Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-20


ana ny i O'clock had dispatched their
business. and all had left
he then promptly gave me an audience.
| ana the order for all ! wanted and when.
arose To leave he remarked that he
! was through with the business OF IN.
| morning. and invited me TO remain 10
| 'lnaer. az he wished 20 talk over with
me the prospects I had Of cnlisting a
! 'uh brigade OF mounted men and to rive
'ie MS views OF the manner in which
they could be handled 10 tho best nd
vantage on frontier, with which thew
! would oil be perfectly familiar Willis,
We We're thus engaged alone In his room,
| q" 'aIi' lean. bronze, wiry-looking private
soldier with fun flowing black beard and
nhkcmpt hair. and with great dark eyes.
| appeared at the front door, and taking
"t ms broad-brimmed. wcll-worn fell
nat. saluted and bowed to the General
| IN evident embarrassment and anxiety
| 10 relieve him, General Lee. In the
hlhdest way, both OF manner and tone.
Sd'"' well. my man. what do you wish?''
| WHY HE WANTED a FURLouGH.
THIS was evidently the first personal
interview the man had ever had with
| inc general commanding the army. see
nag Which | was Intent on catching
| every word he would utter. and they
| made such an impression on me that I
| never forge hos language AMI have
! OFTEN repeated It to friends Crumpiing
MS nat with both hands TO calm his
| nerves. he advanced "A step or two into
the room. halted. and said most earn
| cstiy. a. II g. was a wei conned les
| son. wei, General, IN tell you. /
| am soldier from Maryland. Ny home
| * away down on The Potomac, nearly
| where II joins the bay. ! have good
! farm there. and between 20 and 30 ne
| brocs As soon as the war broke out,
| ana the Yankee army marched into Nir-
| ginia. | told my wife II was my duty
| and the duty OF every Oblc-Dodicd man
| IN Maryland. 10 40 over into Virginia
| and join the Confederate army. FOR
about all we had was at stake. | told
| her thought she and our boys-we have
| FOUR the largest l. years oid-wlth the
| negroes could manage the farm. and sup
| port themselves / tod her there would
| Ice no lighting around where we live but
| IL would hc mostly in Virginia, and If
| the Yankees were not whipped they would
| st all the negroes free and ruin the
whole country, and that had made up
my mind e. cross over 10 Virginia and
| help whip them. she didn't like the idea
| Of my leaving them but aGree1 with
| me it was every southern mans duty 10
| stand 10y his people and fight with them.
| 50. in a day or tWO she consented, and
| got two or three Of the nelghbOrs to
| go with me. and we slipped over ana on
| listed I'm a Virginia regiment al Yorktown
| about year ago. and have been with II
| every day since. and expect 20 Joe til Che
| end Of the war. II We amt killed. We
| have had good luck so far. none Of u
| have been killed. and very little sick.
| though We have done right smart fight
| ing. especially I'm ire last week or two.
| as my captain can tell you. | get letters
from home sometimes by somebody that
runs the blockade in the night across the
Potomac. The last one has made us all
mighty uneasy. II says squads Of Yam
kea soldiers have come into the neigh
borhood and done n good deal Of plumber
but the worst part OF It * that they are
p,rsuad.ng the negro men 10 run on. one
Of mine has gone and my wife says sh"
| IS afraid all will soon 20. ] have men
and large boys. In all eight or ter, that
/ am afraid we viii lose. The other men
who came over with me last year have
a few negro men too. and want me to
get a furlouch for ten or twelve days
and slip across the river some night ana
ret some OF the neighbors we can trust
10 hem me 10 bring these negroes over
some night and hire them 10 the Con-
Tolerate Government To Work on forum
cations or railroads. where they VIII DE
safe. and be earning something for our
families to live on
"This IL our situation. Genral, and II ~
prettv bad. I didn't want to bother YOU
about these family matters til you had
whipped ana drove off the Yankees from I
Richmond. but | reckon they have had
as much OF that as they will want Tor
some time a. far as We soldiers can see
or know in camp. So have come rght |
to you for a furlough.'
WENT TO HEADQUARTERS.
The General said "Don't you know |
that have issued an order to the army |
that no furloughs can be granted now
yes. sir. | know it, and that Is Inc |
reason | have not applied TO my captain /
AMI colonel in the regular way. for | /
knew II would never get TO you, but De |
sent right back dlsapproved."
Then you have come to ask me to be |
the first f. violate my own order? DO You !
think that would ba right in me|'
This was poser, and / thought SET /
tied him. But not so. He answered; /
"Wcn. General. II would not be right in /
a common case, but have never asked |
furlough before and never expect to
ask another one but now il ! cannot |
get Of 10 go home for few days and |
bring them negroes over here, they will |
an be run off by the internal Yankees |
and We viii all be ruined, and as | thought |
the Confederate Government needs ne
grocs 10 work 50 the white men can all |
fight. 1t would be like bringing that many |
recruits to the army for me to go and |
get them over here, and AZ the same time
! could know they were helping to sup
port the family at home"
MY friend" replied the General you |
propose a very hazardous thing. Are YOU
aware Of the danger of trying 10 cross |
the lower Potomac"
yes. sir. ! know all about it. All Of
us over there have boats. and know how |
% use them, and where | live most Of |
them are hid and safe. and ] know ! |
can get all the help / want to fetch the |
negroes and get them safely to Richmond, |
too; and If you Will give me the chance |
III never ask another furlough If the |
war lasts ten years"
SENT HIM FOR RECRUITS.
The General listened attcntively and
closely to the man. and seemed for
minute or two To be rejecting over it,
when suddenly strengthening up, he re-
piled II cannot violate my own order.
but YOU stop out there in the porch and
await till / think IA little" The man
went out. General Lee remarked 10 me
every word he says is true. and that he
is a good soldier, and feels that ruin
TO his family viii be the result Of his
being refused u furlOugh." lie arose ana
walked the rooms length several times
in deep thought, when suddenly stopping
he called one of his staff from the next
room and directed him to 80 and see
the man and get his full name, company.
regiment. and brigade. and To prepare an
order detailing him 10 report to mead
quarters for ten days special duty, ana
send him in to him. Presently, he APP
pcared. and the General said 10 him.
suppose you know great many people
in your county and how they stand IN
regard to this war" ooh, yes, General
was born there and know everybody
and they are nearly all true southern
grit and wish they were here. but most
of them could not risk leaving their
families"
|