The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-20

hiieu "hu "Ouhueu oOVOJO of the foe. VIC
tonous IN al except two drawn battles. be
never was defeated in a pitched battle but
literally wore his own armies ont whipping
the invader. Not one Of his campaons was
more brilliant than the six days retreat from
the lines Of Richmond. For nino month he
had held tho great Army Of the Po-
tomac in check and dread with less than
1000 troops He led his foOdless and weary
men on that retreat 10 within thirteen miles
Of Lynchburg. while pursued by 80. 900 fresh
troops. holding his foe IN check by brilliant
engagements at various points. At last he
surrendered. not an army. only its skeleton,
about 900 men. His surrender AZ AppOmat-
tOx Courthouse was as credItabe % his Sc
MUS as il was protective 10 the remnant Of
his noble army and honorable 20 the Confed-
eracy. Never before IL the Worlds history
was It known that accounted rebels were re-
leased by the yictOrs on their parole with their
side arms and private property.
Two things are necessary 20 success. capac-
ity and opportunity. Whatever capacity
man may have he cannot succeed unless an
opportunity IS given. and whatever ilOodtido
of opportunity may come to float him on 20 tor
tune aud % fame he can never sweep the
water Of the sea without capacity. No one
except those intimate with him knew Lees
capacity The hero OF Lundy's Lane and con-
querOr OF Mckee, Winfield scott a close OO-
server had said: Colonel Lee Is the best
soldier / ever saw IN the field. hi- reputA-
ton as a man, engineer and soldier though
IN q smaller circle. had brOu nt nm
the offer OF the leadership Of the nited
States armies, aud with boots withdrawn T.
hush his steps. he walked the floor all night
when tie choice OF flags confronted him.
LIS hOmeiite. his manhood and his patriot
ism prevailed and he still held that duty
was the sublmest word of his language.
But Colonel Lees capacity was not generally
L
Had il never come he would ONLY have been
known as Colonel Lee. distinguished en-
glneeT OF the I nited states army. When u
did come. he showed the self-c0mmand 81
Washington and Wellington and will 1--we
with them their equals IN history. lie
showed the power OF quick combination an"
dash Of Napoleon without bis ambition tie
steady endurance and personal popularity o.
Cesar without the suspicion OF turning am
bilious arms against his country and MS
home. tie showed the genius OF Alexander
without his desire of conquest. Tor ne
fought only 90 de end the right. lie showed
al the piety of Havel0ck. while ike the pa
triOt Cincilnatus he at length sheathed his
sword and went ba k TO tine plOw-lAndle OF
private lire 10 teach the Sons Of bis old soldiers
lessons of peace. With rapid strategic move
ments after defeating the army OF luDDUJ
men under McClelland before Richmond and
hurting the Boosting Pope and his great army
into the deteuses around Ma-hinetD ID, ne
moved the besieglng army from the be-
leaeured Confederate capital and con
centrated the enemy5 forces 10 the
defense Of Washington. and in few
months recovered all Northern Virginia from
the occupancy of the foe. When Mcclellan
and Pope and Burnside and Hooker and
Meade each successfully commanding the
largest and best equipped army ever gathered
on the continent. entering no engagement
with less than 100. 900 men. each IN turn tired
to crush the noble little army of $4,000. and
each had ln turn been defeated. then c1me
Grant with the largest army Of all. ills mind
was fully made up 70 give Lee two mon LOT
one until his noble little army. now no longer
reinforced. should come TO an end. lee took
four men instead of two for one. rms was
done by his skill. strategy and endurance.
Yet 10 was only the question o. time. lie end
must come. When he reached Richmond Lee
looked back, possibly With sadness I'm lbs
great heart on three battles in which General
Grant had lost more men bv 30 0OJ than Vel
lngtou. Butcher and Napoleon altogether
in the campaign which ended ut Waterloo.
Gordon of skeletons still ne along this path
of carnage % mark the steps where our brave
defenders tr0d % do and dare for liberty and
honor. led by our own Robert Edward Lee.
They followed HIM. feeling as his great Lieu
tenant Jackson expressed II. lie is the Only
man would follow blindfolded. With the
remnant of his army. without reinforce
ments. Lee held Grant az bay with ms con
stauty aecumuiatlng forces and machinery az
war Tor nine long months, IN q me 81 de-
Tense nearly thirty miles ~ length, and then
the march OF Sherman, the retreat. tie SIX
DAYS march. the six lO1dless days, the SIX
days' running fight and then the end.
ArHrs HOME.
Ten DAYS thereafter. in company with DIR.
John +. Edwards called TO see our chief
tain az his home on Franklin street. IN this
citv. and his alusOn TO the surrender was
NV brave men and ! have done the best
we could" He showed there as everywhere
that Human virtue Is equal % human
On tie 29th Of May. 1850. I stood with you
where never again till at tho judgment seat
will / sec as many of the war-worn Con-
fedelates where with roll OF drums ana
boom OF cannon General Joseph J.. Johnston.
now gone 20 be with Lee, pulled the cord
which unveiled the statue and 100000 voices
made the air resonant with the name ~
Robert +. zee. And then as they passed his
old house. many with wooden legs and arm
less sleeves and all with uncovered heads.
they sang Shall auld acquaintance De
forgot and never brought T. mind. The
noble women of Richmond wept. The
brawny. brave gray haired veterans wept- j
cOuld not refrain from mingling my tears
with theirs We wept not because the slaves
were free for none IF us would have them
hack. we wept not that the COniederacy failed
~ cain independence. for VIC love our own
riobts As States and individuals. made dou1ly
sure in terrific struggle aud III the close OF
flat war in winch we We're actors Those
questions were forever settled then. But We
vent because we recalled that day a common
suffering in q common heritage OF hardshps
shared so willingly with us by our grand old
commander. We Wept because we all loved
General Lee The Sentinel Song OF the
poet is the expression of our thought to-day.
When falls the soldier brave dead at the feet
of wrong
The pee sings and guards his grave with SEN
tInels of song. 90,
Songs. march he gives command. heep lalth-
fu watch aud true.
The living and the dead of the conquered land
have NJ guards save you.
90, wearing tine gray of grief 60 watch over
the dead IN gray.
Go, euarI the private and guard the chief
Go, sentinel their clay.
And songs i'm stately rhyme, ana with softly
sounding tread
10 forth 10 watch IOr time, Time "hcfc
sleeps the deathless dead
30 sing through nations signs. Go. sob
through a people g tears
e..,ser tDe horizons OF all the skies and thr0b
through thousand years
And the songs with waving wing, ny lar. uoat
far away a..
the shade of the stainless gray;
And when they come they Will sweep harp
with tears all strlnged'
.,5 .ba very notes they strike viii sleep, as
-'''' they come from hearts woe-wrigned.
Bu. OH III IN song or speech, IN major or MI