The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-04-07
GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE.
His Acceptance of the Command of the Con
federate Army of Virginia-Cau of the
Sovereign State-The story as
Told by Ex-senator POme-
roy, of Kansas.
IChicago Tribune 1

ICulCdSo IrlDunel
did 1 ever tell you,S' said eK- Senator
Pomeroy, of Kansas to me the other day.
that / was present when the command of
the Confederate army was offered to General
Leeg'
s'No."
'WeiI, was; L stood within six feet OF
him. Nobody in the party knew me as
had just arrived in Washington from Kan
sas, and was almost an entire stranger here.
Kansas was admitted, you remember. during
the last days of Buchanan's administration,
and Lane and | were elected to the Senate.
We came to Washington with lot of Kan
sas fellows to see what the secessionists were
doing, and were on the cars when we heard
that Fort Sumter was fired upon.
But am going to tell you about Lee. |
was keeping diary then, as L have ever
since, and do now. Only the other day
was reading it over, and it recalled to me
that about the 10th or 18th of April, 1861
committee of twelve men came up from the
Secession Convention, then meeting at Rich
mond, and stopped at the hotel where L was.
used to circulate around among them. try
ing to find out what they were up to. and
discovered that they had come to see General
Lee, who was over at Arlington. One after
noon about 4 o'clock they started off in
carriages. and a friend of mine and
l got in a buggy and followed them.
We Joined the procession before ii got to Ar
lington, and acted just as if we were a part
of their crowd When we reached the old
mansion General Lee, who was evidently not
expecting any callers, came out in his dress
ing-gown and slippers, and tell you he was
as noble looking a man as ever L saw. He
had been sent for by General Scott, and
came from California, you remember, to use
his influence to prevent Virginia from going
out of the Union, and while he had not made
any public declaration. people generally un.
dprStood that he was 0nD0sed tn secession an
We watched what was going on with great
deal of interest
THE Chairman presented the delegates to
the General one by one, and when they had
been introduced he began speech which
wrote down nearly as L could remember it
in these words; Gen. Lee, We are authorized
by the convention now in session at Rich
mond to convey to you an expression of the
confidence and esteem, as one of the most
distinguished citizens OF Virginia, and to
tender you the command of the troops
old State from the peril which now coufronts
her. We are encouraged by the belief that
you, as a son of Virginia, will respond to her
call and direct the military forces 50 as TO
prevent the invasion OF her sacred soil. We
know that large bodies of troops are being
organized in the North for the coercion OF
our people, and they will be resisted by
every patriotic citizen OF the commonwealth.
The convention at Richmond is waiting
anxiously for our return with your answer,
as your acceptance will give strength and en-
couragement to the people,
ITO this Lee responded briefly and direct
IT, he stood a moment with determined
expression upon his face, as If the mind was
fully made up, but he was not certain how
to express himself. My friend and /, from
what we had heard, expected that he would
decline ard tell the committee to go home
and abandon che secession programme. He
started out all right in q is reply. Gentle
men, said he. i am opposed to war, al
though bred to the profession of arms.
am especially opposed to civil war, to strife
between brother and brother. l regret that
one section of this country is arrayed against
the other
"Up to that" continued Mr.. Pomeroy 81
thought he was going to decline, but his next
words scared me: Il hear the voice of Vir-
ginia,' he said, of the mother that bore me-
whose soil is as sacred as tie ashes of my
father buried there Hes gone | said to
my friend, he's made up his mind and his
next words were: Il can not resist the call
of the sovereign State to which [ owe my first
allegiance; but remember gentlemen. l shall
draw my sword in her defense, and with the
prayer that we, in defending our rights, may
not be compelled to shed the blood of our
brethren"
HE then said that he would go to Rich
mond at once and report in person to the
Government.
The next morning everybody knew that
Lee had gone to Richmond, and within
twenty -four hours the newspapers contained
his order upon assuming command of the
Virginia troops"