Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-02-16
EULOGY ON GENERAL LEE.
A Panagyric by general Early
en- the Military Career Of His
Former Chief.

Former Chief
General Jubal Early delivered lee
ture at Lexington, Virginia, the other
day, in which he gave his estimate of
the character of General Robert E.
Lee.
He alluded to the memorable scene
when General Lee received his COM
mission from the Virginia Convention;
to his self-abnegation, incessant labor,
and asserted that, without detracting
from the merits of others, without
General Lees services in the reorgani-
Zation of the Virginia forces at first,
the battle of Manassas could not have
been fought. General Lee was first
in command in West Virginia and
then on the sea coast defences. After
the battle of Seven Pines he came to
the command of the Army of North
ern Virginia, and conceived that
splendid campaign of which a great
mind was alone capable. In the sew
en- days battles around Richmond,
Lee had 5000 infantry and 5000 cav
airy and artillery, and this was the
largest army he ever commanded.
In swinging around to attack Nc
Clellan's rear and flank he left but
5000 men between the enemy and
Richmond. This was the perfection
or wise doing, and had General Lees
orders been carried out by his subor-
dinates, McClellan's army could have
been annihilated. General Pope came
next. Jackson's movement to the
rear of Pope with 10000 men, was one
of the most brilliant strategetical move
fo
undertook the bold plan of crossing
the Potomac at Sharpsburg. Jackson
had but 1000 men, and General Lees
eighteen thousand men. This was
one of the most remarkable battles of
the war. The official reports show
that during the whole of the 18th and
part of the 10th, General Lee confront
ed Mcclellan with only $500 infantry,
and his whole force ofal arms from
first to last was less than thirty thou
sand men. Mcclellan had 81, 900 men
and 400 guns. Mcclellan did not
claim a victory until the 10Th after he
found Lee had reerossed the Potomac,
and he began to crow, at first feebly,
and then more loudly, Applause. u
With any thing like equal mears, Lee
would, in September, 1862, have dicta-
ted terms of peace in Washington city.
At the battles of Fredericksburg, it was
impossible to attack in the evening,
because of the furious artillery fire.
Jackson ordered the speaker to attack
and then countermanded the order.
At Charlottesville Lees success was
a triumph. Jackson fell, and General
Lee might well say that he had lost
his right arm. AT Gettysburg on the
first day we gained decided victory
on the second and third days we failed
to dislodge the enemy. Our ammuni-
ton was short. General Lee consult
ed me whole day, and determined to
fall back.
The magnanity of General Lee kept
back the true secret of i'll success at
Gettysburg. The attack was to have
been made at daylight, but Long
streets corps was not ready until four
o'clock 2. NJ. BY that time meade's
whole army was up. In the morning
an attack by our right-on the enemy's
left-must have resulted in brilliant
success. The attack on our left was
only made to support Longstreet. If
what SwintOn says in his book as to
what Longstreet has said be true, then
one at least of Lees lieutenants did
not go into the fight with that conf
dence and good faith necessary to sue
cess. General Lee in this battle had
less than sixty thousand men of all
arms. The defensive line of the Rap
idan was then chosen as the Only one
that could not be fianked monitors
and gunboats. In May, 1854, Grant
came with 10000 men. Then came
the long death grapple. At Spottsyl-
vania our lines were for time broken.
Grant had received 10000 men more,
Lee not one. Grant finally landed on
the south side of the James River,
where he could have gone at first
without the loss of man, but to reach
which cost him more men than the en-
tire numberin Lees army. All things
considered, this campaign of Lees is
the most remarkable of ancient or
modern times.
The disparity of numbers sounds
like romance. General Lee wrote to
me, in 1865, that il would be hard to
make the world understand and be-
lieve the fact, but Lee was always
anxious TO take the offensive. He
said to me, if Grant goes to James
River it would become a siege, and
then it will only be- question of time.
For nine long months constant atten-
ton and lingering starvation were do
ing their work when Sherman reach
ed Goldsboro. The endcame at Apo
matox, Eight thousand men, the
equals of any in all the tide of time,
laid down their arms before loo, O00.-
Gen. Lee had not been conquered in
battle, but surrendered because he had
no longer an army with which to give
battle. This is but an imperfect
sketch of General Lees military ca
reer. When l returned from Canada
/ submitted my estimation of his for
ces to him. He said they fully cover
ed the amount and sometimes exceed
ed them. They are those L have
given to-day. OF the Generals of
antiquity, Hannibal is nearest to Gen.
Lee, but the forces of Rome and
Carthage were equal, and the latter a
maratime power. So, too, with
Marlborough. Among moderns Ma
poleon's retreat from Moscow and
Shameless flight from Waterloo are
blots upon his career. Whoever
draws o parallel between Lee and
jackson, to depreciate either, knows
nothing of either of those two congo
NAL Christian heroes. Let US rejoice
that we can look to their graves and
look the world squarely in the face
Lee is like a tall colmn, towering
above all others, needing no borrowed
lIsire and he Is all alone