Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-27
PRESTON JOHyioN'
HIS PERSONAL REcope. LEE.
GENERAL RoBE9

HIS PERSONAL REcope. LEE.
GENERAL RoBE9
----t-Audacity as a
Service in tho old Ayocnerosity.
Leader-Courtesfhce
and
I 2L-Wi,h the ap.
wlsHryorcx, fnumeenD,t. ceremonies m lat a.
preach 81 the Lee sung reialng TO the
heamoa9d Northern 90 The s Virginia fEu ac
S'bc lod l9 ;bo lFcrest. Especially timely,
@n'r"s q Ham Preston Johnston con.
Colonel 4 EFFORTS Neqas'ne.
,rtnt.f Johnston first saw Lee in 1855.
C"Is father. Albert Sidney Johnston.
al <ccn appointed colonel Of the Second
lxsrv with Ice az Northumberland.
&s:dcnt Pierce. or rather SCI Rotary JEFF
freon DAVIS. was anxious that this new or
ranizat;ou should be acrack regiment, and
I'm the appointments made seniority sub
ordinate 90 skin and experience. Young
Mr. johnson was requested by his father
io call upon Colonel Lee and paw his ro-
suects. He did so and ~ the first glance
tie thought flashed through his mind: 10
was thus that Washington looked" With
Ns rich. brown cO,oring, dark hair and
owes aauilinc features. and shapcly limbs. "
Colonel go appeared TO Mr.. Johnston one
Of the handsomest men he had ever seen.
Ills dirnhed yet easy posture, the per
feet uoee Of hrs bearing" especially struck
the visitor.
JOHNSTON on pAyIs's STAFF.
Noi until eight wears later did Colonel
Johnston. who had then become On aide-de-
cannon Nr. Davis's stah. again see General
ce bcnirht after the battle of Fair Oaks,
where General j. r. Johnston WINS severely
wounded. Mr. Davis told me that he IA
determined 20 put Lee IN command OF the
Army of Northern Virginia, because, unlike
some other Gcnerals, he bad urged prompt
AGGRESSION. After H0Oser's defeat at
Cbencenorsville. General Lee went 10 see
Mr.. DAVIS 20 Richmond, and Colonel john
sfon then mad some conversation with
- concentrated him on the results Of
the hattie. and added You have met
terrible loss. General. IN the death OF Gehe-
yal Jackson lie said. with great teelng =
AN irrcparahle loss Colonel; loss ike
MINIS right arm. Why. sir, there j. no.
laor who moves like him ordered Gen
,r.l - 90 move at 3 o'clock IN tho
morning with a division and General JACK
son no : with bus corps ana at JociOch
jackson was ahead Of INN
General Lee. in address ne mo. en-
rloycd o certain peculiarly OF pronuncia-
ton. which often observed after wara. rs
'Coroncl' He spoke very pure Lhsilsh'
lu' had a few Virginia proyincialsms IN
Standardization. such as wonnut for wal
lEL's AUuACfcY ~ STRATEGY.
What ALWAYS struck Colonel Johnston
,,ost the 1l.xuess af the southern people.
- wei ss the northern 90 recognize the
eudacitv of Lees military conceptions.
rli. he parflv accounts for bv the even
,,.s and s.lccortroi of General Lees bear
inc and habits Of Thought, winch prevent
ed those who came ~ contact WIN hlin'
and hence an others. from fully opprecl-
nflng tho energetic holdhtss coNeItu u"ueA
his composed demeaucr.
This eQu aWty withheld HIM from
doirr and ,avin. those startling things
which esnacia'iy interest the mographer or
ras6ar lf wa NOT the manner with winch
h.. dtd things ,o much as the results winch
Dc seemed q. accomplish easily ana a.
most 70 matter # course. that won MN
ls ron0wu. lie always appeared 10 me
perfectly poised end TO meet great ana
small I-.ues w.th tie same careful ana I'M
di.tn~lel measure Of effort IN laying
oit . walk az towrr-bed inc was as pans
taxing as ia mapping out the plan OF cam
imcn.'
II-COrposrrE.
An in-tance of his simplicity Of manner
and ,ruanlri " was observed by tolonel
Johnston ntf.- tle battle OF Cold Harpor,
,.bon DE- offered % take back TO Richmond
any message dD-red for Mr.. DAVIS; Lee
H. If half sOl.i1tuz.ne. answered thhO ne
hardly understood wnai General NrHht nag
meant by his attack that morning, since 10
,.o- ~, b.a,e for a fe.nt. and vet he could
hardly have cypocteito break through the
R.,f.. 1.....4 I-r.a ot fUat MONT.
"I sail: General, l suppose General
Grant viii corGnus to move by his ieit
and cross the ChlckahOmnyt les, ne
reulied. across the Cm"kahomiuy and
across the james, think. lou can ten the
President J viii mako hum cross the Chlch-
,houinv as low down as / can. By what
road do Won return to town, Colonel! 'By
INV rod YOU wish. General, If can serve
Won, answered. Then please 60 by the
Nne-Mle road and tell Captain -- 20
move his battery down the ChlchahOmny
ord omen or the enemy. which may induce
lun To- cross lower down lie also md
clted specifically the position 81 the bat
terv. the roads t. be taken To- ind II. ana
the now position 70 ho taken bv IT. What
struck re in this days intercourse with
General Lee was his entire lack OF selt-con-
eoioueue.. and the composure with which
De- mot events SO mOmentOus as those OF
fine hloo.v day of Cold Har' or. None OF
ms how .,.r realized the slaughter OF the
Fedora., ut.ll We saw the New York papers
some q .,.r.'
ILE At LEXINGTON.
Wber fea became president of Wash
i,rton College. after the wGT, Colonel
Johnstnr yls made professor OF history
ed lit.-u-e there. In his intercourse
Nth A.. faulty General Lee was always
ccnrtc - ,,nd, often disposed To be
rother .... ul. and he insisted on doiCung
much .. ... ,r opinions. Then again Colo
mel johnson noted that General Lee never
took n. racclUl posture. No matter
how r. fatguing "a faculty meeting
mich ... be always preserved an attitude
in v dignity. decorum, and grace
,v.re D.. a. he wgs very Well
l,in with rounded body and limbs,
and without the slightest alice
ta-i,. tort. to SIT OF stand or walk lust
ma. man should. lie was never IN
Iir, al his gestures were easy and
errt lie gave minute atten-
io-..... details OF his Office, and liked
t1-.. out them. soon perceived that
l.l .... like 90 scu.s the events or IN
~ ... Great interest at that time in
.1... ...c Memoirs of the War IN South
,.,.. and Georgia" By his father, Gene
mt ... lcr. for which he wrote pre-
ia.D lmoug the many letters ne received
WEI lo very queer ones upon "nie ,iI ne
coa :ed humOrOusiy as ne turned tnem
o,,... colonel Johnston foI n reply. Tho
iatt w.rk he revised with freedom and
wit. .ritjral skill aud delicacy OF touch
WI. inspired respect for his literary
al
GRNTETL GAYErY
J. was an agreeable companion not OK
oct ,,,tty- nor very humorous, yet ex-