The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-09-23
RecOllections Of Gen. Robert E. Lee.
BY FLORENCE MCCARTHY.

BY FLORENCE NJ 'CARTHY.
When the late war broke out | was
attending lectures at the University of
Virginia, located at Charlottesville.
One of the most vivid recOllections L
have of the exciting events which took
place there is, that on one of the hall
doors there was posted up an editorial
scrap taken from the Chicago Tribune,
full of the war spirit, and breathing out
threatenings and slaughter to the South
erners in case they should secede.
Nothing could have fired the Southern
heart more effectually than this editori-
al manifesto. The students at once
packed their trunks and left by the hun
dred for the camps of instruction. The
institution was virtually closed, and L
returned to my home in Richmond,
where one of the rumors that reached
me was that some man whom the au-
thOrities seemed to recognize as the
most important person on the face OF
earth to the Southern cause, one of
whom / had never in my life heard,
and whom they called Gen. Lee, was
expected to arrive in Richmond the
next day. For several months after
his arrival in Richmond, Lee had his
headquarters in the Federal Court
house, situated in the Capitol Square,
where he employed himself in organic
ing the Virginia troops. 1twas in pass
ing through the square, or park, to and
from these labors, that first and fire.
quently saw this remarkable person.
In the regular army, previous to the
war, Lee was regarded as the hand
soonest man in the service. But, for
my part, think this must have been
an exaggeration of his comliness. He
certainly was a magnificent specimen of
physical manhood, but it always APP
peared to me that he was juS tritie
too short for perfect figure. When
first saw him he had a remarkable gait
and carriage. He always walked brisk
ly, with springiness that was jaunty,
and bordered on gaiety; held his head
up and shoulders back, and had Il way
of thrusting one fist into the other palm
rapidly as he walked. lie appeared to
me like a gay, light-heartcd, handsome
cavalry officer At that time he wore
mustache, but no whiskers, and was
not, if / remember correctly, at all
gray.
While Lee was engaged at his labors
in the Federal Courthouse, he gave
ample proof that he teH any thing but
gay, whether he looked so or not.
From the very first he entertained the
most solemn and painful conviction as
to the duration and terrible nature of
the conflict. remember distinctly one
circumstance that led me to think him
a crOaker. The war spirit ran so high
in Richmond at that time that a parcel
of school-bOys formed a company of in
fantry and marcked down to the Court
house to offer themselves to Lee as sol
dierS. But the General, while sur
prised and delighted at their pluck,
begged them to go back to school, and
assured them that the war would last
long enough to afford them all the fight
ing they desired after they had COM
pleted their education. ''FOr my
part" he said, 81 never expect 20 see
the end of this war. -
Inever had any personal acquaintance
with Lee, and never heard his voice but
once. After he took the field | saw
him, even, only few times. But there
were two occasions when | got a good
look at him under very interesting cir
cumstances, and the memory of it will
never be effaced from my mind. The
first of these was when he was marching
through Pennsylvania to Gettysburg.
Either for the purpose of taking drink
of water, or to await the arrival of
cOuriers, he and his unpretentious staff
dismounted for few minutes at a large
house on the roadside. They did not
enter the house, and in few minutes
mounted their horses again and rode off.
On the principle that "'even a cat may
look at king, ." made a point of hang
ing around the party and observing
Lees cOuntenance. If a person can
imagine exactly how great and brave
man ought to look who had assumed
such responsibilities and was approach
ing such a crisis in his fortunes, he can
imagine exactly how Lee looked. |
never can forget the dignity, the gray
ity, the unassuming quietness, and yet
the look of serene confidence, of mod
esty, of humility, and of gentleness
which Lees countenance wore that day.
He and his subordinates were dressed
very plainly, and the whole party SEEM
ed to be pervaded by the same decent,
quiet, undemonstrative spirit.
When they left this place, Lee uttered
some lacOnic instruction to one of his
aids, approached his horse, and placing
his hand on the pummel rose into the
saddle slowly and as gracefully as if it
had been by magic.
All of the motions of Lees body after
he took the field seemed to me to be the
most leisurely and graceful that l ever
beheld. He never looked at all slug
gish or absent-minded but he never
seemed to be in a hurry. Even when
he raised his SLOUGH hat to the ladies
who waved their handkerchiefs to him
as he passed through Maryland, he
slowly took hold of it by the top Ghe
brim was too soft for that purpose) +,
and raised it and put it back on his
head, and without inclining his head,
turned look of dignified obeiSance to
his admirers. And | must confess that
on the occasion referred to was greatly
surprised at and disappointed in Lees
voice. | had made up my mind that 1t
was low and sweet and musical. And
indeed I never heard him utter more
than half dozen words and those
words were uttered in such a low tone
of voice that | could not distinguish
them, but they gave me sudden
shock; for his voice was masculine,
sharp, abrupt, and harsh, full of au-
thority and command, in short per-
fectly soldierly.
/ have mentioned this view of Lee at
length for the reason that the other
great occasion on which l got a fair
look at him was when he was retreaing
from Gettysburg, and that both ac-
counts might be read together as a sort
of comnanion pictureS. At the moment