The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-01-03

corps aii OF Usssif rsiahBei5;' hards hipsj
drudgerJi aud pri vatio ns, !1l1sn rat hint
from ,hisfnlher would have. secured him
promotion 10 80 me place OF honor: The
General told. with evadento relish,, that
during the battle Of 6harpl burg he be-
came very uneasy about Rdbert--kuow-
ing chat his battery had suffered severely
aud nothearing anything from him.' at
last he made 1t convenient TO ride, up to.
the battery. which had Just been relieved
from very petilous position, vhSre Is.
had suffered fraif fulh loss; and shada his
Tears inoreased by not, ,,recu9nisis e,his
son among the men. Is aithe hearty
greetiDg Of the brave fellows, he replied:
'Well, you have done nobiy to-day; but
l shall be COMPELLED, to send yon in;
again." ir.n4r,I y,l e--lla., !y,,... go.
,"WIl you, General?" said apo wder.
begrimed youth whom he did not reeog-
nize until ha spoke as his SON Robert:
well. boys. come on; the General says
we must 60 in again. and Jon know he is
lp ihe habit af having hts wn way about
such matters.'' ,,ai elF: IA.
Thus the ANXIETY of the Commander
ln!Chlef was relieved, and his SON went
gaiiy TO WORK at his gun, and contributed
us iul! share toward keeping those
people back" ,,h oi,G ~; u. ,is'-
Your correspondenthas the following
from the lips OF the distinguished officer
who related it: iYiE yre.i
w nen 0en' was To0mpelied by
failing health TO ask to be relieved fr6m
certain important comihand. he want
to Richmond to confer with President
Davis as to his successor, and to endea-
vor to impress upon him the yerv Great
Importance OF the district and Of the
commander being man of fine abilities.
Mr. Davis folly sympatbixed with his
views, and. after refedtion, said II
Know OF no better man for that poaition
thaa Gen Castis Lee. To show you my
estimate OF his ability, T will say, that
~hcn. some time ago, I thought of send
ing Gen. Robert Leo to con, mand the
Western army'1 had determined that his
son Custis should sucueed him in com
mond OF the army of Northern virginia.
Now, wish you to go up and see Gen.
Lee. tell him what say, and ask him to
order Gen. Cnstis Lee to the command
of that department.. Tell him that I
will make his son msjor-general, ieute-
nant.general, or, If need be. full general,
so that he may rank any officer likely to
be sent to that department."
Gen. promptly sought Lees
headquarters, delivered Mr. Davis nesi
sage, and urged q ompliance. ''
But TO all Of his arguments and en-
treaties, the old ohieftain had but one
reply: II am very much obliged to MIR.
Davis for his high opinion OF Gustis Lee.
l hope that If lie had the opportunity,
he would provo himself in some measure
worthy OF that confidence. But he is an
untried man in the field, and cannot
appoint him to that command. Very
| 5yosn ok 10 sel
Mr. Davis has kept him on his personal
stnff, and he has had no opportunity 20
prove his ability to handle an army in
the field. Whatever may be the opinion
OF others, cannot pass by my tried
officers and take for that important posi-
ton comparatively new especially
when that man is my own son. Mr..
Davis can make the assignment. il he
thinks proper; I shall certainly not do
so." ,
Rev. Dr. 4. V.>Moors, 80 long pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church In
Richmond. and who recently died in
Nashville. Tennessee. related the follow
ing i'll his memorial sermon:
! AFTER the cartel for the exchange Of
prisoners d4ring tho war was suspended,
one OF lis own sons was taken prisoner.
A Federal officer of the same rank in
Libby prison sent for me, and wished,
mo to write to Gen. Lee, begging him to
obtain the consent of the Confederate
authorities to his release, provided he
could, as he felt sure would be the case.
induce the United States authorities to
send Gen. Lees son through The lines to
effect this special exchange.
'In few days reply was received in
which, with the lofty spirit OF Roman
Brutus. he respectfully, but firmly, de.
clined TO ask any favor for his own son
that could not be asked for the humblest
colder in the army. The cfficer, while
disappointed, was yet so struck with tho
unselfish nobleness of the reply, that he
begged the letter from me as memento
of Gen. Lee. adding, with deep empha-
sis. Sir. regard him asthe greatest man
now living"
1t will add greatly to the force of the
above incident to recall the fact that tho
son (Gen. W. q. T. Lee) was at home,
severely wounded, at the time he was
captured-that his accomplished wife
was lying at the point of death, and
actually died before his release, {the
Fedora! authorities refusing to allow
no&s 49, ~