The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-06-20
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GLORIOUS EVEN IN DEFEAT.
N. Robert E. Lee After the Surrender.

UAV1hxUOo 1jES 1N OA1E AA@s
Gen. Robert E. Lee After the Surrender.
A. briefperiod only had passed after the
surrender at Appomattox when offers Of
homes began to be pressed upon Gen.
Lee. His family was originally English,
and he had many relatives among titled
people in the old country, who insisted
upon his coming and sharing for time
the .Base and luxury Of their homes. But
he positively declined to expatriate him
self. "No," he said, II will never foraake
my people in their extremity what they
endured will endure, and I am ready to
break my last crust with them." And
he refused to leave Virginia. Nothing
ever gave him greater pleasure than to
witness personal, strenuous efforts to
| overcome the disasters of the war. To
see small farmer attempting to fence
his fields with green aaplings vas to him
sight that made his eyes brighten.
Many homes were urged upon him in his
native State; but as my sister, Mrs. E.
R. Coke, of Cumberland, said when he
accepted her offer ola vacant plantation
adjoining her own, which was q part of
her estate, aHe chose among these homes
one of the most unpretending." With
furniture from her own house, she fitted
up for him and his family comfortable
abode at "Derwent," Powhatan County,
and here he gathered together, for the
first time since they had left Arlington,
his wife and children around him.
aNever shall I forget" she said, "his un.
affected gratitude and his gracious ac-
ceptance of this simple home I and my
Sons had prepared for him. The planta.
ton Of ofDerwent was only two miles from
my Own, and our great country gardens
readily met the wants of the new resi-
dents. As saw the beautiful simplicity
With which these triaing supplies were
received, it seemed impossible for me to
realize that this was the man upon whom
the fate Of the South had hung; that
this was the man for whom thousands
we're ready to rush to death that this
was the man before whom the hearts of
all the Southern Confederacy bowed in
reverence. One day, shortly after he
cameto Derwent he rode over on Traveller
This famous war horse) to neighboriug
country store; which was also the post.
Office. The desire of the people, black
as we'll as white, to see the General WAS
intense, for this was but few weeks
after his surrender. He walked quietly
into the store and was engaged with its
proprietor in talk about the prospects Of
the crops and such like things, when the
place began to be crowded by the country
people intent upon catching glimpse
Of the great commander. He seemed
not to observe them at first, but turning
around and noticing the press around
him he said, in an apologetic way:
'Ah, MIR. Palmer, pardon me for keeping
you talking about corn and tobacco 80
long, for I see I am OBTAINING you from
your many customers There Was moth.
ing whatever to indicate the slig ghtest
consciousness that the crowd had pressed
to see him."
1 once heard it said by Prot. White,
the professor of Greek in Washington
College, who had himself been Confed.
crate officer: "The first appearance of
the General in our streets was thorough.
ly characteristic. AS / passed up our
main street one day in the summer of
1866, I was suddenly confronted by Gen.
Lee, on his fine war horse Traveller,
dressed in white linen from head to foot,
wholly unattended, even by his black
groom. Nobody in the town knew he
was coming. This was as we wished it,
for it was his desire to shun every demon.
stration. Here was the man who for
four years had never moved abroad
without being attended BY military
staff composed Of some of the most bril-
liant young men of the South, and Hho
never appeared anywhere without being
received with enthusiastic shouts from
all beholderaT with only one person
to greet him ,:and an old Confederate to
hold his stirrupl But as every man in
the town had been soldier, it was not
long before the street rang with cheers.".
Few men were more skilled in the
avoidance of everything that could
wound the feelings Of others. :On the
occasion of Gen. Lees being summoned
to Washington to give testimony, an in.
cident occurred which illustrates this
Characteristic. a connection ofmy own,
who attended him as one of his coulpli.
naentary staff, told me that when in
Washington there we're multitudea of
persens-and among them many of the
most distinguished in the land, North
and South-seeking audience with Gen.
Lee; evening after evening was occupied
with these interviews. Again and again
had my friend been beset by person
who had no claim to be presented, and as
often had he been waived aside on the
plea that the number fgentlemen COM
ing to be introduced Vas so great as to
embarrass his provisional staff. But this
persistent Confederate watched his oppor.
tunity and made the best fit. Coming
up to Col. NJ, when he was little
off his guard, he whiswered: "Take me
up now, there is nobody being introduc-
ed at this moment"
"But don't you see that the General is
surrounded by group of officers and
congressman, and that it won't do to
break in upon their conversation 2"