The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-02-01

l. .n- CoAuer
lJc-;r BsfOn.
- Legally t.
x :. .,.~f ll.:sss - Touching
-" :: X seer
owing to the iateuess of the honr al
..hich General William N. Pendlctou
!osed his lecture on Lee last Friday
:;ght, we were able TO give it only a
~Ty brief general uotice. AS the lec'
ire was remarkable one and con.
lined many facts concerning General
.e and accounts oe important conversa-
;'yns with him which have never been
.blished, we devote great deal Of
space this morning to full report
c:the remarks or Geuerai Pendleton,
WINGED that we could not give more
:eresting matter to the readers of
,:e Chronicle aud Sentinel:
That illustrious man was dear to you.
'Fhen tidings came Of his unexpected
.'eath your hearts felt pang as for one
slost beloved. Sol it was through all
The South, aud wherever civilization
has a home. Even r1hlic enemies rem
dered him the homage of their affec-
tiouate admiration. Never man more
beloved. 1t was the rare lot of General
Lee to pass through grand career an
:.ssailed by envy or ill-will. No officer
,.r soldier in ali the Southern armies
ever felt towards him otherwise than
With confding veneration. Detraction
hat assa;led all others approached not
l,im. And the few poor creatures on
the aggressive side, who, with impo-
tent malice, tried to render odious this
noble resistance to tyranny, by calling
it rebellion" and this stainless hero
by calling him "Traitor," have only,
while rendering themselves infamous,
attached glory to epithets thus associa-
led. Yes, beyond any other man, per-
haps, that ever lived, was General Lee
dearly loved. You may judge, there
fore, what he was to those permitted
% bear with him the privileged COM
panionship ofdaily life aud friendly in
limacy; anc how, iu speaking of him,
am literally speaking "out Of the
abundance of the heart"
Of General Lees great military ca.
lcer it is not my purpose here to speak.
With its main features you are already
more or less familiar, and it will con
stitute the brightest page in the history
Of modern times. Chiefly Of his admi-
able example in the retired sphere Of
usefulness which he chose after the war,
10 l design giving simple narrative.
But before entering upon this, there
are one or two facts connected with the
close of HE grand career as the South
ern commander-in.c chief, Of which it is
proper that few words be said.
~yY HE DID NOT Earlier WITHDRAW
FROM PETERSBURG
has been asked? To my knowledge he
was perfectly aware, long before April,
1865, of the necessity for such with
drawal, and had fully resolved upon it.
Several months before he privately ex-
pressed this to myself, as l believe he
did to others in responsible positions.
At any rate, I received from him secret
instructions to send to a designated
point far in the rear all surplus ammu.
milton, and to make arrangements with
the artillery, as the arm most difficult
of sudden movement, for marching at
one hours notice. His plan being
-apidly to move back and form, if pos
sible, junction with the Southern
Confederate army, that by quick and
decisive combination, one or the other
of the Federal armies might be struck
with effectual force. With this plan
however, there vas interference, which
General Lee deemed it less evil to
yield to than to disregard. Its nature
may be inferred from a significant re
mark made by him to myself alone, the
night Of the 1st of April, 1865. Con-
templating the then thiuness Of his own
line, its vast extent and the feebleness
of his eatire force, he said "Gcneral, il
our cause fails, its epitaph may be
written, Died of Congress and the
Newspapers" The next morning that
thin line was broken by tie numerous
masses that at length adventured at
tack. and we had to withdraw.
THE MAsTERLY RETREAT
then began. It has been asked whJ
even en- so great captain could no,
succeed iu eluding his much less skillful
adversary? The reply is found in the
utterly reduced state Of his army, and
of all Southern military supplies, with
the superadded difficulties Of iuclement
weather aud deep roads.
Amelia Court House, on the Rich
mdnd and Dabville Railroad, was duly
reached; but supplies that had beer
called for, and were expected there
were not forthcoming, while a larg'
number of persons from Richmond
only afew,e, ,yhom. however, were re-
liable soldiers, were added to the crowe
we had to provide, for. and protect.
For want of animals and forage
large amount of wagons, ammunition
&c. had to bed edestroyed, aud -the rbes
dispositions possible were made TOR con
tinuing With the remainder our retreat
D.t,,S,,snt, af she ;enenry we're bg Ehi