Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-02-09

VISIT TO GEN. LEE.-Da7id McCrac is
furnishing the Glasgow (Scotland) Herald
with series Of interesting sketches Of Amcri-
can urn and women. lie describes his first
interview with Gen. lee a. follows:
When | got lack TO the hotel found. that
I."r who wa aware ii my coming, had already
with the courtesy s0 conspicuous amongst
class vi Amercans) sent his servant to inquire
# had arrived, and to say that he would like
to ace Inc at the college.
On going there after breakfast | was taken
up stairs and shown into the room set aside for
the usn Of the college president.
\ noble looking man, dressed iu gray mill
tary coat, who had been writing at Il table near
straight and cr.Iikc, with c,iSp HAIR turl
ing white: ,hort'rrilnmed beard, pointed at
the chin, and dark imperial looking eyes. very
keen and searching. 1t was Robert f.. Lee
Ihc old Confederate commander.
As tie first words Of greeting passed be
,sccn Us there was hidden sadncss in his
look which impressed he painfully. Tie was
suffering from i'll health at the time, but ii
vas not a look OF physical pain. Perhaps it
vas only lny own feeling, tut 1t seemed az II
li,r shadow 0 the past Wa over him As II
You could rral behind the vigilance Of his
dark eyes the fate Of the South AMI at the
inyriaI who lay :crplnr on thh silent battle
fields
when | wns sealed he hcran to inquire
where had beer in the South, add about my
journey up-rmiing a the somewhat dolefuI
account had to give him nt my experience lG
The stage from Goshen H. said there was
another road might Lave taken--thr one
from Staunton Tint they say whichever road
you lake you wish hy that you had taken the
other" He had been twice by the Goshen
road on horseback The :rHncry was very
grand.
lie bcran to speak about Scotland, and said {:
on will meet with many ni your country
men here. Thc Valley of EirrnIa Is rcopicd
with Scotch llieh-peOult who have come
from Scotland hy way OF Ireland Th arc Il
fine race. They have t!.c courage and deter
animation of the Scotch, with the lrl"h dash
aud intrcpiiity. They make fine soldiers.
lie said it was ali old wish OF HIS to visit TINS
country, bur it would never be realized now
,;toncwal Jackson had been in Scotland bcl"r"
the war. lie had heard him Spcak OF it,
When some reference was made IL the odds
apau;t which the South had fought and the
want there was of accurate statistics ! told him
it was understood he was preparing history OF
the war himself.
If have had that in view" he said; but
The time is not come Tor IN impartial history.
II the trnth were told just now, 1t would not
- ,rol;tol -
~ SiLuL 49, ,,t.. ,bo, bol ,lr.,av aonlarrl
" III" Wv ,,,;nnn1 nn, rho
"'re spoken OF, anu L !nen'lo"eu, I" ni ,a", o"u
proof sheets OF "hch II was asSc1'ci' li''i oIe,
submitted to General Grant aud himself Tor
revision, ne Salt IL - ulS'uhe. na'c
never read a history Of the war, nor the hog
r,nhv of any man engaged in it. My own lite
h.. L,on writtcr but | have NOT lacked into
i,' H. l,,I r,. - ,>,r,, ~ Jn ,,ot wish
It, nc 'A"''' ' iN' -
~ awaken memories OF the paS'.
He spoke highly OF Sherman SablltlcS-~Salu
,.L,r,,,n had always been n good soldier.
lin .rrurd mnch pratlhcd when | told hn