Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-24
a WARTIME TALE.
story of ~ Meeting Betwoen Jener-
Hon Davis aud ts.n. n. ~. Lee.


In the Century War Book Com
stance Cary Harrison written the fol.
lowing interesting sketch of meeting
between Jefferson Dayls and Gen,
Robert ~. Lee.
When Gon, Lee Ind crossed tho
chlekahomlnN President Davis, with
several stan officers overlook the col
umn and. with the secretary OF war
ana Few other non-comhRtnntH
tqrded the river just as the battle OF
Meohanicsvllle began, Gen. Lee, sur.
rounded by members OF his own stan
nnd other officers. was found few
hundred yards north or the bridge In
the middle Of the broad road. mounted
ana busily engaged In directing the at.
tack then about 10 be made by a hrl.
gndc sweeping IN line over the fields
20 Tho cast Of the road and toward
hllcfsonH mill, where. IN q few
minutes hot enlargement commenced
shot from the enemy'a guns out OF
sight went whizziDg overhead In quick
succession, striking every moment
nearer the group OF horgcmcn In tho
road as the gunners improved their
range Con Lee observed The prerl-
dents approach and was evidently an
noycd nt what he considered a fool
hardy expedition OF needless exposure
of the head OF the government whoaa
dutiea wcrn elsewhere lie turned hiD
back for II moment until Col Chiffon
NhA UNfn uliUMAhhFu NJ u HhllND WIN
the last direction TO the commander Of
the attacking brigade; then, facing the
cavnlrnde ana looking like the god Of
war Indignant. he exchanged with the
president n salute with most frlgid re-.
serve OF anything like welcome or cor
duality. In an Instant and without
allowance Of opportunity for word
from the president the general. looking
not at him. but at the aHaaiihlage al
large, asked IN tone Or irritation.
Who nre all this army Of people and
No one moved or spoke, but all eyes
were upon the PRESIDENT everybody
pGrfectly Understood thht this was only
an order for him TO retire 10 place
Of safety. and the roar OF the guns
hustle Of a battle IN progress. with
troops continually arriving across the
bridge to go into action, went on. The
president twisted IN his snddle quite
taken aback az such Frgstlng~-,hn
general regarding him now with
Rlanceu Of growing severity, After n
painful pause. the president said. dep
recatlngly: ut " not my army. gem
eral" ut certainly II not my army,
Nr. President" was the prompt reply
"and this is no place for TIN nm ac-
cont Of command. Such rebuff was
sumner 10 Mr.. Davis who. however,
soon regainod his serenity and an
NN'FfNa
wei. general. n I withdraw PER-
hRps they viii follow" and raising hi1
hat In another cold salute. he turned
his horses head TO ride slowly toward
the bridge-seeing M no turned man
killed Immediately before him by n
shot from gun which AZ the moment
got the range II the road. The preh-
DENTS own stnn officers followed him,
as did various others. but he presently
drew rein ia n stream, where the high
bank and the bushes concealed him
from Gen. Lees repelllng observation.
ana there remained while the battle
ragged. The secretary OF war had also
made a show OF Withdrawing, but i'm
rather a deep ditch on the roadside 10
ntfempt 10 conceal hinHelf and his
horse there for time from Cen. Lse,
who Al that moment was more TO be
dreaded than the enemy'a guns.
The rice paper tree. one of the most