The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-08-21
Lees Parting from His Generals.

Apropos of Appomattox. writes ,
Washington correspondent to The Gin
ctnnaN Commercial Gazette, l give the
following as a subject for a southern
poet or painter:
The parting between Washington
and his generals has beer celebrated
in song and story, and the famous
painting of that occurrence has, in
millions of copies, become familiar tc
the people. But no singer has sung
OF the parting between Gen. Robert Z,
Lee and his generals after Appomat.
toN. No painter has painted it. Wash.
lngton and his officers separated in the
sunshine of n magnificent victory, the
frultion of their brightest hopes. Lee
and his officers separated in the gloon
OF defeat, the darkness of despair.
Amid the happy homes of their people.
the shouts and the banners and the
merry music and the rejoicing multi.
tudes, Washington and his generals
parted to go each one to his pleasant
home. Amid the rams of their capital.
with bare, bowed heads, in uttel
silence and tears, Lee and his generals
separated and went their several WAYS
to homes destroyed. families broken
up and scattered, and often into exile
and oblivion.
The final parting was in front OF
Lees mansion in Richmond, two DAYS
after A~ppomattox. Lees house is an
ordinary square brick, standing alone
on Franklin street, one square from
the capitol. All the other houses on
the square are connected. Upon the
afternoon of the second day after the
surrender people in that vicinity were
surprised to see come riding up the
street from the south a company OF
confederate horsemen, They were
unarmed. Their gray uniforms were
worn. soiled and often tattered, their
trappings old and patched. They
wore slouched hats. and here and
there was a feather remaining of the
once snar and iaunty dropping plume
OF the confederate cavalryman. They
We're bron2ed, and Drowned, and
bearded. they sat erect and came on
with the splendid ~horsemanship for
mel they were noted. Upon the
collars of some of the gray jackets
could still be seen the faded and tar.
nished gilt stars, the emblems of the
WtitcIS IaHk.
In front of them rode Lee. His two
hands held the loosely-swinging reins
and rested upon the pommel. His head
was bent, and his eyes were looking
straight ahead from under his down.
cast brow, but they seemed to see
nothing.
As the troops cantered up to his old
home his horse stopped at the gate.
and he aroused himself suddenly as
ron Il dream, and cast his eyes upon
the familiar windows and then around
over the group of gallant soldiers who
had followed his fortunes for four
bloody years and gone down in defeat
under his banner.
The end of it all had come at last.
dc threw himself from his horse, and
all his companions followed his action.
They stood hat in hand with an arm
through the the bride rein while Lee
went from mar to man, grasplng each
hand, looking intently into each face
as though he would press it upon his
memory'forever. Then he turned and
walked through the gate and up the
steps to his door. AS n servant opened
the door he paused with his left foot
upon the veranda, his right upon the
last step, and looked back for the last
time. Not a word had been spoken,
not a good-by uttered. There was no
sound heard but that of sobs as these
unkempt and grizzled heroes of a
hundred battles leaned their heads
against the shoulders of their horses
and wept.
Lee gave one look, and broke down
at last. His hands vent over his eyes,
his frame shook with sobs, as he turn
ed quickly and disappeared into his
lonely house. With the closing of the
door behind him ended forever the
wild dream of the southern confed-
eracY.