Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-09-11
GUARDIAN OF LEES TOMB.
'.Uncle Tom,'' His Old Servant, Worships
the Great leaders Memory.


Mr.. G. A. Fonerden, of Baltimore.
writes to the Baltimore San as follows:
E"Having spent two days recently in
Lexington, Va, among the hallowed
memorials of that ancient town. it then
occurred to me how strange it must
appear to our Northern brother that
the tomb and magnificent recumbent
statue of Gen. r. E. Lee should be kept
and sacredly guarded, as it is. by a
colored man.
$50. too, is General Lees office, just
as he left it, tables, desk, lounge,
chairs, tablecovers. papers and letters,
and everything, even down to his ink
stand and penholders. in personal
charge of good old Uncle Tom.
Nor is it an easy task to guard and
preserve these veneratcd relies from
the protane and DESIGNATING hand of
the relic hunting vandal. Yet with
the sharp eye, brave heart and strong
arm of the faithful seminal there re
mains Uncle Tom. a worthy defender
of those sacred things. May his tribe
increase =
And now let me report to whom it
may concern what Uncle Tom impair ed
to me concerning his relationship with
that mighty captain of the valOrous
Confederate hosts. He began by say
ing in his dialect that he had enjoyed
the proud privilege and distinction Of
being close to the great general in
camp-life for four long years, and that
never once, in all that trying time, had
he ever heard him utter a cross, i'm
patient or improper word to man or
beast. It must be admitted that re-
lationship of so long a period as that
is, indeed, close connection, and who
would be closer observer Of the great
mans character and daily demeanor
than that untutored brother of color :?
No severer critic is man likely to
or cook; Or, at least, the foibles and
shortcomings of the man of mark
could have no greater or more perilous
exposure than that to the scrutiny of
his servant under conditions such as
those in which Uncle Tom served his
beloved MASTER as he is wont to call
the great general. He was a master
and father to me, too said Uncle
Tom.
ION one occasion in showing the
statue to a party of seventeen North
ern gentlemen he told them, as usual.
that his old master was the greatest
general in the world and the best man.
"'What Do you, colored man, say
that of this man here in our presence"
asked one of the number.
"'Yes, would say that before ten
thousand men, said Uncle Tom, and
added: If you all had'er had him, de
wah wooder been over long befo it
wus.'
"Then one young man in the party
said: Yes, he was a good man, Uncle,
but he was on the wrong side.'
"Thereupon an old soldier, who was
present, replied: But how many are
there who think to the contrary, and
this great man conscientiously thought
otherwise, living and dying hero in
the hearts of his countrymen, with the
respect and admiration. too, of the
whole North and all the world
THUS reinforced Uncle Tom said he
enjoyed the speech of that good old
soldier, once brave adversary on the
field of blood and strife. Then the
young man retorted:
"'Well, he got whipped, anyhow
"'Whupt, whupt! blurted Uncle
Tom. Does you call it whupt, san, eff
when like as you wus goin' walkin'
frum here to de hotel, whole parcul
uf men woold set upon you and bind
you down? Now, OATS de way de Gen
eral was whupt, sab, and only dat
way
"Then Uncle Tom told me personally
that on some occasions, de Yankees
had two HUNDRED to one In telling
him that | was in the old Stonewall
Brigade, early and late, be became
fervently eloquent in laudations, the
loudest and most emphatic. of my in
vincible old commander
$50, taking him through and through
I think it would be hard to find a more
| devout love for the South and its insti
| tn inns han tiaat Of IIncIa iNOI,a J,