The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-10-18
GEN. LEES STORY.
Told on the Battlefield, and Recalled by
Gen. r. D. Johnston, Of Alabama.

glorious achievements OF the army
Northern Virginia, will ever forget
the memorable campaign of the spring
of 1864. The United States had
gathered, during the winter Of 1863
and '64, a vast army Of disciplined
soldiers, had placed at it's head sue.
cessful general, and, with unlimited
supplies and resources at his COM
mand, had turned the head Of his col
umn toward the Confederate capital
with the cry, "On to Richmond" "
Between this splendidly appointed
army and the capital of the Confeder-
acy, there stood only the Army Of
Northern Virginia, with Gen. Robert
E, Lee at it's head. That army was
lacking in almost everything except
courage and confidence in it's great
leader. The struggle began with the
battle of the Wilderness, and contin-
ued almost daily until the two armies,
drenched in blood, glared at each
other from the rifle pits in front OF
Petersburg. Each day witnessed he
roic deeds on the part Of the soldiers
of both armies, and when the shades
of night came we counted with sad
hearts the missing ones, who had
made their last sacrifice in be-
half Of the cause they loved, their own
life blood.
The string scenes and incidents
that each day occurred moved onr
hearts and left deep impressions upon
our memories. None made a more
profound impression upon me than an
incident that took place on the morn
ing of May II, 1864, the day before
the great battle. of Spottsylvania. The
enemy had concentrated in heavy col
umns in front of that part of our
lines occupied by the division Of Gen.
Rhodes, protected by the woods, with
only a few hundred yards of open
ground between the woods and the
breastworks Of Rhodes division.
They made a sudden and impetuous
assault upon the lines and drove out
Doles' brigade and part Of Daniels
and planted their colors on our breast
works.
Johnston brigade was at the
time in reserve, supporting Long
streets corps. He was hastily sum-
moned to the point Of attack, and
under the eye of our beloved COM
mander made the charge which drove
the enemy out of the breastworks,
captured the flags which they had
planted upon our works, and restored
the lines. That charge was led by
two soldiers of the brigade-one now
a prominent Alabamian, and the 9th
er North Carolinian. who afterward
passed to rest on. the battlefield. 1t
was sharp struggle between them
which should first reach the enemy s
flag upon the breast-works and tear it
down. The Alabamian's foot slipped
as he reached forth to take the flag,
and the North Carolina soldier seized
it. After the fight was over he car.
ried it back to Gen. Lee, and asked
his permission to send it to the
governor of North Carolina, to be
preserved in memory Of that day.
Gen. Lee wrote a letter to the gov
ernor of North Carolina, commencing
the brave deed, and sent the flag as re-
quested.
It was on this occasion, the second
time during the campaign, that the
soldiers had to take hold of Gen
Lees horse and force him from the
field of battle. While the fight lasted
we could not prevail on him to leave
the field. When quiet had agair
been restored, number Of the gen
eral officers assembled at the little
house, Gen. Ewell's headquarters
just in the rear of the line of battle
There were Generals Ewell, Rhodes
Ramseur, Doles, Pendlcton and the
writer. While we were sitting on tht
porch discussing the events of thu
morning, Gen. Lee came out Of the
house and took his seat among US
Turning to Gen. Rhodes he said
General, what shall we do with Gen
Doles for allowing those people tt
break over his lincs?" Gen. Rhode!
replied: "We shall have to let Dole'
off this time, as he has suffered quite
severely for it already
Just at this moment courier rode III
with dispatch for Gen. Lee. 1t wa
one of Stewards scouts. The opin
ion at that time was prevalent among
the general officers at the front tina
United States troops were sliding
around our right and did not intend tt
fight us in the position we then held
All believed that the dispatch tina
Gen. Lee had just received from Gen.
Stuart was something relating to tht
movements of Gen. Grants army
1t was Gen. Ramseur who first broke
the silence, rcmarking that the i'm
preston was general in the army tha
the Federal troops were moving tt
the left toward Richmond. Genera
Lee then turned and playfully re
marked "I do not know which one
of you may be called to the command
of the army when [ am gone. Unit
then you could not know the troubles
which besct the commander of al
army, the greatest of which is to dis
tinguish the true from the false re
ports which come from the scouts.
He then related the following Incl
dent:
"Nhen I was on Gen. Wool's stat
in the Mexican war, late one night the
general sent for me. Arriving at tht
tent I found that the scouts had come
in with reports that the Mexican
army had crossed the mountain anC
were in camp about ten miles away
I suggested to Gen. Wool that it wa:
hardly possible that such a report
could be true, but said that if he
would give me a squadron of dragons
I would report the facts to him by
morning, and in the meantime the
army could be got in readiness for ac
tion. Knowing that company Of
dragons were out on duty on tho
route | must take, / determined tc
proceed at once once on the rcconnois
sance, and take the squadron then OF
duty, ordering another to replace
them. Mounting my horse, | took
the road leading to the supposed caml
of the enemy. BY some mischance