The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-12-19
we GREAT
Gen. Lee on Gen. Grant-Compliments
From an Opposing Commander.

From the Louisville Courler-Journal.
Yesterday a Courier-J Journal reporter
casually met Col. j. Stodded Johnston
and from him obtained the following
account of an interview with Gen. R
H.. Lee, highly honorable to Gen. Gran
and apropos to his visit to Louisville:
81 had been paroled, ;, said Col. John
son, "at Greensborough, N. c., in JOE
Johnson's surrender, on the first o.
May, 1866, and shortly after reached
Richmond, proposing to return to Ken
lucky. In consequence of an opinion
just issued by the attorney general Of
the United States to the effect that
K%entuckians in the confederate army
had expatriated themselves, and could
not, therefore, avail themselves of tile
terms of Gen, Lees surrender, author.
izing confederate soldiers to return to
their homes unless they took the oath,
being unwilling to accept these condi.
tions, in company with a large number
of others, l remained IN Richmond a
fortnight, until this opinion was with.
drawn, and we were admitted to return
our paroles. AT that time General Lee
was at his private house. General Hal.
leck, who was in command of the city,
had issued stringent orders requiring
all persons to take the oath as a condi.
ton of carrying on business, or receiv-
ing the protection of the laws. There
was a very uneasy feeling among the
confederate soldiers and officers then
in Richmond lest they would be treat
ed with rigor, especially as reports were
current that General Lee was to be
arrestand imprisoned. >
Projects for emigration to Mexico,
Brazil and other foreign parts were dis
cussed but finally it was. concluded that
we should consult with G eneral Lee as
to our probable fate and what was best
to be done. At an informal meeting
General Echols, of Virginia, and my
self were appointed a committee to
wait on General Lee for this purpose.
We both knew him, and were cordially
received. Upon stating the object of
our visit, General Lee replied, very i'm
pressively, that our condition and the
condition of the whole south was very
deplorable. BY the terms of General
Halleck's order we were left without
the protection IF FLAW, while the south
was a ruin, her people impoverished
and the youth of our country growing
up without education. That he had but
n conviction, which was, that, what
eyer fate might be in store for us, we,
who had been leaders, should not leave
the country and abandon our people,
but should share their fate. We should
remain with them, seek to build up the
waste places, alleviate their troubles,
and educate the youth. 'As to my own
fate said he, Il know not what is in
store for ne. L believe the politicians
at Washington are bent on the most
extreme measures, and, if they have
their way, will stop at no humiliation
they can heap on me. My sole reliance
is in General Grant. / have faith in
his honor and his integrity as a soldier,
and do not believe that he will permit
the terms of my surrender the parole
given me to be violated The sequel
showed that Gen. Lee was correct in
his estimate of Gen. Grants character.
Stanton had intended to arrest and i'm
prison him, when Gen. Grant inter
posed and prevented it, demanding that
the terms Of the surrender should be
strictly with, and declaring that if Gen.
Lee was molested he would break his
sword. Knowing this rs a historical
fact, although opposed in the past, and
expecting to be in the future, to Gen.
Grant politically, 1 have always felt
that, he was entitled to the gratitude of
the confederate soldiers for this act"