The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-10-26
AN OLD LETTER OF GEN. LEE.
Correspondence Chicago Times.l

AN OLD LETTER OF GEN. LEE.
Correspondence Chicago Times.l
GALVESTON, TEXAS, Sept. 22.-Be-
fore leaving San Antonio I called upon
John Twohig, the Irish-American
bunker, who was born in Cork nearly
seventy years ago, and who still retains,
despite of ffast-crowding age the strength
and virility Of manhood's prime.
John has had an eventful career, by
sep and shore. Since the Cove of Cork
faded from his sight, he has sailed un-
der many foreign sky, and has lived
among remote peoples. Fortune at
length, nearly forty years ago, drove
him to San Antonio, where he took
root, and his financial genius has placed
him among the foremost men in the
State of the single star. John drinks
rare sherry every day of the year,
except March II, which he calls "the
seventeenth of Ireland," in honor Of st.
Patrick. On that famous anniversary
John gives sherry the grand bounce,
aud honors tho patron saint of .sthe
holy island" in brimming goblets of
GENUINE MOU NTAlN DEW,
after the fashion Of the Celtic chiefs in
the gOOd time before the first Plantag-
enet scented Ireland from afar and
made that grab for her throat which
was successful, and which seven hun
dred years have seen unbroken. In
short, John Twohig lives like an Irish
prime and looks like one-with his
venerable white hair and his courtly
manners. Around his table have sat
the most famous men of this and the
Inst generation-sOldiers and statesmen.
orators and poets. He has known the
victor OF San Jacinto and the hero OF
buena Vista, Lee and Longstreet, Ma
gruder and Thomas, Joseph T., John
ston and fighting Phil Kearny-the
pahdins of the North and of the South
have shared his hospitality and have
fonored his character. He has bundles
OF letters from those celebrated men.
and among them
THE VALEDICTORY OF ROBERT f.. LEE
when that immortal soldier, then
Colonel of the Second cavalry. Latle
farewell to San Antonio few days
after 'tthe Lone Star State" voted her.
self out ofthe constellation of tho Union.
The document has never been published.
and, coming from the foremost A mer-
lean General of any nge, 1t will prove,
no doubt, interesting to your readers,
especially rs 1t contains a prediction.
| which have italicized, as to tho ulti-
| mate fate of the ill.starred rebellion.
| MIR. TWohig has kindly permitted mo
to furnish it to the Times as follows:
"AT Mrs. SuTHERI.AND's, SurIIER-
LANDS SPRINGS, TEXAS, Feb. 10, 1861
l-% Deta' Mr.. Iscohiy: stopped at
your door this morning to bid you fare
well, but felt unwilling to renew the
pain felt last evening. will, there
fore, at this distance, say aGlie,, to YOU,
Mrs. TwOhig and Miss Kate, and wish
you all every happiness and prosperity.
desired also to thank you for your
Kindness in taking charge of my ami
mails, and ask you to sell the horse mt
once, for 1 fear he will give you trou-
BILE, unless you think no may be of
service to you. or the rest take what
you wish, and dispose of what you may
not require, when convenient. Give
the good mother of the orphans Il sheep
horse (the mother so pronuncctl the
word cheap, being foreigner) pay all
charges, and, ii there Is any balance,
! remit to me at Washington City. do
| not think made any definite request
| OF Mr.. Vance to send some furniture
left mt his store to the auctionecr for
sale. Will you remedy my neglect
| when you sec him?
"And now, having closed my busi-
ness, l will say how sad felt to-day,
under the circumstances, at leaving
San Antonio, especially as / an, ,uu.6Ie
10 sec u single yoot& that ,piU s.es,tM .f,on4
tic step taken by Tie State; but, as it has
been permitted by II kind Providence,
hope it will eventuate in her ultimate
benefit.
"Again farewell. Remember me to
Mayor Larkin.
Very truly yours, II. Il. LEE"
THE BODY OF THE LETTER
is written in plain, almost boyish
hand, certainly not ga character hand"
in the sense of indicating tho genius
OF the writer. It was more like the
slovenly scrawl Of Lord Byron than the
illegible "fist" of Napoleon Bonaparte.
''Thc father of his country" would
have been ashamed of the degeneracy
OF Lees chirography, but the signature
Is bold, dashing, doggcd, reckless, and
rushing, as the charge of Pickett's
division on the Union lines at Gettys-
burg.
Mr.. Twohig speaks with great affec-
ton OF Lee, and says that he appears
to have had goomy prcsentinent
from the very moment secession was
talked of. No man regretted it more.