Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-09-27
THE LAST YEARS OF
GENERAL LEE.
dr. Henry NJ Field in the n. Y. Evangelist
1C0ncE2h1ed from last apeek

TC0ncl2tded from last aoeeh.
Soon after he came to Lexington house
was built for him in the row Of the college
buildings. 1t is a very plain brick house.
with nothing pretentious without OF within.
Here he lived the life of Il modest country
gentlemen, seldom going away from home
and then only to the White Sulphur Springs
OF some other quiet resting place. Now
and then he paid a visit to his old home III
Richmond and once or twice to Baltimore.
Once he was called to Washington to give
testimony before Committee of Congress,
when he was received by General Grant,
who was then President, with the distinc-
ton which belonged to him. But he never
went North, and indeed with these excep--
tons, scarcely went beyond the bounds OF
his own beloved Virginia. Accustomed in
the field to the saddle, he still loved the
exercise, and was often seen riding over
the hills around Lexington, either alone,
OF accompanied by one Of his daughters.
He was fond of plain country people, and
delighted to rein up by the roadside. and
talk with the farmers about their farms
and their crops; and no painter or poet
could enjoy more intensely the beauties>of
nature, the hills and valleys, the woods
and waters the sun riSingS and SUNSET
tings
Of course, wherever he went he was an
object of curiosity, and sometimes 1t re-
quired all his tact to party the advances
of those who intruded upon him. Some
with more eagernesS than pOliteneSs, asked
him questions about his battles, even his
opinion of the officers who served under
him, or those who fought against HIM. 10
such questions he always made courteous
reply, even while avoiding direct answer
for While he was too modest to speak OF
himself and what he had done, he was very
reticent in speaking of other military men
in either army. He knew that whatever
fell from his lips would be repeated, and
not always as he said it, but with change
of words, OF in a different tone OF voice,
7 that might give it quite another meaning
Indeed with all his caution, he was often
quoted as saying what he did not say. AS
an illustration, Prof. White told me that
story had gone the rounds OF the papers
to the effect that in a conversation Gen.
Lee had brought his clenched hand down on
the table, to give emphasis to his utterance
as he said eff | had had StOnewall Jack
son with me l should have won the battle
of Gettyburg and established the Southern
Confederacy !'' 'Now," said the PROBES
sor, 'twithout ever asking him, Ikn0U that
such an occurrence never took place, 1of III
the first place General Lee never brought
his hand down on the table'-he was not
| that sort of man-it is impossible to con-
| ceive of him as using any violence OF ges-
ture OF of language. And as to StoneWall
jackson, while he did feel keenly the alb
| sence of that great cOrpS-cOmmander, he
was not the man to indulge in sweeping
and positive statements; he never spoke
with such absolute assurance OF anything,
but always with degree OF reserve, as
once, we were riding together, he said III ms
usual guarded and cautious manner: III
had had Stonewall Jackson with me-S0
far as man can see-I should have won the
battle of Gettysburg SO careful was he
to put in this qualifications; for he always
recognized an overruling Power that may
disappoint the Wisest calculations, and de
| feat the most careful combinations OF
courage and skill
To the same habit of reserve we must
aScribe it, at least in part, that he never
wrote anything in regard to his own mill
tary career. The friend to whom | have
referred SO often, Major Jed. Hotchkiss,
General Lee to write his Memoirs, follow
ing the example of his father, Light Horse
Harry of the Revolution; but that his pri-
vate papers were all burned by foolish
guard, who was left in charge OF his wag-
gon, and who, when it was about to be
captured, set fire to it, and that SO he could
not have the accurate information he deslr-
ed Still, in spite of all this, he did not re-
linquish his purpose, but began collecting
materials for it, and asked me to prepare
the maps to illustrate his campaigns. |
went to Washington for him, to get copies
of his reports, ETC., from the captured
archives, but they would not let him have
them then; and afterwards, when they were
more willing, his health had given way,
and it was too late" This is great loss
to history Of course whatever papers were
captured at Richmond, and transferred to
Washington, may still be preserved to fur
nish the materials of history. But it is not
the same thing to have these materials
"Worked up" by some future historian, as
to have them used by the very man who
dictated these orders and dispatches. There
| is fascination in the story OF great war
told by one who was chief actor in it.
Caesar wrote his own commentaries, and
the conversations of Napoleon at st.
Helena furnish invaluable materials for
the history Of that great soldier. So with
our General Grant. No man was more
modest OF more reserved and shy, and it
was only the pressure of sudden disaster
overwhelming his household that forced
our Ulysses the Silent to break through his
accustomed reserve, and tell story that,
though told with soldier-like simplicity
is of marvellous interest. SO it would have
been priceless contribution to history il
we could have had the other side of oul
l civil war told by the pen of General Lee
: Had he but opened his lips, the whole
world would have listened to the thrilling
story But he may well have been reluctant
not alone because of want of materials OF
|
bring back too many painful memories
And if he had written, he would have had
: to pass Judgment on his old companions
in,arms, the living and the dead-an un
grateful task, from which he, with his
extreme reluctance to give pain, might well
shrink. And SO he died and made no sign
With all this in mind, ! went to the
house where he lived and died It is oc
cupied by his son, General Gusts Lee, who
succeeded him as President Of the COLLEGE
i, "a man of such extreme modeSty that only
- those who know him intimately know hi:
Z real worth; how much there is in him O.
I his illustrious father | had letter t.
S and he received me with great kindness
S and showed me the house, which, plain a.
i it is, has its treasures. rs he IS the great
= grandson of the Mrs. Gusts wh0 after til,
= dealt; Of her first husband, became tn
wife Of Washington, he has Inherited man,
+ household articles which belonged to til,
= Father Of his Countryside old famil,
4 plate on the sde=board, and the old tamil.
S pictures hanging on the wall: But of NOR
interest even than the relics of Washing
ton is whatever was connected with Gen
Lee himself-the home in which he liyet
for five years-the chamber In which h
/ slept; the library in which he received hi
$ friends, the books around him; the tabl
L at which he wrote; and the dining-room
IS in which he died, for it was here, Will
is standing at the i.eaf If his table, in tn
% very act of asking a blesspig; that be re
s. his chair. those around him caught hin
S, and raised him Up and brought a bed an
y placed him NpQR'it, but did not attempt t
g carry him TO bis rQQm: Here be lay TO
lie two weeks, between life and Death sas
ing but little, though conscious APPARENT
that the end was approaching. One VIII
watched with him, Colonel Preston join
m f dhsA casas s hadoMs Upon ae t2f ndah
vi face SO calm and peaceful with III
s. greater SHADOW that now rested upon i
4 stOncp in the solemn watches of the night