The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-29
= Lees Way"-Nhat the Great Captain
Did for Dc. Y.euts,

1laGaaennsazsnza
~Lee's ways-Whatt the Great cnptafn
/ a. Did for Be. Esoufs.
From the San Antea1o Herald.1 III
The almost uniform success Of General
Robert ID. Lee wa due probably to the
simplicity OF the means he Invariably
adopted to attain even the most gigantic re.
sntts. AS an evidence Of this fact, we would
eau TO mind something that u people have
never known, and the people Of st. Louis,
those most interested, have likely forgotten.
certain II Is that by these latter no official
recognition of General, then Breyet Can.
tain, Lees services were ever made-not
even The poor compliment of a notice in
Inc minutes OF the Board Of Aldermen,
IL VIII De remembered that many years
ago all st. Louis were terrified at the pros
pect OF being isolated by the action Of the
river current, which up TO that time had
been striking its banks, as it swayed from
side TO side, almost in front Of the city. But
by washing away the banks on the illinois
SIDE, thereby changing the angles of i'm
plngement, the stream commenced to
gradually wear away the soil below st.
Louis making its way towards the Amer
lean bottoms, an alluvial tract, and would
have finally reached and emptfed into a
creek some five miles below the city, divert
ing the river and leaving St. Louis an inland
town.
The City Council and the General Govern.
tnent made large appropriations, hired the
best engineers, built dykes to fndthem use
less, and were finally obliged to admit that
If there was engineering skill sufficient to
avert the calamity it could not be found.
General Scott was consulted to know if he
could not recommend some one capable Of
DTQnnlInfr fha nTnhtarn Tho EarnroI No
piled : " / know Of but one officer, q breYet
captain on my staff. He is young, but if
the work can be done he can do it,"
Breyet Captain Robert f.. Lee arrived in
St. Louis and went to work. Quietly and
unostentatiously be prepared his plans.
drew his charts, calculated the force and
direction of the currents, examined all the
discarded plans and determined on his
course. All this took considerable time,
because, as he remarked, 'too much is at
stake to trust to any uncertain agencies, or
were his preparations carried on that the
citizens began to murmur at the apparent
inactivity of the young officer the Repub-
Hcan and other. newspapers attacked him,
and at last the city withdrew its appropria-
ton.
! Through all this accumulated dissatisfac-
ton Captain Lee pursued the even tenor of
his way, merely remarking, when the app
preparation was Withdrawn by the city,
"They have a right to do as they will with
their w I do not own the city. The
Government has sent me here as an officer
OF the army to do q certain work. ] shall
do it."
The careful preparations were at last
completed and everything in readiness. A
number Of t1atboats, some partially laden
| with stones, others fully, according to the
| depth of water in which they were to
| sink, moored with strong ropes from
! each, SO that they could be cast loose
to the current at one time, by one
stroke of an axe, and a plug in each SO ar.
ranged that at a given signal all the plugs
could. be withdrawn simultaneously. A
man stood ready at each line with q Ratchet
to cut loose; a watch in his hand, with the
hour, minute, and second indicated when
to pull the plug. The signal to "cut
loose" was the firing of the captains pis-
tol, which being given, as with one accord
every rope was cut, and the boats, exactly
as calculated, swung out toward their
proper and destined places. Curving at
first by the greater force Of the current,
SO accurately had every ounce of pres
sure been ascertained and provided for that
when the moment arrived and every plug
was Withdrawn the boats went down in a
perfect line, at right angles to the current,
as intended. Buoys were fixed, and next
day Captain Lee paid an early visit to see if.
all was safe. All was safe, including the
city of It. Louis. Day after day brush,
stones, ETC., were sunk until the dyke thus
formed reached the surface of the water.
To-day cars cross the same structure, to
whose existence a proud city owes its
greatness, a silent monument to the genius
Of one who, though dead, "still lives"
The Republican, we believe, managed to
say, after the work was complete, "the
talented young engineer has succeeded in
diverting the current of the river, notwith-
standing the fears entertained that such
would not be the case"
This is but one notable instance Of Lees
| way" which was ever a successful one,
| whether graphing with a scientific or mill
tary problem ; whether planning the saving
! or reducing of a city. Whether in peace or
| in war his means were as simple, direct,
| speedy, and eficacious as the results of his
Efforts were successful, enduring, and glo-
rious.