, 1879-08-20
A TALK WITH GEN. LEE.

street for the man with artillery attachment.
A TALK WITH GEN. LEE.
His Opinion Of Grant. sh+rmau, nna s,eri-
dan-An Oslo Cbapta'n's 1,-port Of u Con.
v~r.atlon Held In April. 1S13.
The Cincinnati tonmsrc a. prints long story
by The CT Chap1aIn Of an Ohio regiment, detail
ing Ills Impressions rcreved IN m intcrv'ow held
With The late Gen. Robert r. 1.ec at the time
Gen. shcrman's army WAS marching through
Richmond. We quote from It rs follows:
II converscd With him npon variety OF sub
tccts, upon all Of which be expressed opinions.
lie was very positive in Ills convictions. an'1
seemed TO have weIGhcd every sentence with
studied care. The telegraph wires having &c.
Gently announced the news ot 1.lncoIns ataas-
stuatton, ths naturally was The first subject OF
conversation. In speaking Of tho mart'rea
Presdcnt, ho said: 'Fhe death Of that eminent
citizen has filled me With horror. II there were
bemtshos In his character, his life exhibited
Some splcudd and rtr. virtues. He was
one Of the most extraordinary men that
ever lived In our country. His heart
M. rr.ud and large. He WAS conseitu-
t!onallr pensiyr. Had he bccu spared. The
South would be treated with honorable pro-
| prtct7 and With gallant generosity; goodwill
md tstendiiness would have marked his treat
| ucpt Of the south.' He pronounced Booth q
cowardiy rutI1an I; that all the tragic machinery
Of the globe, that all the instruments Of civl
rago could not produce so fne demon: that
the soldiers Of tho Southern arnv and the peo-
! ple regard the murder OF Lincoln not only As
crime against our Christian civilization mud our
cnmmon humanity, but that hs loss 1t this
moment was terrible blow to the VAN
autshcd. wao would have to bear the re-
sponsbQltyof the cruel. co1d.bloosled ass.ssi-
nation; TINT the spirit Of c1emency. nolrra ion.
md Of concf!laton displayed by The President
were vlrtucs not to be found In his alceessor
Let the avengers arms he continued to sar,
gulltr. Should this b. the course adopted by
the authorities ut Warrington, their greatest VIC
torv ID ret before them >; that more shining
pare In their unnals would be written, and that
The sub,lmest etamDle Of maenaulmtty and SELF
"Tu my question. DO you think The Rebe,l
lon is endedf he replied, very en1phatical!r;
Yes, sir: md had It not been for the poll,
tlrtans. It would ucycr have been commrnctd.'
The politicians 10 whom lie referred were Davis,
! Yancev, Breck!nsidge, md Toombs. and o'hcrs
whose names he mentioned. He went on to
say: j was opposed 10 t'ie Var at liz outset.
| went when heard of tho bombardment OF
Fort Sumter. | sought retirement 30 that |
might not hcar or sec any Of the political Lead
| elio was to prectpltate the havoc thnt Bu5scs
oucntlv swept their fields and cities. But when
Virginia, nv naive State. seeded, there was
only one course for, me to pursue, namely, to
follow her foEtunes.'
], "lcn. Lee ndTcrtcd to the character Of Grant.
Of fwhom he s1okc In the most friendly words
and terms. nu ascsioet1 to him the possession
Of the noblcst attributes Of American manf!uod,
nntl ibat be posRessel all the requisites and tai
ents for the organization of armies. AT the
present hour, when not few apprehenstve men
aud reckless parttsas are charging lie illustruus
cx.Presdcnt With C;rssrlam, and with dcsnsratc
ambltlona to overthrow he Government. 1t viii
be some satisfaction to h!s many friends to Re-, ;
yalI the hieh estimate 10 #h'gE y was held l
By the Southern rhieftaln. In The generous
| terms accorded to tho impoverished South.
Grant won for hfmsclfimpeEishahle renowo. and
:l.cr furnish shiu ng example Of how bravelT
he eou}l fight his country's battles, and ot now
nobIy lie roald ssn,uathize with the manipulated.
