The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-06-13
now, and my muscle is in good trim.
used to be very fond of wrestling whe1

i
edge of wrestling that saved my life to-
| day. When I first grabbed that Indian
thought he had me, but a. the last mo-
| ment I remembered the old Virginia
| back-heel trip, and that brought the red
skin down."
I here asked Gen. Lee how he hap
pened to enter the confederate army. He
| replied:
"Before resigned from the Union
army I waited to see what my father and
my Uncle Robert would do. I was, you
know, but Is years old at the time. l
had been ordered from Texas to West
Point to serve there as Instructor OF cav
airy and I was acting as such at the
breaking out of the war. / wrote my
father and uncle and asked them what
they were going to do. They replied
that they were not certain as yet, but at
last saw report in the New York Kcr-
aid stating that they had both resigned
from the service. On that same day !
received a telegram from my father con-
tanning these words: DO as you please.
He did not telegraph me to resign, but
left the whole matter with me. I did
not reply to this message, but I at once
went and got a. seven days leave of ab-
sence TO go to washington, intending
there to offer my resignation. AS
passed through New York I met Phil
Kearney whom had known before. He
asked me where I was going and I told
him was going to washington to re-
sign my services to the Union army. He
replied, We'll, am going to Washington
to offer mine, SO we may'as well travel
together. You can act as the chief if we
are stopped by the Southerners, and l
will do my part if there is any trouble
with the Northerners as to our getting
through the ltnes:' + agreed to this and
we Travelled together At Havre de Grace
we found the railway torn UP and had to
take a steamer and go via Annapolis,
taking the railway from there to Wash
ington. AS we attempted to take the
steamer we were told that we could not
go on board without pass, and that no
one would be carried without an order
from Gen. Ben Butler. Butler had
charge Of the town and he was allowing
only Unionists to go through. AS
heard this I said: We'll Maj. Kearney,
that's your business Kearney said all
right, and leaving me in charge OF the
baggage, he went up town and soon re-
turned with passes for Maj. Kearney and
friend. My name was not mentioned.
With these passes we easily got through
to Washington. went at once to the
war department and reported end was
told that there was orders there for me.
These directed me to go to my regiment; !;
but l. said in reply that my regiment was
in Texas. was Informed that it was
not, and that it had just arrived at Car
lisle, Pa.
*Now, but for one reason / would have
resigned at once,' continued General
Lee. "I had, however, an army saddle
in Philadelphia which was very anxious
to get. l was something Of a horseman
and I wished to use this saddle during
my service in the south. When l received
the order it seemed to me that might
go to Carlisle and march back to Wash
ington with my regiment. I would be
able to pass through Philadelphia and
could bring my saddle with me. 1t was
foolish idea, but carried it out + said
nothing to any one about my intended
resignation. merely saluted, took my
orders and left for Carlisle. l got the
saddle at Philadelphia and carried it with
me to my regiment. I found that mum
Der Of the officers had already resigned.
General Stoneman was in Philadelphia
and he made me one of his adjutants.
He told me he would leave at once for
Washington, and shortly after this we
marched to the capital and encamped
just outside the city on the edge of the
Seventh street road. The first thing i
did was to ask leave to go into the city.
This was granted and I was ordered to
get forage and food for the soldiers. Be-
fore leaving | gave directions to an or
dely to take my trunk to the National
Hotel and tell the clerk to have it kept
there until called for. [ then took my
horse, with my saddle on it, and rode
down into the city. first delivered the
orders for the forage and food and then
went to the hotel. Here took the saddle
from my horse and sent it upstairs, di-
recting the orderly to take the horse
back to the camp. followed the saddle,
had my trunk sent up to my room and at
once changed my clothes, putting on citi-
GEMS dress and packing my uniform and
saddle in my trunk. I then went down
and paid my bill and bargained with
cabman to take me ten miles into Vir-
Ny trunk was put on the back Of the cab
and we drove out over the Long bridge
to Berks station, whence went on to
Richmond Soon after this Long bridge
and all the other avenues out of the cap
ital We're guarded got away just in
time and soon after sent in my resigna-
tion. ( then entered the southern army
and remained in it until the war closed"
''You were at the head Of the cavalry
of the army, General Lee. How did your
troops compare with ours?"
/; RI think our cavalry at the beginning
Of the war was better than that of the
north,'' replied General Lee. Each man
had, you know, his own horse, and in,
most cases a horse which he had been.
accustomed to riding. He brought his
horse from his home to the field, the gov
ern1nent paying him for it's use and keep.
The result was that we had better horses
than the North. Then the rank and file.
of the cavalry were made UP Of men of
good education and standing, and in
most cases OF men Of some means
.stDid you yourself think at the start,
general. that the south would succeed -
Eyes, I believed and nearly all the
soa,therners believed that we were al,
most sure of eventually succeeding This
was the case at the battle Of Gettysburg
After that we changed CUR minds and
gradually came to see that the northern
forces We're so superior that they could
beat us in the end.', ssSs
Z, Suppose the war were; to be fought
over again, would the result be the;
same?
s.No one can tell. 2 replied General Lee.
uEIod u,p Tho so mo ff,rnflS 7, CITY that wa