The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-08-01
LEE IN VIRGINIA.
How He Came 40 Super.ede Gen
LOring-Gxis HSOIdness in
Recon- oiterin&.

[Gen. a, L Long in Philadelphia Weekly
Times.l
When Gen. lee arrived at Hunters
vile he found Gen. Loring busily en-
gagged forming his depot of supplies and I
organizing his transportation train. Sew +
eral days had already elapsed, and seve- /
raj days more would be necessary before
he could complete his preparations for an
advance. The arrival OF Gen. Lee at
Huntersville, as a commander of the de |
/ partment, took Gen. Loring by surprise.
Having been his superior in rank in the
/ old army, he could not suppress feeling
of jealousy. Gen. Lee was accompanied
/ by his aides de-camp, Col. John A.
/ Washington and Capt. Walter IL. lay
Tor. After remaining several days at
/ Huntersvilie without gaining any posi-
| tive information from Gen. LOring in re-
gard to the time of his probable advance,
he proceeded to join Col. Gillian at Val
lev Mountain. He took with him Maj.
Lees cavalry, not as an escort, but for
the purpose of scouting and reconnolter-
ING. 1t had now been eight or ten days
since Col Gillian first arrived at Valley
Mountain Pass AT that time he learned
from the inhabitants and his scouts that
the road to Beverly was unoccupled,
But within the last day or two, a force
of the Federals had advanced within less
than a mile of his front, and then re
tired. Gen. Lee at once busted himself
about gaining information respecting the
position of the enemy. He soon learned
that the Federals had taken possession of
a strong pass, ten miles IN front OF Val,
2 lev Mountain, and were actively engaged
in fortifving it, When Gen. Loring ar
= rived, about the 18th of August, the
t FederaIs had been re enforced, and this
t position had been so greatly strength
; ened that Gen. Lee deemed it unadvlsa
! BILE to attempt direct attack, 50 the only
t course now to be pursued was to gam
e the Federal flank or rear, and take then
: when they least expected an attack.
p Gen. Lee had been distinguished IL
the Mexican war as a reconnolterlng OF
: 6car and Gen. Scott had been mainl
: indebted to his bold reconnaissance 10
: the brilliant success of his Mexican cam
j paigns. Rank and age had not impaired
Il the qualities that had formerly rendered
# him so distinguished. He brought then
e with him to the mountains OF Virginia
lie There was not a day when 1t was posi-
20 BILE for nm TO De out, IHaI INC o0ilSl '''
= with either Col. Washington or Capt
!: Taylor, might not be seen crossing tn
to mountains, climbing over rocks an
ne crags, to get view of the Federal posi-
ID ton. Ever mindful of the safety OF hi
As men, he would never spare himself toll
e fatigue when seeking the means to PR
TT vent unnecessary loss Of life. BY way
er illustrating his boldness as reconnolteI
in in ing officer, | will relate an anecdote tol
G. me by Capt. Preston, Adjutant OF tt
ep Fortv-eig hth Virginia Regiment goo
Is Is CampbelPs). The regiment beng G
ht picket, seeing three men on an elevate
NJ point about half mile in advance
IRE the line of pickets, and believing the
III III to be Yankees, he asked his Colonel
Ter let him capture them. Permission b
he ing obtained, and selecting two M
his from number of volunteers who had
I Gl fered to accompany him, he set forth
ia. capture the Federal scouts. DashII
cal through the brushwood, and over t
an rocks, he suddenly burst upon the unst
IT,, re pecting trio, when 10 TO his amazemc'
bi Gen. Lee stood before him.