The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-05-03
Lee After Gettysburg.
"a SCENE THAT A HIsTORICAL PAINTER
MIGHT WELL 1AlMORTALIZE."

When night closet upon the grand
ccene, oar army was repulsed. Silence
and gloom pervaded our camps. We
knew that the day had gone against us,
Int tbe extent of the disaster was not
known except i'll high quarters. The
carnage of the day was reported to
have been frightful, but our army was
not in retreat, and we all surmised that
9TH to morrow's dawn would come q
renewal of the struggle and we knew
thot if such was the case those who had
NOT been in the fight would have their
fnu share in the ftonors and the dan
nsrs Of the next day. All felt and ap-
Ss'raciated the momentOus consequences
rf FINAL defeat or victory on shat great
ssl1 These considerations made that,
~ ms. one of those solemn and awful
s;abts that every one who fought
tLrounh our long war sometimes ex-
nerienced before a great battle.
Few camp-fres enlivened the scene.
tt was a warm summers night, and the
weary soldiers were lying in groups on
fine lnxuriant grass of the meadows we
occupied, discussing the events of the
day, or watching that their horses did
not struggle off in browsing around.
About IL o'clock a horseman approach
ed and delivered message from Cen
eral Lee, that he wished to see me i'm
mediately. / mounted at once, and,
accompanied by Lieutenant McPhail,
of my staff, and guided by the courier,
rode about two miles towards Gettys-
burg, where half a dozen small tents
on the roadside were pointed out as
General Lees headquarters for the
night. He was not there, but I was
informed that would find him with
General A. P. Hill, half mile further
on. On reaching the place indicated,
Pickering, solitary candle, visible
through the open front of a common
tent, showed where Generals Lee and
Hill were seated on camp stools, with
county map spread upon their knees,
and engaged III low and earnest con-
versation They ceased speaking as
approached, and, after the ordinary
salutatiOns, General Lee directed me
to go to his headquarters and wait for
him. He did not return until about
o'clock, when he came riding along at
a slow walk, and evidently wrapped in
profound thought.
There was not even q sentinel on
duty, and no one of his staff was about.
The moon was high in the heavens,
shedding 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 essay ed
to dismount. The effort to do so dis
played so much physical exhaustion
that stepped forward to assist him,
but before reached him he had alight-
ed He threw lis arm across his sad
die to rest himself, and, fixing his eyes
upon the ground, leaned in silence upon
his equally weary horse, the two form
ing striking group,fas motionless as q
statue. The moon shone full upon his
massive features, and revealed an eX-
preston of sadness | had never seen
upon that fine countenance before, in
any of the vicissitudes of the war
through which he had passed. wait
ed for him to speak until the silence
became painful and embarrassing,
when, to break it and change the cur
rent of his thoughts, remarked in a
sympathetic tone, and in allusion to
his great fatigue:
General, this has been hard day
on you"
This attracted his atten ton. He
looked up and replied mournfully:
ayes, it has been sad, sad day to
u.s." and Immediately relapsed into his
thoughtful mood and attitude. Being
unwilling again to intrude upon his re-
cat1 A ~
minute or two he suddenly straighten-
ed up to his full height, and, turning
to me with more animation, energy,
and excitement of manner than l had
ever seen in him before. he addressed
me in q voice tremulous with emotion,
and said:
General, l never saw troops behave
more agnificently than Piclett's Di-
vision of Virginians did to day in their
grand charge upon the enemy. And if
they had been supported, as they were
to have been-but, for some reason not
yet fully explained to me, they were
motive would have held the position
they so gloriously won at such fearful
loss of noble lives, and the day would
have been ours"
Alter q moment he auQeu III tone
almost of agony:
"Too bad! Too bad! Oh, too bad !"
I never shall forget as long as | live
his language, and his manner, aud his
and expression of mental
suffering. Altogether it was a scene
that listor;ca' painter might well inn
mo:talize had one been fortunately
nrcSent to witness IL
In little while he called mp SER
want from his sleep to take his horse
spoke mournfully by name of several
of his friends who had fallen during
the day, and when a candle had been
lighted invited me alone into his tent,
where, as soon as we were seated, he
"We must return to Virginia. AS
many of orr poor wounded as possible
must be taken home. l have sent for
you, because your men are fresh, to
guard the trains back to Virginia."
Il Exchange.
A Coal PIT ON FIRE FOR HUNDRED
of the most curious