Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-05-02
Autographs of CeneraILcc.

IN the New York u OFid appeared
some time ago a series of admirable es-
says, and among them .one on auto
graphs. The author is the Hon. VIM.
b. Reed, a resident of Philadelphia,
and former United States Minister to
China. After giving some of Yelling
ton, Chatham, and others, he closes
his paper on his theme as follows:
The great soldiers of Amortization
such history, when our miserable bick-
erings are forgotten, will pronounce
him ; the Christian gentleman the
knightly leader of chivalry. not less
glorious because unfortunate Z: the man
whom in his grave, all, truly brave and
good, mourn and honor-Robert E.
Lee, of Virginia, is dead and, as these
lines are written, is going to his grave,
by the side of Jackson, at Lexington.
His autographs lie before me the
penmanship graceful and delicate, like
a woman's, and his words those of
modesty and simple truth.
As early as the 10th of November,
1862, he writes to n friend:
Il concur with you entirely as to
the Importance of a true history of the
war, and it is my purpose, unless pre-
vented, to write that of the campaigns
in Virginia. With this view, [ have
been engaged since the cessation of
hostilities in endeavoring to procure
the necessary official information. All
nv records, reports, returns, ETC., with
the headquarters of the army, were
needlessly destroyed by the clerks
having them in charge on the retreat
from Petersburg, and such has been
forwarded to the War Department in
Richmond, were either destroyed in
its conhagration or captured III the
South in the attempt to save them. l
desire to obtain some vouchers in sup
port of my recollection, or [ should
have made some progress In the narra-
tive. I have not even my letter or or
der books to which to refer. / have
thought it possible that some of my
official correspondence, which would
be of value to me, might be found
among the captured records in Wash
ington, and that Gen. Grant, who pos
sesses magnanimity as well as ability,
might cause me to be furnished with
copies. l have, however, hesitated to
approach him on the subject, as it is
one i'll which he would naturally feel
no interest.
On the 2Sth of December, 1866, he
writes:
eff Won see Mr. Davis, I beg that
YOU will present to him my warmest
regards; and, If You can find fit words
to express it, my deep interest in his
welfare. You say rightly, that nothing
can be done by his friends for his re-
lief, and that adds to the bitterness of
nv distress for l feel that any at
tempt only serves to arouse afresh the
slumbering ire of his opponents. We
must, therefore, be hopeful. but pa
tient.'
AS late as the 18th of June. 1869, he
says;
II feel more strongly than [ can de-
scribe the importance of Il true history
of the events of the war between the
Nol thern and the Southern States. and
had resolved to prepare a narrative of
the military occurrences in Virginia.
[ have not changed my purpose, but at
first thought the time was Ilnprop tious.
The passions of neither section had
sufficiently cooled to hear the truth,
the only thing cared to relate. / do
not think that time has arrived yet,
but it is approaching. l have been
collecting facts, but am at n loss in
consequence OF my records, papers,
&C., having been destroyed, and have
been so situated as to be incapable OF
supplying them. Still, [ am doing
something, and hope to succeed
These were almost his last words
and they speak as legacy to the
South to do an I1nfulfiiled duty, which
a reconciled people will have right to
demand. AS for him, though it may
be that
.s-his trium phS will be sung
By some unInouided tongue
Far on in summers that we shall not see -
! the duty of surviving contemporaries
is to prepare the record for the future