Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-11-29
LINCOLN AND LEE.
The Offer to Gen. Lee of the Command Of
the United States Army.

A b. Magruder in Philadelphia Weekly Times.
In 166S-severaf years after the war
"a senator in congress had the temerity
to make the charge that Gen. Lee had
applied to President Lincoln for the
command of the federal army destined
to invade and subdue the southern
plque and resentment 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.. Reverdy Johnson, of Mary
land, himself a Union man, denounced
the statement as untrue, saying that al
though he had not the authority of the
accused to deny it, Gen. Lees lofty
character and unstained honor alone
sufficed to repel the charge. This fur
nished the occasion for Gen. Lee to
give, through Mr.. Johnson, not only the
conclusive proof of the incorrectnesS OF
the charge but the clear eviG ence that
he had himself declined, from a stern
sense of duty and honor, the very pre-
ferment which he was falsely accused
of cOveting. None can tell the extraor-
binary story in better terms than Gen.
Lee himself, as contained In the follow
ing modest and characteristic letter adj
dressed by him at the time to Reverdy
Johnson, who not long before his death
avouched to the contributor its entire
authenticity:
LEXINGTON Va, Feb. %, 1868.
Hon. Rerer0Iy Johnson, q. S. Senate, Wash
| il1gtOh:
"MY DEAR S1R:-My attention has
been called to the official report of the
debate in the senate of the United
States of the 10Th inst, in which you
did me the kindness to doubt the cor
rectness of the statement made by
Simon Cameron in regard to myself. [
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 desired the command of the
United States army, nor did | ever have
a conversation but with but one gentle
man Mr.. Francis Preston Blair) on the
subject, which was at his invitation, and
as L understood at the instance of Pres
ident Lincoln. After listening to mis- re-
marks [ declined the offer he made me
to take command of the army that was
to be brought into the field, stating as
candidly and as courteously as [ could
that though opposed to secession and
deprecating war L could not take part
in an invasion of the southern states [
went directly from the interview with
Mr.. Blair to the office of General Scott,
and told him of the proposition that had
been made to me and my decision.
| Upon reflection after returning to my
home / concluded that | ought no
! longer to retain the commission [ held
in the United States army, and on the
second morning thereafter [ forwarded
my resignation to Gen. Scott At the
time [ hoped that peace would have
been preserved, that 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 afterwards, upon the invita-
ton of the governor of Virginia, [ re-
paired to Richmond, found the conven-
ton then in session had passed the
ordinance Withdrawing the state from
the Union, and accepted the commits
sion of commander of its forces which
was rendered me- These are the sim
pie facts Of the case, and they show
that Mr.. Cameron has been misin-
formed. Your obedient servant,
r. E. LEE"