The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-04
TWO LOOKS At LEE.
a Federal soldier Whose Opinion
Was Changed by Seeing the Gem

Up TO that time 1 had not seen a pris-
Oner 1 knew. In the midst OF my de-
pressed. gloomy crushed state 1 looked
TO the left and saw rollicking Gid Potter.
member Of my old company. lie caught
sight Of me at about the same time. ana
started toward me on a run. When we
met he threw his arms about my neck.
For an instant We looked at each other
very intenuy. Those two bullets that
came together from opposite directions at
one Of the Petersburg battles and were
converted into leaden wafer. which waf-
er can be seen at Libby prison, did no,
collide more promptly than the remarks
of my prisoner friend and myself Whether
1 caught the thought from his mind
or he from mine 1 60 not know. l only
know that We spoke at the same time,
uttered the same words. and then to-
gether broke out in laughter that was a
cross between Mysteries and cry of als-
gulshs and 1 remember that the remarK
ana laugh afforded US right smart OF re
leI- 4 90 not mind telling the Times
Herald what that remark was but please
do not repeat 10 10 a minister. Both said
with the same breath and also with mucn
emphasis: "D-n the luck" knOwins
now we felt 1 am sure the good Lore
overlooked the outburst
About this time party of seventy or
elshty prisoners came alOng and We all
started for Petersburg. Passing through
piece Of woods a short distance, We
came out into an open field. With US was
a New York major, who had been badly
wounded and was being carried on a
stretcher by four of the prisoners His
groans were pitiful TO hear. In the fielc
mentioned, close TO the tract of woods,
was general, his stan and a large es-
corL The four men who We're carrying
the wounded major complied with his
request TO set the stretcher down that he
might the better change his position l
was only a step from the bearers Of the
wounded officer ana both were within ten
feet OF the confederate general. NV SYM
pathies had gone out so completely to the
suffering soldier that l had not, until he
was placed upon the ground, taken "a look
at the general When L did l knew from
the pictures l had seen that he was the
great general-the general of generals of
the southern army-Robert Il. Lee.
Can L ever forget the sad expression on
his face as he looked at the wounded
union officer and tenderly asked:
Are you badly wounded, major?"
very badly, sir; very badly"
Il am sorry, major; sorry-very sorry.
Give him the best care you can, gentle
men,"
Then this commander of a great army.
this popular leader, the idol of the whole
south, gentleman and brave soldier. rails
ed his head, turned to the left, and said:
we will ride through the woods to where
we can get a better VIEW and as the
prisoners started on their way to Pc
tersburg Gen. Lee, mis- staff and the cav
airy escort rode through the strip of
How those union prisoners stared at the
great general the moment they learned
who he was! one, a Delaware captain,
said: An hOur ago l would have given
my right arm to have had a good shot
at that general-the man whose courage
and generalship has made 1t possible
for the war to last so long-but now
really believe i would stand between him
and danger" and L guess he spoke the
sentiments Of most of that batch of pris-
oners. Gen. Lee was as fine a looking
soldier / and his tOnpl of
sympathy, his expression of sorrow at
the misfortune that had befallen one OF
our comrades, made a lasting impression
| upon our minds; at least 1t did upon
mine.
Five minutes after Lee moved on 1
realized what the lieutenant colonel meant
when he said that | would lose my hat.
A brigade of Nirginians-and hardy-look-
| ing fellows they were, too, though not
! overweu dressed-met the prisoners, and
with that easy swing 50 common to vet
eran soldiers were pushing rapidly to join
! their brethren in battle, but one of the
men was not so bent upon that purpose
that he did not have time to spring out
of the ranks and snatch my handsome hat
and throw his woven tile, whose brim
was like that of a clowns limp as a
dish cloth, onto my head. l was sorry
then, l had not traded with the colonel
What that Nirginian said and my reply
on the occasion of the forced hat trade
was not so very polished, but 1t was Wig
orous.
That night we camped about two miles
and a half from the battlefield OF the
day before, and received word, about
dark, that the Fifth corps had driven
McGowan and the troops that had gone
to reinforce him back to White Oak road;
that our folks had gained more than they
had lost in the forenoon.
1t was raw, cold night; the guards
had been instructed not to allow us to
build fires. / had caught sight of the
officer in charge of the prisoners and
made up my mind that he could be pre-
vailed upon to change the order, and made
man, a captain. Saluting him, l said:
Captain, if this was just the beginning
of the war instead of about the end Of
il, would not make the request for twen-
ty or thirty of those rails with which to
l make a fire to warm up this crowd of
half-frozen men and make them happy.
1t will be a pleasant thing for you to re-
member that you contributed to the hap
pineSs of a crowd of yankee prisoners this
raw March night" At first he looked in
clined to string me on his sword; then his
laughed. so, you think that the war is
about over, do you2" mo, i don't think
so; know so" "Well. l am afraid you are
right. Yes, get some of the rails and build
a fire" That was done The yankee pris-
oners thawed out and went to singing. 1t
was too cold for any more sleep that night.
Early next morning, without breakfast,
we again started for Petersburg, and were
about three miles and half from there
when word was given to step out of the
road while Gen. Lee and his staff rode
past The horsemen were riding at a gal
Top, Gen. Lee at their head. While he look
ed the general that morning, the 1st of
April, the day upon which Warren and
Sheridan turned the tide at Five Forks
and struck the blow that rendered certain
an early surrender of the army of Vir-
ginia a more troubled face / never be-
held 1t plainly said hope was gone. 1t was
comforting to the prisoners. 1t gave them
good news.
Though 1 saw Gen. Lee but a moment
then, l had looked at him three minutes
the day before, Those two sights were
to see the south's idolized military chief
tain, Robert E. Lee, who, eight days later
offered his sword to Gen. Grant and sur
rendered the army of Northern Virginia
an army that it had required four years
of almost constant hard pounding 70 make
it ground arms. j. A. Watrous.
A Bird House ON Mountain Top.
From the San Francisco Call.
On the northern slope of Mount Tamal-
pals, in plain sight of one of the numer-