The daily gazette., 1877-11-19
THE OFFER TO GENERAL LEE OF
THE COMMAND OF THE UNITED
STATES ARMY. ~


THE COMMAND OF THE UNITED
STATES ARMY. ut
Hon. A. B. Magruder in the Philadelphia
Times.
In 1S6S-several years after the war
a Senator in Congress had the temerity
to make the charge that General Lee had
applied to President Lincoln for the COM
mand Of the Federal army destined to in
wade and subdue the Southern States, and
that, being refused, from pique and re-
sentiment he turned and offered his sword
in aid of the Southern cause, and thus
was raised to the chief command of the
Rebel forces. On the instant, Mr.. Rev.
erdy johnson, of Maryland, himself a
Union man, denounced the statement as
untrue, saying that although he had not
the authority of the accused to deny 1t,
General Lees lofty character and un-
stained honor alone sufficed to repel the
charge. This furnished the occasion for
General Lee to give, through Mr.. John
son, not alone the conclusive proof of the
incorrectness of the charge, but the clear
evidence that he had himself declined,
from stern sense of duty and honor,
the very preferment he was so falsely ac-
cused of coveting. None can tell the
extraordinary story in better terms than
General Lee himself, as contained in the
following modest and characteristic let
ter addressed by him at the time to the
Hon. Reverdy johnson, who, not long
before his death, avouched to the con-
tributor its entire authenticity
LEXINGTON, Va, Feb. 25, 1868.
Hon. Reverdy johnson, United States Senate
washington:
MYDEAR SIR-My attention has been
called to the official report of the debate In
the Senate of the Unite1 States OF the 10th
inst, in which you did me the Kindness TO
doubt the correctness of the statement m ade
by the Hon, Simon Cameron in regard to
IA yself. desire that you may feel certain
of my conduct on the occasion referred TO,
so far as my individual statement can
make you so.
never intimated to any one that desir-
ed the com mand ofthe Unired States Army,
nor did / ever have a conversation but
with one gentleman MT; francis Preston
yitatfon and, as l understood, at the IN
stance of President Lincoln. After LISTEN
ing to his remarks, l declined the offer he
made me to take command OF sne army
ing as candidly and courteously as could
that though opposed to secession and dep
recating war could take no part In an In
yasion Of the Southern States.
went directly from the interview with
M r. Blair TO the office of General Scott, and
told him Of the proposition that had been
made to me and my decision. Upon re-
hecting after returning to my home, con-
cluded that ought no longer to retain the
mission held in the United States Ar
my, and on the second morning thereafter
1 forwarded my resignation to General
Scott.
At the time hoped that peace would
have been preserved, Tat some way would
have been found to save the country from
the calamities of war, and then had no
other intention. than to pass the remainder
of my life as private citizen. Two days
afterward, upon invitation of the Governor
OF Virginia, 1 repaired to Richmond found
the convention then in session had passed
the ordinance Withdrawing the State from
the Union, and accepted the commission OF
commander OF its forces which was tender
cd me.
These are the simple facts OF the case and
they show that Mr.. Cam eron has been mis-
informed. Your obedient servant.
r. E. LEE.