Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-04-04
lGen. j. d. Imboden in the Galaxy.
LEE AFTER GETTYSBURG.
"A Scene that Historical Painter might
well Immortalize

| When night closed upon the grand scene, oul
army was repulsed. Silence and gloom per
vaded our camps. We knew that the day had
gone against us, bus toe extent of the disaster
was not Known except in high quarters. The
carnage OF the day was reported to have been
frghtful, but our army was not in retreat and
we all surmised that with to-morrow's dawn
would come renewal of the struggle; and We
knew that IT such was the case those who had
| not been in the fight would have their full
share in the honors and the dangers of the
| next day. All felt and appreciated the mo.
mentous consequences of final defeat or victory
on that great field. These considerations made
| that, to US, one of those solemn and awful
nights that every ore who fought through our
long war sometimes experienced before great
battle
Few camp-fres enlivened the scene. 1t was
warm summers night, and the weary soldiers
were lying in groups on the luxuriant grass oil
the meadows we occupied, discussing the events
of the day, or watching that their horses did
not stragge off in browsing around, About
ii o'clock horseman approached and deliv-
cred message fron General Lee, that he
wished to see me Immediately I mounted at
once, and, accompanied by Lieutenant Nc
Phail of ny staff, aad guided by the courier,
rode about two miles toward Gettysburg, where
anaiI uOAOu cu1dlI tCElS Uu the FOduSlQo were
pointed out as General Lees headquarters for
the night
He was not there, but was informed that
| would find him with General A. P. Hill, halt
mile further on. On reaching the place In
dlcated. ilickering. solitary candle, visible
through the open i.opt of common tent
showed where Generals Lee and Hill were
seated on camp stools, with a county mar
spread upon their knees, and engaged in low
and earnest tior, They ceased speak.
ing as | approached and, after the ordinary
salutatIons, General Lee directed me to go to his
headquarters and wait for him. He did moi
return until about l clock, when he came ri
ding along at a slow walk. and evidently
wrapped in profound thought
There was not even sentinel on duty, and
no one OF his staff was about The moon was
high in the heavens shedding a food of soft
silvery light, almost as bright as day, upon The
scene. When he approached and saw Us, he
spoke, reined up his horse and essayed to dis
mount. The effort TO do so displayed SO much
physical exhaustion that stepped forward tt
assist him, but before [ reached him he hac
alighted. lie threw his arm across his saddle
to rest himself, and, fixing his eyes upon the
ground, leaned in silence upon his equally
weary horse, the two forming striking group
as motioness as statue. The moon shone full
upon his massive features, and revealed an ex,
preston of sadness | had never seen upon tha
! fine countenance before, in any of the vicissi
| tudes of the war through which he had passed
[ waited for him to speak until the silence be
came painful and en- barrassing, when, to breal
| it and change the current of his thoughts,
| remarked in sympathetic tone, and in allu
sion to his great fatigue:
General, this has been hard day on you ;
| This attracted his attention He looked III
and replied mournfulIy:
"Yes, it has been sad, sad day to us" ant
Immediately relapsed into his thoughtful moot
and attitude. Being unwilling again to intrud
upon his reflections, said no more After
minute or two he suddenly straightened up t,
his full height, and, turning to me with NOR
animation, energy, and excitement of manne
than | had ever seen in him before, he ad
dressed me in a voice tremulous with emotion
and said
General, I never saw troops behave NOR
magnifcently than Picketts Division of Vir
ginians did to-day in their grand charge upo
the enemy And if they had been supported
as they were to have been-but, for some rea
son not yet fully explained to me, they wer
not-we would have held the position they s
gloriously won at such fearful loss of nobl
lives, and the day would have been ours.
After moment he added in a tone almost G
agony:
''Too bad Too bad Oh, too bad /"
| never shall forget as long as live, his lar
guage, and his manner, and his appearanc
and expression of mental suffering. Altogeth
er it was scene that historical painter Nigh
we'll immortalize, had one been fortunately pre-
ent to witness it.
| 2 In little while he called up servant frol
his sleep to take his horse spoke mournfu
BY name Of several of his friends who ha
fallen during the day, and when a candle ha
BEEN ghted invited me alone into his ten
where, as soon as we were seated. he remarked
''We must return to Virginia As many
our poor wounded as possible must be take
home [ have sent for you, because your me
are fresh, to guard the trains back to Virginia.
A GEM.-If Christianity was compelled
fee from the mansions of the great, the acat
emies of the philosophers, the halls of legisl,
tors, the throng Of busy men-we should fin
her last retreat with woman at the fre-side.
Her last audience would be the children gatl
ering around the mother knee the last sa
rifce the secret prayer escaping, in silence fro
lips, and heard, perhaps, only at the throne
God.
1t is pity that those who taught us to tai
did not also teach US when to hold our tongu
He who would stop every mans moutl
,nuct boyo a ornot deal of maal