: In no quarter Of the world las there been sucll
: m4gaaniuilty rs that disulaTed BY Grant, and
:, OF ali tue lauseis won bY our mightr Caosatn in
orr immortsl struggle, the grecnest md fresh.
g.. OF them Ill is bis splendid couduct to Lee
md Ills suldIers. i WISH said Cen. Lee: to
DO sImoIe Justice to Gen: lrant, whsn a. T..
!. +. Tie civilized world. When ny poor soldiers
with furnished faces, had neither food nor raj
nlent. It. was then that Gen. Graut m@edlasel1 M
:. issued the humnue order that 4O,00J ratont
: shuu1d be Furnished to the Impoverished
: troups. Aud that WAS NO. al! Of his ulagnanlm
: lty, l was giving directions to ops Of my sta
u officers, when max ng ont the list OF things It
|; BE- surrendered, 10 Include the horacs. Al thai
= moment Gen. Grant, VINO seemed to be pivlns
; no attention TO rhat vas tsauspirng, ausckI:
No no. GSp L., not oso. hofssao' ,i, n,sa
: : them for the spring crops!"' ....
> "lt was a scene never TO be forgotten t.
. watch Lcc'k insurer, when, With spirit q
r With moissened ewes, This and man1 o.lcr in
! stances OF the maenantmLty 10 nobls DISPLAYED
= b1 lis lustr!ous rival. THE conversation turnec
g 10 tien. Sherman. The Southern papers "ert
ctar nrfk 1rNh
:, tieorgtst tund the Caroltnas, aud asked Gen
p Lee what h!s yicws were nt the great tanker
!. lie sail, In substanca 1T has been obscrred
u that there is DO character SO uniformly brtgh
y but while wn nssent to The general t1utl
y ol this observation, that charity whcl
!. hopcsh all things should lead ' "a iltl, to ne
= l,evo that there aru 10 htarts SO darkly Vicious
i As not to be illumlned by sonio beams OF t.t
+! light Of virtue. To supposc Sherman a. cscep
II tiou TO this rule would bc iillberal. Tie Tin
bounded licensc which ho allowed Ills soldiers l.
,hc ssascs Of Gcotgla aud tho Csro'nas la
Is greatly exaggerated the horrors Of war. AZ
II stratcgtst und commander Vi men, Sherman l,a
u Displayed thc highest oruer Of MILITARY reaiIs
q Throughout his rrceut canptlRn, whtn he hai
r. to pass through MI unknown country, eros
"a rivers, SUPPORT hs troops. etc., hu certainly cx
J. h!bilel singcncs. Of purpose fertility Of ~
!. source. when Wins him high place among til
y fatnou. soldiers Of history. H. seems 10 be cou
,v without upatRy, cautious without bol,E dtia
{. tori. patient without hsn,E !lhpirl!td
tss vi uSSes I'D Ill fas n s
il, nv o2uon. among tho ,nost surecsRful OF IN
10 Ft.ltral Uilscrs who have played = promlncn
IN part ia tlu history Of the War"'
t, "lM the courao Of the conversation he spok
nj pf Sheridan as moat brilliant aud magnet
,e comm ainlpr. nskel llli who was tie greatct
T. Ut the Federal aencrAla. 'ln1eeI, sic, hay
rs nu hesitation III aAy,ng ticu. Hrant. both rs
10 gentleman aud iii organizer Of victorious wa
Ut Con. Grant hath cxreilea a!l your n,Usk note
10 soldiers, lie has cxnlblted lnuro trllo courage
IL inofo real greatness OF MUD, moru Cursuu
Is mate prudence from tho outset, and more ~
t. fuc bravery than auy ono on your eido'
,c "0ue tuu!c OF our conversation was the To-
=. etgn element lA both urtnics. Hpcaklug Of &h
Irish, hu declared with considerable feeling tlu
The south could not rccoueil1 With tlleIr nDtfot
Of consistency and honor how Northern lslsI
10 men, who ~eFe 40 dsspstatr1f n!u violently ol
10 81 lrel .ta beng rs nosqulto.bises b the aide
ii the enormous injuries which bud beell ini'Iete
t. by the North on the 6outh.-how llhertY.losts
| teiS SJtV.9hn nf1I1kH HTk