Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-02-03

casion OF demanding unconditional sur
trender-a proposal 10 which will never
listen. Il have resolved 70 die first, and
THAT if it comes to that, we shall force
Through, or all fall in our places tell
Iyou, friends, General Lee was the boldest
man in all tat heroic band. The General
went on-"General, this is no new ques-
ton with me. have never believed we
could, against the gigantic combination
for our subjugation, make good in the long
run our independence. unless foreign
Powers should, directly or indirectly, assist
us. This was sure it was their interest
and duty to do. and hoped they would
80 regard il. But such considerations really
made with me no difference. We had, I
was satisfied, sacred principles to maintain
and rights to defend. for which we were
In duty bound to do our best, even If we
persisted ia the endeavor!" These were,
as nearly as [ can recall them, the exact
words of General Lee on that most critical
occasion. You see in them the soul of the
Judgment decided there his heart was.
THE SURRENDER.
Another illustrative incident showing
the man occurred few hours before the
surrender. Engaged under his instruc-
lions the evening before. a mile or two
beyond Appomattox Court House, in ex-
tricatiDg an artillery command, of which
one of my associates had charge, and there
exposed to capture was recalled by mos
sage from himself. It was l A. NJ. Sum-
day. oh April, before, through the dark
ness and danger. succeeded in finding
the General. His greeting. "Good morn
ing, General" add his fresh to neatness of
dress, AS if for some imposing ceremony,
surprised me. General Longstreet was
with him. After few words as to the
condition of things in front, where L had
1 I 4 l.
| the advance of the night and at his full
dress, and ventured to ask what it mt ant +?
His reply was. Il am to be Gen. Grants
prisoner, and intend to make my best ap-
pearance.
Still it was not definitely settled There
was uncertainty whether his terms in re
spouse to General Grants initial overture
would be accorded; and if not, there was
| yet solemn work to be done.
The General. therefore, kindly urged
me TO get some rest, and at the dawn abe
governed by circumstances"
Those circumstances at daylight were, &C
| tive fighting along all our line. At no
time during the war did the boys in "gray"
more CALAMITY acquit themselves, and with
more OF dashing alacrity, than on that
memorable morning-driving the enemy
before them at all points and actually cap
| turing their artillery at the very last mo-
|
Federal army, passed myself, near one of
our batteries, under conduct of staff Off
Ger of General Lee, with flag of truce,
guns captured from the enemy were borne
by me to the rear in triumph. Immedi-
ately, however, the order came 10 "cease
! firing" Honorable terms were conceded,
and General Lee resolved to close the con-
test on the principles announced III his in
imitable farewell address.
FROM THE SURRENDER TILL HIS ARRIVAL IN
LEXINGTON.
| The lecturer described the return of til e
great commander to his home in Rich
mond-of the terrible changes which he
found there upon his arriva!-of the smok-
ing ruins On every street--of the presence
of the enemy's sOldiery, and Of the bitter
humiliation Of the once proud capital of a
prouder State. Gen. Lee soon found that
Richmond then was no homo for him, and
accepted the hospitality of noble Virgin
la matron, who invited him and his family
to live with her in her residence, situated
on the waters of the upper James river
The lecturer then gave brief and inter
esting description of the little town of
Lexington, situated in the celebrated coun-
try known az the Valley of Virginia. He
spoke of its beautiful situation in the
green as an emerald, and as fertile as the
valley OF the Egyptian Nile. wall
ed in on one side by the pic
turesque peaks of the Alleghanies, on
fth Other by the azure crests of the Blue
Ridge. He told of its first Inhabitants
the sturdy, industrious, faithful, liberty
loving Scotch-Irish- the stout blows
for independence which they struck in the
war of the Revolution. Of the seats of
learning Washington College and
the Virginia Military Institute-and the
patriotism of the students and profess
sors in each, who rushed to arms at the first
tap of the drum and moistered the sacred
soil of Virginia with the blood of gray
haired men and striplings of sixteen and
seventeen.
He said that soon after the war ended
Washington College was reorganized, and
messageSsent to General Lee, on the Up
per James. asking him to accept the presi-
dency of the Institution. With accustom-
ed prudence, Lee asked for time to con-
slider the proposition before returning an
answer. One evening, several days after
wards, a solitary traveller, mounted on an
irOn-gray steed, rode across tn mountains,
and drew the bridle-rein just before night
at the door of an inn in little village just
beyond the mountains A few minutes
afterwards an ex-Confederate soldier rec
ognized ''Marse Robert" and the news
spread that Lee had arrived. The popu-
lation of the village turned out en- nadsse,
surrounded the inn, and begged the priv
lege of touching the old hero's palm. The
next morning he mounted his horse, rode
quietly into Lexington, and up to the door
OF the college. and, dismounting, announc-
ed 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 it from States south of the Po-
tomac, and in a short time there were in
attendance more than $50 young men, the
flower OF the Southern country. who had
come here to be moulded and trained in
the school of Lee.
Experiments with Fertilizers.
Editors of The Rural Caroltnian: