy attention has recently BEEN drawn IA
an editorial article in tha $,datftrti f,r 0,t >
which is devoted to General l:ole1s f. Lee.
ba1e Of course no right, aud certainly 10 de-
Standard upon either the re-=onai or the 1.:.:-
fary character Ct General Lee: hu. ~ II. =
ticie in question contains several s.atr2,a1..
evidently bszed upon uisiutorraa:;o2. :ra-
tire to ask that Gnu will allow ne 70 ca-se.t
Them in your colunns. hare ths 1es4 Les:-
principal authority for the proposed co...:-
fions l. that OF General Lee himself
All the original cocn1snts still in existence.
which cnce belonged to the Southern Wa: o.
fee. are ZOE in the Possession OF the United
ssa:ss Goys:n1nsat: r. fes: xeEy soon at!ss se
press dirsc.,on Of III. Jefferson Davis, snr-
reE5e1ed br GenesAl Joseph E. Johnston to
General SEcrmsn- As Military aud Private
Secretary 10 Cereal Grant from tho TINA
when he took command Of the armies Ct tho
United States mil he became President 1
have l,sd for yeazs, unzes:rie,eI access. not
only to his own OH isl rspeEs. but to al tless
captured archlvrs. and have had occasion ia
study tEem more cltse)y than any fisin, MAE
In the article OF .hs Naa,iarl to ws1:ta I
for tho declaration has been made befor, and
in ether quarters-that General Lee. It ths
beginning Of tho wilderness campaign, !,sd
bnt 1900 men under his command, wl,:lr
Gencr1t Grant bad tbree times as nan7- Tas
Official loounaepss do not confirm this STATE
ment. Tho field return Of Lee, dated nearest
the frst tattles of the Wilisrue-s, il this. 1T
Apr1l 20, 1SGi: : this gives 53.6Yl 1nsn present
fer duty, but does not inc1ude the strength Of
Lorgvtreeta corps. Now, LanSssrect jo:rel
Lee After April 70, and pricr to the L.sG.
Which occurred ps: I'd, in the II; r.. week d
tie battle ehows 1e,ss7 present for duty,
mixing 7a. us men urdar Lee at the b,ttfe et
the Wilderness. The whole force present !oE
t!nty urae: azant. as ehown by his tivtt re-
turns Of the Rane date az Lees. WAS 9s.fls,
leaving pleponeerauce in favor of Gsaus OF
about IS, ,010 Een, Or = very little moEs than
ont-thiId. "
Tia cslcula.ion that Grant h.l strre ti:asa
~ many men ~ Lee haa been obtained r.
ouitt1ng LopEstrect's cn1ps altogerhtr ftsra
psesent for duty on the h4pilan while. ia
reckoning Grant'a uurbers. not only :he
prceeus for duty 2re counted, hut tho.s
constituting what in military pa1lance, IL
called the total, which Includes tho a;ck. the
extra-dutr men, and varIou. others. ins.r:-
ably amounting. in any large arEuv. u u.uT
thonrsnds. Mantle sily, either Less .nt4.
should te comrared with Grants tots'. or
liEautR present for duty with Le+s ire.-:.
for duty. Hut bcsides this. in or.iet Il, MAZE
out Grants sr1ny three times as large ~
lee's, Grants two forces IN the Valley OF Viz
g,pla aud on the jaime. River {csch at feast
100 miles from the Nt1dafnessl are incal.a~1
10 tho estimate Of lis strength: while tie
troops Which Lee had in front Ct these se:'-
| ars1c forces ct Gr:nt arc left cut Of tho cal-
tEa b.tt.o OF tha Wilderness. Lee l.,a
ason. = COO men engaged, wta!,
| Grant had oS'sao PRESENT for duty-,c:"..-
irg to the confidential field returns made II
the time By eaes, General 10 hi+ oWa goycra-
] raert. whsn No General would INTENTIONAL:
| rnttRt1te or fEIs1end.
Again. il IL stated III the Standard article Of
| the 5;ll inst. thst Lee moved out of i;,rl-
| mon1. after its fall. with 26.6N0 men. Ht-
!, last Held return MAS made in FtbrnaEy. Isis ;.
it is signed in his uwn hand. aud gives
59,ce: p.sssn: tes duts and y, ~ .osss = En-
| tuoud, nor tic crews Of the guuaoass in
| the James I.yer. both of 1sllgll fGrcea were
| s}aays put irto tzeLches in an assault. zn'l
| many Of whom, doubtless. moved out OF
Richmond With Leo. Together they num-
bered. At least, eeyerai thousands. In III"
| luent assault on Pct eFsbu1g. whith re-ulsed
10 the eattu1e Of Richmond, Lea may htso
lost 40, eco men. hut this would have left him,
hE any computation. a. least l4.Mn sr.Nii't.
| viii. which 1e fed from the fallen capital
Once more, Gle article in question atasea
thas 1, ,GVV men were aurreMaeft,i by Leu II
Aplotnato1 Court House. The ofh:i II II. ards
| ELoH that al ,41G roldiers we're &c u.11v pHEo:-
cd at that p1acc, besi1ea the tena Of 1hGli:-
ards also belonging to Lse'a army. ubo r2ssa
in sfterward and ,ieitltsi themselves pri-on~r:
of war. Each OF these gave his separate writ
ten psroie. waa present al tha surrender
Genesa! Lee. The even: took p!a:c in a .fu i!
NON nf uh.t eeemed an ordinary .1m hou-''
and in tho prsrence Of fewer than % petsna:s
After Ger erAl Iae La'l tigne,l the capi'ul4'
linn he Immediately 1eln+-teti General iii AZ
to supply the prisoners vi h fnod. 1s the,
had oten living an TWO ears Of ln,lasn corn ;
DAY for several days Grant At uncs copsent
| ed. ard inquired Of I4ea lon u1luy u,ess h.
bad III lis command I.ae refliel that |,
could not tell: 10 hal received 20 rettra
for seversl days; his stoops had bean k,l'7
or wounded, or captured in such na1a.'ct
that he could not estimate his ar.u,
forca. Grant inquired it 5000 n
tionH 3would be enough, and Ii
answered th.t he ts,euShs they would: 25.G,
rations were AccertlirgIy issuad. tI. III
dss, by tisantfs ofIirrrt. to Lees armr- Ti;-
she1eforc. WIS Lee's idea OF his own number
on tb-. day OF his surscntfer, altkor;h. a
: proved by the paroies. il was ton small:
# The original documents, from which th
ntore titu1es are tAk q, axe now CT tile i
: the War Office ak Nastipstou, but ofii i:
: c0Iiea Of them all arc now in my POSSESSION