The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-11-23

He was not educated BY the Federal
Government. hut by Virginia I; for she
psiA ber foil share for, abe 4uppqrt Of
that instifutioh. aud was entitled Is de.
tssnd in return the services of her
sons. Entering the hEmI Fef tAe United
States. no represented Virginia there
also, aud nobly. On many q hard fought
fielXU,es, Ga.; coosptnny1s, 0batfaiut Id
his native State as much as for the
with hon0rs, covered BY brevets, and
recognized, young as We was. as one OF
abe sblcst ofhis: IosinptrS'So sotdiers-+I
And to prove that he was estimated
then ~ spch. let me, tell you that when,
Lee KasHcaHaitA ofsgRineers ~ationed
in Baltimore, the Cuban Juntain New
York selected him, to be their leader 10
theisrrnYxle, tor they ipdHpepdsucet Of
their native country They were anxious
to secure his services, aud. offered. him
every temptation that ambition could
desire He thonght. the matter over,
and, I remember, came to Washington
to CONSULT me as to, what he shoald 10,
and when l brgan 10 DISCUSS the com
plications which might. arise from his
acceptance or the trust, he gently re-
buked me-, saying that this was not the
line upon which he,wished my advice,
the simple question wan. Whether It
,oas right Or not" He had been aduca-
ted 10y the United States. and felt wrong
to accept place in the army Of foreign
power Such was his extreme delicacy.
such was the nice sense Of honor Of the
gallant gentleman whose death we
depIore. But when. Virginia withdrew
tho State to whom he owed his first
aad last ,alIegiance-the same uice sense
'"f honor led him to draw his sword and
throw it in the aeale for good or for evil.
Pardon nc for this brief defence Of my
illustriOus friend
Whe" Virginia Joined the Confedera
oy, Robert Lee, tho highest officer in
the little army Of Virginia, came to
Richmond, aud not pausiug to inquire
what would be his rank in the service
OF the Conftderacy, went to Western
Virginia under tho belief that he was
still an officer Of the State He came
back, carrying the heavy weight of de-
ieat aud unapprcciated by the people
xh"m he served, for. they could no,
know. as l know, that If his plans aud
orders had been carried out the result
would have been victory rather than
retreat. You did not knuw, for I would
not have known it had he not breathed
it in my ear only at my earnest request
and begging that nothing be- said about
it. The cllmor which then arose
fol!.'wed him when he went TO- South
Carolima, 30 that it became necessary on
his gnug to South Carolina to write a
letter I" the Governor of that Suite
telling him what manner of man he
was. Yet, through all this, with II
mag"animity rarely equailed. he stood
in silence, without defending himself o'
allowing others to dcteud him. for he
was unwilling to offend any one we
was wearing IL sword aud striking blows
fur the Confederacy.
MIR Davis then spoke of the straiyhts
to which the Coniederacy was reduced
aud Of the danger to which her capital
was exposed just afte, the battle Oi
Seven Pines, and told how General
Lee had conceived aud executed til.
desperate plan to turn their flank and
rear. which, after seven days OF bloody
battle. was crowned with the protection
of Richmond, while the enemy wa,
driven fur from the city. The speaker
referred also to tho circumstances at
tending General Lees crossing the
Potomac and the march into Pennsylva
MIA lie (Mr Davis) assumed the
responsibility for that movement. The
enemy had long been concentrating hi.
force, and it was evident that if they
continued their steady progress til.
Confedcracy would be overwhelmed.-
Our only hope was to drive him to the
defence Of his own capital, We being
enabled 10 the meantim. to reinforc,
our shattered army. lIow we'll Gen
Lee carried out ,ha: dangerous expert
mcnt need not be told. Rio mond was
relieved, the Confederucy was relieved
and time was obtained, if other thing.
had favored, to reinforce the army.
But, said Mr.. Davis. shall not at
tempt to review the military career o
our fallen Chieftian. Of the man, how
shall I speak /? He was My friend. ant
in that word is included all that I coult
say Of uny man. His moral qualities
rose to the height OF his genius. Sell
d"nying-alwuys intent upon the on,
idea Of duty--self- controlled to an ex-
tent that many thought him cold Hi
feelings we're really warm. and l,;s lear
melted freely at the sight Of wounded
soldier or the story Of the sufferings o
the widow and orphan During the wa
he was ever conscious Of the incqualit,
of the means at his control but it Wa
never his to complain or to utter
doubt-it was always his 10 do. WhcI
in the last campaign he was beleagnert'
AT Petersburg, and painfully aware o
the straights to which we we're reduced
lie said "With my army 10 the noun
tains of Virginia could carry on thi
war for twenty years longer" His mel
exhausted aud his supplies failing, h
was unable to carry out his plans, A
untoward event caused him to untioipot
the movement. and the Army Of North
ern Virginia was overwhelmed. But il
the surrender he antici patod condition
that have not been ful6lIed-he expec
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