Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-29

and saw the enemy preparing breakfas
and otherwise so engaged as to indicate tha
they we're entirely ignorant of any danger
Lee returned to his own command, tolC
them what he had seen, and, though the ex
pected signal bad not been given by which
the attacking regiment and another detach
ment were to engage 10 the assault. be pro
posed that the regiments then with hin
should surprise the camp. vnich he believ
ed. under the circumstances, might success
fully be done. The colonels went to con
suit their men and returned to inform bin
that they we're so cold, wet, and hungry al
1 to be urfi' for the enterprise. The fog wa,
4 en- lifting, and it was necessary to attack
immediately or TO withdraw before being
discovered by the much larger force in the
valley. Lee therefore withdrew his small
command and safely conducted them to Lii
encampment
The colonel who was to give the sigma
for the 'int attack, misapprehending the
purpose, reoorted that when he arrived up
OF the ground he found the encampmeni
prote ted by heavy abattis, which pre-
vented him from making sudden charge,
as be bad expected, not understanding thai
if he had fred his gnns at any distance he
would have secured the joint attack of the
other detachments, and probably brought
about an entire victory. Lee generously
forebore to. exonerate himself when the
newspapers in Richmond criticised him sew
erely, one denying him any other consider.
alton except that which he enjoyed as ''the
Presidents pet"
Il was an embarrassment to the Execu-
tive to be deprived of the advice of Gen.
Lee, but it was deemed uacessary again to
detach him to look after affairs on the coast
of Carolina and Georgia, and SO violent had
been the unmerir ed attacks upon him by
the Redmond press that it was thought
proper TO give him letter to the Governor
of South Carolina, stating what manner of
man had been sent to him. There his skill
a. an engineer was manifested in the de-
fences be constructed and devised. On his
return TO Richmond he resumed his func
tiops of general supervisor Of military af-
fairs.
In the spring of 1862 Bishop Meade lay
| dangerously ill. Tn's venerable ecclesiss.
tic bad taught Gen. Lee his catechism when
boy, and when he was announced to the
Bishop the latter asked to have him shown
in immediately. He answered Lees inquiry
! as to how he felt by saving: Nearly gone,
but wished to see you once more" and
hen in feeble voice added: God bless
you, Robert, and f1r yon for your high and
responsible dutiesP' This great soldier
stood reverently by the bed of his early
preceptor in Chris 'iauity, but the sanity
patriot saw beyond the hero the pious boy
to whom he had taught the catechism; first
be gave his dying blessing to Robert, aud
then, struggling against exhaustion, invok-
ed Heavens guidance for the General.
After the battle of Seven Pines, Lee was
assigned to the command of the army of
Virginia. Thus far his duties had been of
kind to confer a great benefit, but to be
unseen and unappreciated by the public.
Nov he had an opportunity fr the employ
ment of his remarkable power of generali-
cation while att ending to the minutest de-
tails. The public saw manifestation of the
first, but could not estimate the extent to
which the great results achieved were due
to the exact order, systematic economy, and
regularity begotten of bis personal attea-
tinn to the proper adjustment of even the
smallest part of that mighty machine.
we'll organized, disciplined army. His early
instructor, in published letter, seemed to
regard the boys labor of finishing drawing
on slat as an excess of care Was it go?
No doubt. so far as the particular task was
coucerned; but this seedlinR is to be Judged
by the fruit the tree bore. That little
drawing on the slate was the prototype of
the exact Investigations which crowned
with success bis labors as a civil and mill
tary engineer as we'll as a commander of
armies May it not have been. not only by
endo ~ment bnt also from these early efforts,
that his mind became so rounded, system
atIc, and complete that his notes written on
the battle field and in the saddle had the
precision of form and lucidity of expression
found in those written in the quiet of his
tent2 These incidents are related, not be-
cause OF their intrinsic Importance, but as
presenting an example for the emulation of
yonths whose admiration of Lee may induce
them to follow the toilsome methods by
which he attained to true greatness and en-
during fime.
In the early days of June, 1852. General
McCelland threatened the capital, Rich
mond, with an army numerically much
superior to that of the command to which
Lee had been assigned. A day or two
after be had joined the army. was riding
to the front and saw q number of horses
hitched in front of house, and among
them recognizsd General Lees. Uoon
dlsmountinQ aud going in I found some
general eff ,ers engaged in consultation
with him as to how McClellan's advance
could be checked, and one of them COM
meuced to explain the disparity of force
and with pencil and paper to show how the
e1amy conld throw out his boyaus and by
successive parallels make bis approach ir
resistibla. "Stop, STOP" said Lee, ''if
you go to cipheriug We are whipped before
hand" He ordered the construction of
earthworks, put guns in position for de-
| fensive line on the SOU side Ofthe Chicka-
hominy and then commenced the strategic
movement which was the inception of the
seven days. battles, ending in uucovering
the capital and driving the enemy to the
over of his gunboats in the James river.
Tbere never was greater mistake than
that which has attributed to General Lee
what General Charles Lee in his reply to
General Washington called the s'rascally
virtue' l have had occasion to remon-
strate with General Lee for exposing him.
self, as l thought. unnecessarily in recon-
noisance, but he justified himself by saying
be ''could not understand things so we'll
unless he saw them" IN the excitement of
battle his natural combativeness would
sometimes overcome his hsbitual self con-
| troll; thus il twice occurred in the campaign
against Grant that the meu seized his
bridal to restrain him from his purpose to
lead them in charge.
| He was always careful not to wound the
seusibilities of any one, and sometimes
with an exterior jest or compliment would
give what, if properly appreciated, was in
struction for the better performance of
some duty; Tor example, if he thought d
general officer was not visiting his COM
mand as early and as often as was desira
BILE be might admire his horse and suggest
that the animal would be improved by more
| exercise.
He was not of the grave, formal nature
that he seemed to some who only knew
him when sad realities cast dark shadows
upon him; bu. even then the humor natu-
raj to him would occasionally break out
For instance, General Lee called at my of
flee for ride to the defence of r cbmond,
then under construction. He was mouoted
on stallion which some kind friend had
recently sent him. AS mounted my horse
! hiH was restiVa and kicked at mipo W.