Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-04-13
r. r. LEE.
An Interview with the Ex-Coufederate
ahfeffaisp.

a" interview MID Inc ExCo"ie"er"'e
David McCrane is furnishing the Glas-
gov (Scotland) Herald with series of in
teresting sketches Of American men and
women. He describes his first interview
with Gen. Lee, as follows:
"When i got back to the hotel, found
that Lee, who was aware of my coming,
had already with the courtesy so conspic-
nous among class of Americans), sent his
servant to inquire If had arrived and to
say that he would like to see me at the col
lege..
"On going there after breakfast, I was
taken up stairs and shown into the room
set aside for the use of the College Presi-
dent.
A noble looking man, dressed in gray
military coat, who had been writing at a
table near the window, rose as entered.
He was tall, straight, and soldier-like, with
crisp hair, turning white; short beard,
pointed at the chin, and dark imperial
looking eyes, very keen and searching. 1t
was Robert E. Lee, the old Confederate
commander.
"As the first words of greeting passed be-
tween us, there was hidden sadness in his
look which impressed me painfully. He
was suffering from ill-health at the time ;
but it was not look Of physical pain.
g seemed as II the shadow of the past was
over him--as il you could read behind the
vigilance of his dark eyes the fate of the
South, and of the myriad who lay sleeping
on the battle-fields.
"When was seated he began to inquire
where had been in the South, and about
my Journey up-smiling at the somewhat
doleful account I had to give him Of my ex-
perience in the stage from Goshen. He
said there was another road / might have
taken-the one from Stanton. But they
say which ever road you take, you wish
you had taken the other He had been
twice by the Goshen road on horseback.
The scenery was very grand.
lille began to speak about Scotland, and
said, You will meet with many of your
countrymen here The Valley of Virginia
is peopled with cotch-Irish--people who
have come from Scotland by way of Ire
land They are fine race. They have the
courage and determination of the Scotch,
with the Irish dash and intrepidity. They
make fine soldiers
- He said it was an old wish of his to visit
this country but it would never be realized
now. Stonewall Jackson had been in
Scotland before the war. He had heard
him speak of it,
"When some reference was made to the
odds against which the South had fought,
and the want there was of accurate statis-
tics, / told him it was understood that he
was preparing a history of the war him.
self"
AZ have had that i'm view' he said; "but
the time is not come for an impartial his
tory. If the truth were told just now it
would not be credited"
''When the books that had already APP
peared were spoken of; and / mentioned
one, the proof-sheet of which, it was as
serted, had been submitted to Gen. Grant
and himself for revision, he said: at is
a mistake. have never read history OF
the war, nor the biography of any man en-
gagged in it. My own life has been written,
but have not looked into it, He added
after pause, II do not wish to awaken
memories of the past
He spoke highly of Sherman's abilities
said Sherman had always been good
soldier.
"He seemed much gratified when 1 told
him of the estimation in which he and
Stonewall Jackson had been held from the
first by the British people, irrespective al
together of Northern and Southern SYM
pathies. He said, after a pause, Jackson
lies i'm the Presbyterian burying ground at
the other extremity of Lexington