Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-07
Iron the San Francisco CALL
ROBERr q. LEE.


The Confsrsuee Bstwesu Himself,
General hcott, and Msior Irugcr.
A gentleman residing in this city,
personally acquainted with the subject
on which be treats, sends the Cal the
following account Of the actual circum-
stances attending the Scott-Lee-Huger
conference, about which so many state
ments, all more or less wide Of the
facts, have lately appeared in the news
papers: -, !.
The account recently published Of
General Scott having sent for Colonel
Robert f. Lee and told him that 1t was
time for him to decide whether he was
going to stand by the Union or cast his
fortunes with his native State in the
crisis then impending is calculated to
convey q wrong impression OF the great
Confederate leader and though pur-
porting to have been written by one
who was present at the interview Of these
two great men in American history, is, |
believe, incorrect and unjust to the cha
racters and intellects Of both. Colonel
Lee had been one off not the great
est--favorite staff officers Of General
Scott In the Mexican. war. General
scott had in one Of bis official reports
prefsced his acknowledgements Of Lees
services as engineer with the highly
eulogistic remark: While nothing |
can say can add to the well-earned repu-
ta.ion Of Captain Robert Z. Lee" Il
quote from memory, but the substance
is correctly. Later, when the Cuban
Junta approached Lee and asked him to
resign from the United States army to
take command of the expedition to free
the "Queen Of the Antilles from
Spanish rule, he wrote General Scott
letter asking his views of the propriety
Of a soldier leaving the service Of his
native land to accept the position OF a
soldier of fortune, and that letter and
General Scott's reply show the mutual
respect and confidence the Commander
in-Chief in the zenith Of his fame and
bis former staff officer, then untried in
high command, had for each other.
On the 18th Of April, 1861, the
writer, on his way home to dinner, in
Baltimore, Nd, met Major Benjamin
Huger (sfterwsrd major-general in the
Confederate army, and in reply to his
(the writer's) inquiry as to why Major
Huger was so far from home at dinner
time, was told that he had just re-
turned from q visit to Washington.
Major Huger accepted an invitation to
stop and dine, and during the dinner
told me that he had gone to Washing
ton, at the request of General Scott, to
run over and see him. He said that he
was surprised to meet Robert Z. Lee
there until General Scott stated that he
had sent for both Of them, as he wished
to talk to them together. General Scott
then told them that he recognized the
disposition Of officers to follow the for
tunes of their native States, and had no
disposition to advise or confer with 9th
ers as to which course they might fol-
low, but that he was going to stand by
the Union" and, with the personal
regard and professional esteem he felt
for them, he hoped that they were going
to do the same, and that they were the
only two officers of the army he had
spoken to or intended to speak to on
the subject. The conversation lasted
some time, and the purport Of it is fully
expressed in the last words addressed
them by General Scott "Well, gen.
tlemen, recollect that you came to
Washington by my invitation, and do
not hand in your designations while you
are here" Major Huger added !:
"Robert Lee and left together, and
walked to the corner, where we sepl.
rated, without interchanging word
upon our conversation with General
Scott, or speaking or asking about the
future action of each other, but he told
me that he was at once going back to
Virginia, and | told him that | should
return to Baltimore by the first train.
Ny resignation shall be written before |
90 to bed tonight, and, while have
nothing but my own opinion to base my
statement upon, feel sure that Robert
Lees resignation will get to Washing.
ton tomorrow.
History shows that Lees resignation
was not dated until April 25.h, and his
letter Of that date to General Scott
shows the deep feeling and regret with
which he severed the ties which bound
him to the old army, in which be had
so fully filled his various positions, and
from which he had received so much
recognition Of his brilliant services.
There were many brave and true men
who regretted the necessity Of resigning
from an army in which they had gained
and to which they had given glory, and
who, like Lee, would have given their
lives to have prevented q civil war, but,
educated as Lee was, to look upon duty
as his guiding star, no one who knew
him doubted that conflict between
Virginia and any, aye, every other
country, would find him struggling for
Virginia, s1d
Casting no longing. lingering look behind.
c. l..