Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-11-14
LEES LAST CAMPAIGN.
A Touching Recollection of South
ern Waller and Devotion.

1SOf, 1tuUt CrOSSeO the river Will Itp-
900 men, General Lee could command
less than SO, 900 of all arms, and vet he
boldly marched to attack him, having
in hand whom he first struck Grants
column only $4,000 men.
He gave vivid picture Of the battle
Oh the plank road, fought on the even
cox's and Heth's divisions, of y. 2.
Hills corps, when (u,nder the immedi
ate eve of Gen. Leo this heroic band
of only 10000 beat back the 10000
with which Hancock made repeated
assaults upon them.
He also spoke OF Ewell's splendid
success Oh the old turnpike, where,
with 1G, 900 men, he had driven back
Warrens corps, and illustrated the Iln-
expected boldncss of Gen. Lees strate-
gy by quoting the remark Of Gen.
Meade when the columns came in col.
ision: ''Thoy have left a division to
fool Us here while they concentrate and
prepare position on the North Anna;
and what | want is to prevent these
fellows from getting back to Mine
Run"
He wildly pictured the battle OF the
next morning, when Hills two dIyi-
sions, which had become aware that
they were to be relieved by Long
street, and W. were not i'll the best
fighting trim, were violently assaulted
before Ilongstreet had come up, and q
portion of them had been forced back
several hundred yards, when Long
strees's men double-quicked mile
a-half, and went into the fight with the
widest cheering and enthusiasm. He
gave the correct version OF that splen-
did historic incident CT Gregg's Texas
brigade rausing in their advance as
| they saw ther loved leader going into
the fight. and vociferating $50 back
General Lee; go back General Lee;"
| and told how confidence was restored
| ut once to Hills brave men, the whole
I line swept forward, the flank attack
| was made, and Hancock was driven
| back in confusion that would proloa-
| bly, have resulted III utter rout but for
| the unfortunate wounding Of Long
street just at this junctIre.
| He told the story of Grants flank
| movement toSpotsy!yania Court House,
! and how splendidIy Stuart with his
cavalry assisted by part of Auderson's
infantry held in check overwhelming
numbers until General Lee could get
INTO position.
! He then gave an account Of the re-
pulse of Hancock by Heth's division.
lnder Early, in It's attempt to turn
| Lees flank, and the terrible repulSe
which Kershaw's and Tieii's divisions
| gave the encry in their repeated at
tacks on their lines, even though the
odds against them were Ial'y lie to
! one. He gave striking incidents illus
trating the herOis:l Of our laCu N these
fights.
He gives the account Of tho breaking
! Of Rhodes lines OH tire IHtit. ;si.i ;,,,is
of the ga liant style IN which the re
took them, under ti:a eye and in cho
immediate presence of General Lee.
| whom the troops again begged to q to
the rear.
He gave the details OF the ,;is4s:el to
Johnston's division on the memorable
18th of May (ezoneratine That noble
old Roman from al bIame}, by which
we lost three Thousand prisoners and
eighteen pieces OF artillery: and told
OF the splendid courage b. which
new line inst N the rear wac formed,
against which tie blue waves dashed
in vain.
He gave an incident OF The refusal Of
Harris Mississippi brigade to 60 into
the fight with General Leo, and brought
ooS blic tJO'Att tIisSh iIiIS iilt4itti4i CJcltI-
red secCi'al times II this campaign, and
that General Lee, VIXEN written 10 after
the war about It, only mentions one
Tin reply to 4 direct Guestionl-so
modest and unpretending was he. that
such incidents were regarded hv him
as OF minor importance.
| He claimed that while others did
most noble service, Rhodes and Ram
seur were the real heroes o. that mc:n-
orable 18th OF May.
! He said that IL reply TO tina question
frequently asked why General Lee
sent the Government 10 telegram
about the battle OF Tie 18th. that h
did send C tNcgrasn that evening.
He then skctched the further pro-
, gross Of thc campaign by which Lee
foiled Grant at the North A,.l.a, gave
him !. crushing defeat ut Cold Harbor,
and finally forced him TO lay siege to
Petersburg, which he might have done
! at the beginning OF tie campaign with
out the loss of u single man.
This narrative Is inter 3cT9gd with
! touching anal valuable historic incl
! dents, which we rc,crCt our want OF
/ space will not ALLOW 80 10 give: but
this will all dotlI,-..- I; published in
full, and viii ril': Tho sf,'isJ., Historian
Invaluable material
! His summing up WIS aS follows
/ lie had not designed To Sivc = re-
/ view, but only IL few incidents I'll he
| campaign. But few moro General
! statements IF this i-reaics: ..aint,4!..II
! Of that army would nut i,t nut ii place.
! On the It'll Of MAY four radiatiug in
| vadinS columns set out simultaneously
! for the conquest Of VIRGINIA. The old
State, which had COR three years known
little else save tlIo tramp Uf armed lc-
gions, was ROW 10 he closed III h,- j cir
clio OF tirC from tlie mountains 10 the
! scaboard.
! Through The southwestern mountain
passes; through the sat. 5 OF the lower
valley; from the battle-scarred wales of
the Rappahannock; from the Atlantic
seaboard to the waters Of the James,
came the serried hosts on field and
! flood, numbering more than 275,OO0
| men Included ia this number also re-
Inducements sent during the cam
paign.) No troops We're ever more
thoroughly equipped, or supplied with
a more abundant commissariat. For
the heaviest column transports were
ready to bring supplies and reinforce
| ments to any one of three convenient
deep-water passes-A cpnia creek. Port
Royal and the White House.
The column next in importance had
its deep-water base within nine rnilea
Of a vital point in our defeases. In the
cavalry arm $50 important in q cam
paign i'll n country like ours} they
boosted overwhelming strength. The
Confederate forces IN Virginia. or
which could be drawn IL is defense
FROM other points, numbered not moro
than IS, 900 men. Yet our great COM
mander with steadfast heart. commit
ting orr cause TO Tie Lord Of battles,
calmly made his disposition to meet
the shock OF tic invading hosts. In
sixty days the great Invasion had dwin-
died to L siege Of Petersburg (niles
from deep water by the main coI,.mn,
which, shaken in its structure, it's
valor quenched ia blood, aud thou
sands Of its abIest officers killed or
wounded, was tho Army of the Poto-
mac no more.
Mingled with it IN lines OF Peters
H. II, L 4