The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-08-12
!. rpnvpAL CHAPLAIN RkPOkAss
AN INTERVIEW WITH WITH 0hN e
RAJ LEE IN 1905.
,rrono the Cinetnnaa Commercially
After Appomnttox-

Since the beginning OIL the ~orsa- uas nsvH'
~ccmn;ea the attention OF mankind r. ihcY
nalm was bestowed to the author o! enc
essay who maintained the superior css'ms
~ Sano,eon to this worldwide descrp-
ZION oi fame. II, however, a prize were
offered now on the analogous, put more
united question, "What indlFiouA lfoaa
ApriI, 1861, to July, 1863, mas most soc,
c,,n,ed the pens, tongues and ears OF
soi,thernerss" the answer would &c gwen,
hy acc,amation, General Lee.
In no small degree he was hailed ny dis
enthusiastic admirers as the hope OF she
Confederscv. He was the pillar ant tbe
eeni,e OF the rebellion, A thousand Teie-
rIanh;c wires trembled at the asapufse OF
his thoughts. La
General Lee, Of all the Confederate kad-
cre holds and deserves the foremost pace,
and commanded more entirely the 'eonh"
deuce and appreciation OF the sesHnera peo1
vi. descended from race OF soldiers ana
r,,.,r;ots- he always displayed, whenever toe
rnnorinnity offered. high professional &C.
c,,iremen,s. Although his ability ASA gen.
eral has been surpassed by snany 90 our
own famous soldiers, sle has tset'eG eA'e ~
rep,:tation than all OF his Can1edelace"co'V
frsfes. He possessed more suand "'Naol o.
more practical good sense, and more su u
stap,iai morality than any OF fhem. SOL
tlier almost from his cradle, ne service UNI
terruptediy TO The day OF ms capt'Ha.'on'
,Tbot = man OF such brilliant talents. OF ss,-
o.c;tv ~ address. OF honor, and OF an II,
ins,rio,,s revolutionary ancestry slsosid llno
, conscientious reason in the abSHTl uoc'
frine NJ State rights 10 engage II 'aespe
rate conspiracy against the I mon sFoheu
hv,hn sword OF Washington is one OF the
wonders and mysteries OF the age.
No evidence is so satisfactory As that
rhfcb is attained from the lips OF an oppo-
mont. and hence we attach value &c what
fbe Confederate chief said OF our mast diS-
finsuishcd generals and statesmen. "nen
the apmy Of General Sherman, WIN WHICH
I was connected, yas u,a&lag us famous
bo,newavd march to Nashin5tonNt Testea
for n few DAYS in Richmond. Accompanying
nv General Geary, aftcrTarc Governor o.
PENNSYLVANIA, and provided with ie-ter OF
Introduction from GeEeral 1laZen, VINO
Enpw Lee at West Point, ! anade2xp my
mind 10 call and interview the re6e. COM
7nander. Ringing the bell with 'coBs'dera'
h,c an.iejy, awaited the result ofIag rash
attep,Dt to get a glimpse OF the most gallant
and most illustrious man oil the south.
Ouicklv there appeared ct the door'a good
looking mulatto, who politely waited my
demand.
lean 1 sec General Lee?" was the sim
ole question: put on this occasion. :" IDS
is not the regular day when he receives
company, and he has not set enteftalned, any
visitors, but--h,it and he surveyed me
with hesitating look. not knowing what
TO saw next. ] observed perhaps the Gene
raIayo.ild see aschapIain OF Shcrman's army
in his private parIor for few moments
<.your name, :sir?" he asked. chaplain
p. OF the Fifteenth corps. Army OF the
Tennessee" Giyinghim Hazcn's letter, he
quickly Disappeared, and in a few moments
returned, saying that it was all right, and
for ne to walk into she parlor. took my
seat on q very plain sofa. The house was
marked ay simplicity There were no rich
carpets, no soft cushions, no painted WIN
dows. The foor,was perfectly bare. There
was not a piece of Notwithstanding to
at,rac. attention. There were few chairs.
n table covered with pictures OF battle
fields, but absolutely nothing that betokcned
that this was the residence OF the mighticst
mnn in the South.
Ny musings were soon interrupted by the
ap,,earance af General Lee, who, with an
easy smile and :iful simplicity OF man
ners BID inc welcome J, TO his home. The
events of long and disastrous war to the
South had made its Impressions on his face.
Whatever may be thought OF the science OF
phgsiogpony, there was certainly remark
able correspondence bstween the person OF
General; Lee and his menta, and moral con-
Stltuton. in both there was observable a
symmetry that spoke the healthy develop
meHt Of the entire man; 40 part was found
in excess and none defective; erect in car
rage. with an elastic step, and composed and
graeefislin all hts movements. His features
were regularly handsome aad ibis complex
ion fair. A tug-arbea and beaning eye, an
ample ,iereheRd, si mouth that indicated
equal sweetness aad kTmneSS: and diffused
over all a radiant and happy.eeXpression,
beSpoke,Jbe elesr Intelligence df his mind
and lhe henevoleace of his heart It was
<Eth thciiiing interest that / now beheld
this celebrated maa. Lie seemed still to be
in the prise Of life, iSut his magnificent
heud was siiEercd; Gbe tre OF hissoriliant
eyes was in some sneasalrc dimmed, and
there were premature marks Of age on his
broH. There was Il dignity in his bearing,
a grandeur in the movement Of his bead
which consciousness of his position would
smpart. Attic same time, l thought t2ere
Uas slight expression of sadness piercing
through his smile. Perhaps he was begin
ming to see the, holsownesssM the idols,tha
he bad sdored, and to experience the maay
ihorne that line the pillow Of the leader oi
81 hopeless and disastrous reEelu ton.
HIS opISIsN OF LINCOLN.
IesnEersed with him upon variety o.
topics. upon all Of which he expressed
Opinions. He was i:ery positive in his con-
yictions, and seemed TO have weighed every
sentence with studied care. Tue telegraph
syires taylns aecently announced the news
of Lineoln's assassination. this naturally
was the first subject Of conversation. In
speaking of the martGed President, he
said:
The death Of tLat cnsiYent citizen has
filled me VITA horr9r. II there Were blem-
ishes in his character, his life exhibited
some splendid and rare YirtueS. He was
one OF the moS extraordinary men that
eyer lived IN our country. Bis heart WAS
grand aad large. lie was coastitulionuiy
pensiye. Had he beea spared the South
would he treated with honorable propriety
and with gallant generosity; shat good |
wili aud iEiendliness would have marked his |
treatment OF the people OF the Sssth."
He pronounced Booth "a eowsrdIy riff !
FAM. that alls;he tragic machinery OF the !
globe, that al the instruments OF eisil rage. /
could not produce SO 6Re demon: thu |
the soldiers OF the southern army aad the |
people regard the murder OF Lincoln not |
only as crime against our Christian civil |
szation and or ,coass,On humanity, but that |
Dis Hsss at TINS moneDt was terrible blow |
10 tue tanauls8ed, RS5o would have to bear |
the responsibility OF tie cruel, cold. blooded |
assassination; that the spirit Of elehency.
moderation, and % CANCELLATION displayed
by the president we're virtues not to be
I'd Nc a mr. -