The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-25
TIE GREAT SOUTHERN SOLDIER
Rocollections or Robert f. Lee in Public
and Private Life.

the Leo monument ceremonies at Richmond
everything relating TO the career and charac-
ter OF the great soldier who led the Army OIL
Northern Virginia acquires fresh interest
Especially timely, therefore, are the rominis-
cences which Col. William Preston Johnston
contributes to Beltords Magazine.
Col. Johnston first saw Lee in 1885, when his
father Albert Sidney Johnston had been ap-
pointed Colonel OF the Second Cavalry, with
Lee as Lieutenant Colonel. President Pierce.
or rather Secretary Jefferson Davis was anx-
ious that this new organization should be n
crack regiment, and In the appointments to 1t
| made seniority subordinate to skill and OK
perience. Young Mr.. Johnston was requested
by his father to call upon Col. Lee and pay his
respects He did 80. and at the first glance the
thought flashed through his mind; 1T was
thus that Washington looked !" With his
rich. brown coorinR. dark hair and eyes,
aquiline features and shapely limbs" Col Lee
appeared TO Mr.. Johnston one OF tho hand
soonest men he had ever seen. His digniiied
yet easy posture. the perfect poise Of his
bearing" especially struck the visitor.
Not until eight years later did Col Johnston,
| who had then become an aide de-camp on Mr..
Davis's stsff again see Gen. Lee. The night
| after the battle OF Fair Oaks, whore Gen. ]. L.
| Johnston was severely wounded. Mr.. Davis told
| him that he had determined to put Lee in COM
mand OF the army Of Northern Virginia, be-
cause. unlike some other Generals. he had
urged prompt aggression. After Hooker's de-
feat at Charlottesville Gen. Lee went to see
Mr.. Davis at Richmond. and Col. Johnston then
had some conversation with him.
congratulated him the results of the battle and
added: You have meta terrible losA General In tho
| death Of GEN jackson" lie said, with great feel
ing: AN rreparabe loss Colonel; loss like mans
right arm why, sir there is nobody who moves like
him. ordered Gen. - to move at O'Clock In tho
morning with division, and jackson at with his
corps and at O'Clock jackson was ahead Of him"
Gen. Lee in addressing me. employed a certain peou.
liarity OF pronunciation which often observed after
ward. A. "CoroneL" He spoke very pure English but
had few Virginia provipoalisms in pronunciation,
such as "wonnut" for walnut"
What always struck Col. Johnston was the
slowness OF the Southern people. as we'll as the
Northern. to recognize the audacity OF Lees
military conceptions. This. he partly accounts
for by the evenness and self control Of Gen.
Lees bearing and habits OF thought. which
prevented those who came In contact with him.
and hence all others, from fully approaching
the energetic boldness covered under his
composed demeanor:
This equAnimy withheld him from doing and say.
ing those startling things which especially interest the
bioRrapher reader 1t the with which
he did things so much the results which he seemed
to accomplish easily and almost 4 matter of course
that won him his ronown. He always appeared to mo
perfectly poised, and TO meet great all issues
with the same careful yet undiSturbed. measure of
effort In laying out walk flower bed he was as
pain'takinG as in mapping out the plan of campaign
An instance Of his simplicity Of manner and
eauanimity was observed by Col. Johnston after
the battle Of Cold Harbor. when he offered to
take back to Richmond any message desired
Tor MIR. Davis. Lee. as II half soliloquizing.
answered that he hardly understood what Gen.
Grant had meant By his attack that morning,
since it was too heavy for feint. and yet he
could hardly have expected to break through
the Confederate lines at that point.
lsad, General, suppose Gen. Grant will continue
to move by his left and cross tho Chick ahominy
Yes he replied; "across the Chickahominy and
across tho James think. You can tell the President
will make him crosS the Chick ahominy as low down as
can. By what road do you town Colonel ~
BY any road you wish General. II can serve Won
answered " Then please 60 by the Nine Nile Road
ana toll Capt - to move his battery down the
chickahominy and open tho enemy. which may in.
duce him to cross lower down. He also indicated spe
cincally the position Of tho battery. the roads to DO
taken to hnd It and tho pohon be taken by IT,
what struck me In this days intercourse with Cen Lee
was his entire lack Of and the COM
posuro with which he met events so momep,oua AZ
those OF tho bloody day Of Cold Harbor. None of US
however realized tho slaughter of tho Federas until
we Saw the Now York papers some days later
When Lee became President OF Washington
College, after the war, Col. John ston was made
professor OF history and literature there. In
his intercourse with the faculty Gen. Leo was
always courteous, kind often disposed to be
rather playful. and he insisted on deferring
much to their opinions. Then again Col.
Johnston noted that Gen. Lee never took an
ungraceiul posture. No matter how long or
fotf tout 20
ways preserved an attitude in which dignity.
decorum, and grace were united. He was q
very well built man, with rounded body and
limbs. and seemed, without the slightest affec-
tation or effort, to sit or stand or walk lust "a
gentleman should. He was never in hurry.
and all his gestures were easy and significant.
he gave minute attention to the details OF his
ohice. and liked to talk about them. soon Der
ceived that he did not like to discuss the events
or incidents OF the war;" He took q great
interest at that time In editing the /" Memoirs
OF the War in South Carolina and Georgia" by
his father. Gen. Henry Leo. for which he wrote
q preface. Among the many letters he re-
ceiyed were some very queer ones, upon which
he commented humorously as ho turned them
over to Col. Johnston for a reply. Tho lattsr's
work he revised with freedom and with criti-
cal skill and delicacy OF touch which inspired
respect for his literary ability. He was an
agreeable companion. not exactly witty. nor
very humorous. yet exceedingly fond OF gayety |
and vivacity in others. even IT, in young peo- |
plo 1t went to a boisterous outbreak Of spirits. |
He liked to give q light turn to table talk, TAX
Ing care that anything he said should not be
80 caustio as to wound:
Reading his letters discovers this playful spirit
in many Of thom for instance In his letter TO tho
spirituSsts. who asked his opinion Of Won MokS and
The French war lie wrote in reply most courteous
etter. in which he said that tho question ono
about which military critics would differ that his own
Judgment about such matters was poor at best. and
hat inasmuch as they had tho power to consult
through their mediums) Cesar, Alexander Napoleon,
|" wellington. and all OF the other great captains who
lAve ever lived he could think OF obtrudinR his
opinion in such company"
remember addressing one orrespondent for him AZ
Dear hIsG" In reading my draft, no drew his pen
through the word dear" and added the name smil
ne as he said colonel would not take the liberty Of
'eing so tender to the lady and really do not believe
he is dear to me"
Cen Lee did talk politics but he felt very d..nIv