The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-02-07
The General, therefore, kindly urged me to
get some rest, and at the dawn ''be governed

The General, therefore, kindly urged me TO
get some rest, and at the dawn ''be governed
| by circumstances"
Those circumstances at daylight were, active
fighting along all eur line. At 40 time dgy1ng
the war did the "boys in gray" more CALAMITY
acquit themselves, and With more Of dashiHg
afacrity, than on that memorable morning
driving the enemy before them ct all points,
and actually capturing their artillery at the
very last moment. Just before General Gus
tar, of the Federal army, passed myself, near
| one OF our batteries, under conduct OF o stan
officer of General Lee. with q flag Of truce,
guns captured from the enemy were borne by
me to the rear In triumph. Immediately, how.
! ever, the order came to cease firing" Hon.
orable terms were conceded, and General Lee
resolved to close the contest on the principles
announced in his inimitable farewell address.
FROM THE SURRENDER TILL HIS ARRrVAI IN
LEXINGTON
The lecturer described the return Of the
great commander. to his home in Richmond
OF the terrible changes which he found there
| upon his arrival-of the smoking ruins on
every street-of the presence of the enemy's
| soldiery, and of the bitter humiliation OF the
| once proud capital OF prouder State Gene
raj Lee soon found that Richmond then was no
home for him, and accepted The hospitality OF
a noble Virginia matron, who invited him and
his family 10 live with her in her residence,
situated on the waters Of the upper James
River. The lecturer then gave brief and In.
tcresting description Of the little town Of Lex
irgton, situated in the celebrated country
known as. the Valley OF Virginia. He spoke OF
its beautiful situation in the centre OF plains,
as level as carpet as green .as an emerald,
and as fertile as the valley OF the Egyptian
Nile, walled in on one side by the picturesque
peaks Of the Alleghanies, on the other by the
azure crests OF the Blue Ridge. He told of Its
first inhabiiants-the sturdy, Industrious,
faithful, liberty-loving Scotch-1rish- the
stout blows for independence which they
struck in the war Of the revolution. or the
seats of learning there-Washingt College.
and the Virginia Military Instlsute-and the
patriotism OF the students and professors In
each, who rushed to arms at the first tap. OF
the drum and moistened the sacred sou of
Virginia with the blood OF gray-haired men
and striplings OF sixteen anu seventeen.
he said that soon alter The war enGed WASH
ington College was reorganized, and message
sent to General Lee, on the Upper James, ask.
Ing him to accept the presidency Of the ilsti-
tuLion With accustomed prudence, Lee ask
cd for time to consider the proposition before
returning an answers One evening, several
days afterwards, o solitary traveller, mounted
on an iron-gray steed, rode across the noun
tains, and drew the brldle-reln just before
|. night DIT the door Of an inn IN little village
lust beyond the mountains 4 few minutes
afterwards an ex-Confederate soldier recog
nized "Marse Robert" and the news spread
that Lee had arrived. The population Of the
village turned ont en- masse, surrounded the
inn, and begged the privilege Of touching the
old hero's palm The next mbralng he mount
ed his horse, rode quietly Into Lexington, and
up to the door Of the college, and, dlsmount
ing, announced that he had come to accept
the position which he had been rendered. AS
soon as 1t was known that Lee was at the head
OF the college, large numbers of students
came to 1t from States south.of the Potomac,
and in short time there were In attendance
more than three hundred and fifty young men,
the flower of the Southern country, who had
come here TO be moulded and trainedin the
school of Lee