Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-10-26
SIR GAIsNETwOLsELEY.
His Secret Visit To Richmond in 1862
His Impressions of Gen. Lee and
StOnewall jackson.

His Secret Visit To Richmond in 1862
Stonewall jackson.
L. @. Washington, an officer in the
southern army in the war of the rebel
lion and at present the Washington cor.
respondent of the Louisville-C Courier
Journal, recalls visit of Gen. Sir Garnet
Wolseley (then Lieut.. Col. Wolseley) tc
Richmond in 1862. Mr.. Washington
says: 81 had the pleasure of meeting
him several times during his very short
stay in Richmond. He gave me the i'm.
preston of ability and force of character
that were bound to make their mark on
history if ever he should have an oppor-
tunity.
Everything about him indicated the
energy, decision, alertness, and force OF
character which he has since displayed
in suppressing the Red river insurrec-
ton in the Ashantee and skillful strate-
gy of Arab Pasha.
Col. Wolseley had run the blocade on
the lower Potomac, and was Just wind
federate capital and Gen. Lees arms.
Greatly interested in this account of the
latter, / expressed to him the wish that
on his return he would write out his OBJ
servations for publication in some Eng
lish journal. He did not directly prom
Use to to this, but half assented, and
some months after his departure was
not surprised to find in the January
number of Blackwood's Magazine an
elaborate narrative under the head of
ga Months Visit to the Confederate
Headquarters" which had no difficulty
in recognizing as being from his pen, and
repeating in detail much of what he had
stated to me personally during the even-
ing already mentioned. Omitting
much that would be most interest
ing to reproduce, give you his impress
sions of Lee: HE is a strongly-built
man, about five feet eleven in height,
and, apparently, not more than so years
of age. His hair and beard are nearly
white, but his dark brown eyes still
shine with all the brightness of youth
and beam with most pleasing express
and benevolent in the highest degree.
In manner, though sufficiently CONVERSE
BILE, he is slightly reserved; but he is
person that, wherever seen whether in
castle or howell, alone or in crowd,
must at ounce attract attention as being
splendid specimen of an English gentle
man, with one of the most rarely
handsome faces I ever saw. He had
had bad fall during the Maryland ex-
petition, from which he was not yet
recovered, and which still crippled his
right hand considerably. We sat with
him long time in his tent conversing
upon a variety of topics, the state ofpub-
lie affairs being, of course, the leading
one. He talked most freely about the
battle of Antietam, and assured us that
at no time during that days fight had he
more than 5000 men engaged. You
have only to be in his society very
brief period to be convinced that what
ever he says may be implicitly relied
upon, and that he is incapable of depart
ing from the truth under any circum-
stances. In visiting the
headquarters of the confederate generals,
but particularly those of Gen. Lee, any
one accustomed to see European armies
in the field can not fail to be struck with
the great absence of all the pomp and
circumstance of in and around the
encampments. Lees headquarters con-
sisted ofseven or eight pole-tents, pitched
with their backs to skate-fence, upon a
piece of ground so rocky that it is un-
pleasant to ride upon Tits only rec
ommendation being a little stream of
good water which flowed close to the
generals tent. In front of the tent were
some three or four wheeled wagons,
drawn up without any regularity, and
number of horses roamed about the field
The servants, who we're, ofcourse, slaves
and the mounted soldiers, catlen ''cour-;
iers," who always accompany each
general of division in the field, were
unprovided with tents, and slept in or
under the wagons. Wagons, tents,
and some of the horses were marked
~. ST." showing that part of that huge
debt in the north has gone to furnish
even the confederate generals with camp
equipments. No guards or sentries
were to be seen in the vicinity, no crowd
of aides-de-camps lettering about, MAX
ing themselves agreeable to visitors, and
endeavoring to save their generals from
receiving those who have no particular
business. A large farm house stands
close by, which, in any other army,
would have been the generals residence
pro tenn, but as no liberties are allowed
to be taken with personal property in
Lees army, he is particular in setting
good example himself. His staff are
crowded together, two and three in a
tent; none are allowed to carry more
baggage than small box each, and his
own kit is but little larger. Every one
who approaches him does so with marked
respect, although there is none of that
bowling and fourishing of forage caps
which occurs in the presence of Eu-
ropean generals; and while all honor
him and place implicit faith in his cour-
age and ability, those with whom he is
most intimate, feel for him the affections
of sons to father. Old Gen. Scott was
correct in saying that when Lee joined
the southern cause it was worth as much
as the accession of 10000 men to the
rebels.
s"Since then every injury that it was
possible to inhi t, the northerners have
heaped upon him. His house on the
Pamunky river was burned to the ground
and the slaves carried away, many of
item by force, while his residence on
Arlington Heights was not only Quilted OF
its furniture, but even the very relics OF
| George Washington were stolen from it
and paraded in triumph in the saloons
of New York and Boston. Notwithstand-
ing all these personal losses, however,
when speaking of the Yankees he neith-
er evinced any bitterness of feeling nor
gave utterance to single violent ex-
preston, but alluded to many of his
former friends and companions among
them in the kindest terms. He spoke
as proud man of the victories won by
his country, and confident of ultimate
success under the blessing of the Al
mighty whom he glorifed for past sue
cesses, and whose aid he invoked
Those who have knownG Gen Lee and
admired as they could not but admire,
the simplicity, modesty, truth, and
beauty of his daily life, can not fail to
recognize the fidelity of this portrait of