The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-07
GEN. ROBERT Il. LEE.

An Eyewitness Describes the Scene When HG
Was Offered Command of the Rebel Army.
Washington Letter in Chicago Inter Ocean.
odd ever tell you," said ex-senator Pomes
roy, of Kansas, to me the other day, that was
present when the command of the confederate
army was offered to General Lee?'
sNoY
"Well. was. | stood within six feet of him.
Nobody in the party knew me, as had just ar
rived in Washington from Kansas, and was al.
most an entire stranger here Kansas was adj
mitted, 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 Kansas fellows to see what the SCI
cessionists were doing. and were on the cars
when we heard that Fort Sumter was fired
upon
when we arrived in Washington the Kansas
people serenaded us at the Kirkwood House, and
Lane, Cassius M. Clay, and made speeches from
the balcony There was such mob and
much excitement that the proprietor of the hotel
came up and ordered US to stop speaking for fear
the Secesh would tear the house down. We got
off the balcony and went into the street, where
we stood on dry-goods box and finished our
speeches. / remember Lanes speech very WELL
He was interrupted by Southern sympa-
thizers while he was talking on the slavery Ques-
ton and said: Gentlemen, you can howl all you
want, but your divine institution has gone to
hell. Six months from all the slaves in the
South wont be worth handful OF silver dol
lars!"
CLAY and both made similar speeches, and
that night we organized company of Kansas
volunteers for the defense of Washington. Lane
was captain and / was private served thirty
days in the army, and got an honorable discharge.
But was going to tell you about Lee 1
kept diary then, as 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, a committee of twelve came
up from the secession convention then meeting
-. sotv OBJ M he h4fA1 phnAn
was. used to circulate around among them,
trying to find out what they were up to, and dis
covered that they had come to see General Lee
who was over at Arlington. One afternoon,
about o'clock. they started off in carriages, and
friend of mine and got buggy and followed
them. We joined the procession before it got to
Arlington, and acted just as If we were part OF
their crowd. When we reached the old mansioB
General Lee, who was evidently not expecting
any callers, came out in his dressing-gown and
slippers, and tell you he was as noble looking
man ever saw. He had been sent for by
General Scott, and came from California you
remember, to use his influence to prevent Vir-
GINA from going out of the Union and while he
had not made any public declaration, people gene
orally understood that he WAS opposed to seces.
sion, so we watched what was going on with
good deal of interest
1.-THE chairman presented the delegation to the
General one by one, and when they had been
introduced he began speech, which | wrote
down as nearly as / could remember it in my
diary that night 1t was very nearly in these
words: General Lee, we are authorized by the
convention now in session at Richmond to con-
vey to you expression of their confidence and
esteem. as one Of the most distinguished citizens
of Virginia, and to tender you the command OF
the troops that have been raised to protect the
old State from the peril which now confronts
her. We are encouraged by the belief that you,
as a of Virginia. will respond to her call and
direct the military forces SO as to prevent the
invasion of her sacred soil. We know that large
hodi IF froo aicO in ha
for the coercion of our people, and they will be
resisted by every patriotic citizen of the COM
monwealth The convention at Richmond is
waiting anxiously for our return with your an
swer, as your acceptance will give strength and
encouragement to the people
''To this Lee responded briefly and directly.
He stood moment with determined express
sion upon his face, as if his mind was fully made
up but he was not certain how to express him
self. My friend and /, from what we heard. ex-
pecte6 that he would decline and tell the COM
mittee TO go home and abandon the secession
programme He started out all right in his reply:
Gentlemen he said, I am opposed to war, al
though bred to the profession of arm. am
especially opposed to civil war, to strife between
brother and brother. I regret that one section
of this country is arrayed against the other
"Up to that" continued Mr., Pomeroy. II
thought he was going to decline. but his next
words scared me: i hear the voice of Virginia.
he said. of the mother that bore me. whose soil
is sacred the ashes OF my father buried
here Hes gone, said to my friend; he's
made M his mind' and his next words were i
cannot resist the call of the sovereign State to
which owe my first allegiance; but remember.
gentlemen shall draw my sword only in her
defense. and with the prayer that we, in defend-
ing rights. may not DE compelled to she'd the
blood of our brethren
HE then said that ne would 90 to Richmond
at once and report in person to the government"
II drove back to Washington said Mr.
Pomeroy. land went right up to see Mr. Lin
coin. He would scarcely believe what told
him, he had understood from General Scott
and others that Lee was loyal, and was doing all
he could to prevent the secession of Virginia I
asked Mr.. Lincoln to order company of Kan
sas volunteers over TO Arlington that aieht to
arrest Lee before he could get TO Richmond, but
he said that Lee had committed no overt act OF
treason. and IL would create great excitement
and perhaps complicate affairs If he was ar
rested. | urged him so hard that he finally told
me to go and see Seward about IT, / had been
a student in Stewards law office, aud know
ing pretty we'll what sort of man he was
didn't expect to accomplish anything. But
found him more conservative than had any
idea Of. He wouldn't believe word had told
him, and thought had gone crazy. He said that
General Lee was as loyal man as there was In
the District of Columbia: that he had been with
General Scott all day arranging for the defense
of Washington, and was using his influence to
prevent the secession of Virginia. He said that
he Seward was fully informed Of everything
that was going on at Richmond: that Lee was
recognized as Union man down there, and that
the Virginia rebels would not dare offer him the
command of their army. went back to Mr.
Lincoln and told him what Seward had said. He
replied that he had a great deal OF confidence IN
Mr.. Stewards sources of information, but didn't
want to disgrace Lee or do anything TO show
his disloyalty was suspected. The next morning
everybody knew that Lee had goAs to Richmond,
and within twenty four hours the newspapers
contained his order upon assuming command of