The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-30

IL corked. was trnG uced, drinking vessels I
s,esa bro,jgi OH, afll alf tiiered around /
II, earer expectancy, when the General hIlea
the glasses aud cups TO the bfim-not with |
cid - Cognac !. or g Bourbon n--b but WIKI
fresh JtstteTnitik, which a kind lady, know |
Ing his taste, had sent him. He seemed 10
enjoy greatly the evident disappoihtmentoi
some Of The company when they ascertaipea
the true character Of their "ireat."
Luxurtes which friends sent for his Ness
table went regularly 10 the sick ana Woanu-
4: in the hospitals, and he was accustomed 10
giv. " I am content 10 share tue rations o'
my men,
In the winter of GA, as, indeed. at many
other times. the army was OF sucn scaht III
Iowances a. to excite the deepest anxiety OF
tbe commander. He did all in his power 10
remedy the evil, and issued to the troops
stirring address, which closed as iolio"s:
:. Soldiers, you tread with no unequal Steps
the road by which your fathers maicnea'
through suffering, prration, and biooa, 10
independence
Being invited about this time TO dine ut Q
house where an elegant dinner was served,
il is said that lie declined all OF the rlch Flinus
offered him, dined on bread and beer, ana
Quietly remarked in explanation TO tue Iaay
OF the house, u cannot consent 10 De lea'st-
Ing while my poor soldiers are nearly sIaf''
in"."
In the same spirit he wrote to some young
officers who were gettinyup grand military
;,;li: Il do not think this Il lit time for least
ii- or unsccmiy merry-nlakiug. am always
clad 10 see YOUR names figure among the GAL
Iant defender, Of the country. l confess
That rcgrrt 10 see them just now colsplcu-
Gus among the promoters Of q grand mlll'
tal.y bali or anything Of that character"
BOT long after his West Virginia ;mpaign
he was recommending certain officer tor
promotion, wien Il friend urged hin not TO
do SO, alleging that this officer was accus-
toned to speak very dispalaginglt ana dis
RESPECTFULLY of General Lee. The QUICK
rop!v WIS, The question is not whit hc
thinks VI is pleased TO say about me, but
what | think OF him. / have {. high opinion
OF this y,ii.tr rs 4 soldier. aud shall most un.
qucsLom1Iy recommend his promotion, and
do ali in NY power 10 secure it."
4 sTEIEISG COMPARISON, THAT Is EAMELESs.
General Lee had nothing of n2potism
about linn, but melted out the evenest justice
to oil, except that he probably did not
promote his relatives rs rapidly us lie did
others.
His son Robert served as private in the
ranks Of The Iockbrdge artillery, sharing
with his comrades Of that crack corps all Of
their dangers, hardship@, drudgery, and pri-
yations, when hint from his father would
lave occurred him promotion to some place
Of honor. The General told, with evident
relish, tliat during the battle of Sharpsburg
he became very uneasy about Robert-knoW-
ing that his battery had suffered severely
and not bearing anything from him. At last
he made it convenient to ride up to the bat
terry. which had just been relieved from
very pcri!ous position where it had suffered
fearful los, and bad his lelrs increased by
not recognizing lis SOD among the men. TO
tue hearty greeting o. the brave fellows ne
replied, "Wc!i. you have done noDiy to-
day, but shall bc compelled TO send you in
again.
"Will you, Gcneral:" said powder-be-
giilued yUuth whom he did no; recognize,
ua;i he spoke, IL his son Robert. "Wcll,
boys! come on. the General says we must 20
iD again, ard YOU know lie is in The habit OF
having his own way about such nattcrs.|
Thus The anxiety Of the communicating
chief was relieved, ana his son went Sa!iy to
work 4: lis sun, and contributed lis iGll
share towards keeping those people back
Your correspondent has the following
Groin the lips Of the distinguished officer
iitI@ related II:
When General was compelled by
failing health 10 ask to DO relieved from a
certain important command. he went TO Rich
lnond> 10 coat,r with President Davis * to
his successor, aid to cudeayor to impress
upon him the very great Importance O! tic
district aud OF the commanded being man
q! fine abilities. Mr.. Davis fully sympathized
with lis views, and, after rejection, said:
II know CT no better man for that position
than !,rncga Gusts Lee. To show you my
estimate u his ability / vii! sly that when
some time ago | thought OF sending General
Robert Lee to command the Western army,
| !G,d determined tliat his son Gusts should
.uccerd him i'll command OF the Army OF
Northern VIRGINIA. Now wish you to go
Up antl soc General Lee, tell him what | sly.
and ask hin To order General Gusts Lee 10
tic command OF that department. Tell him
will make his >on Encouragement, lielltcll-
ant-gcncl.l, or ii need be, full general. ~ that
he may rank any officer likely TO be sent 10
that department"
General - promptly sought Lees head
quarters, delivered Mr. Daris's message, and
trgrd compliance,
=
the old chic!tuin had but one reply: " 1 an
very much obliged to Dir. Davis for his high
opinion CT Gusts Lee. l hope that if he had
Use opportunity he would prove himself in
-ai.!" m"a-lre worthy Of that confidence.
Etl. he is an l.nilcd man in the field, and l
c.nnnct appoint him 10 that conliila"ds Very
mIc!i against his whites, and my own, -iir
Davis lG.s kept him on his personal stan. and
he has litd no opportunity to prove bis ability
~ hgndc III ARMY in the field. Whatever
may be HE opinion nF othels, | cannot pass
iy my tried officers and take for that impor-
iant position comparatively new man-cspe-
cilily When that man IS my own son. Nj.
Davis ean maze the assignment if he thinks
proper; shall certainly pot do So
ANOTHER BRUTrs.
Rev. Or. L. V. Moore, so long pastor OF
the First Pres byterian church in RiclMoHd,
and who recently died in Nashville, Tenn.
related the following i'll his memorial SER
mon:
AFTER the cartel for the exchange Of pris-
oncrS during the war was suspended, one OF
his o1 SONS was taken prisoner. i Federal
officer of the same rank in Libby prison sent
for ne, and wished NE TO write to General
Lee, begging him to obtain the consent of
the Confederate authorities To MS release,
provided he could, IL he felt sure would ic
the case, induce the United States authorities
to send General Lees son through the lines
10 effect this special exchange.
"In n few days reply was received in
which, with tie lofty spirit Of Roman Bru-
tuS, he respectfully but firmly declined to ask
any favor for his own son that could not be
asked for the humhlcst soldier in the army.
The officer, while disappointed, was yet so
struck with the unsalfish uabiencSs OF the
reply that he begged the letter from me as n
al 7 ,, ,II wifi, ,1.nr,