The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-05-06

the heavy firing, rode out to where we
could witness the contest. We saw
Pemberton standing on the parapet Of
the battery on the williamsburg road,
fully exposed to the most terrific fire
of shot and shell, giving directions to
his command. Seeing this, we feared
that the disaster at Vicksburg and
the criticisms to which he had been
subjected were causing him to seek
relief in death. This supposition may
have been unjust to him, and his pur.
pose may simply have been to encour-
age his comrades. On my return
from prison in 1865, in going from
Richmond to Columbia, S. G., I met
with General Pernberton on the ears
at Greensboro, N. c., and learned
that he, too, was going to Columbia
to sec Mr.. Trenholm, the late secre-
tary Of the treasury, his object, as he
told ME, being to try to borrow money
from Mr.. Trenholm to enable him to
get on a farm as a means of support to
his family. I inquired of him if he
understood farming. He said he had
no experience in farming; hat he had
no profession but that of engineer, and
that there was no opening for him in
that line. and he law no other way Of
supporting his family, except on a
farm. He was then in a destitute
condition financially. I said to him
that I understood his family in Phila-
delphia were wealthy, and asked him
if they knew his condition. His an
swer was, in character with his past
action, that they did not, and never
should know it from him.
From this we can understand the
injustice of the criticisms to which be
had been subjected. I saw him no
more, but have since learned that he
died in Philadelphia. and from this
fact trust that he became reconciled
to his family. I learned from Presi-
dent Davis the facts relating to Gen
eral Pemberton's leaving his home
and entering the Confederate service.
SERVICE OF GENERAL LEE.
AS I am making Il rambling address
about things of some possible interest
I desire to call attention to two Incl
dents in connection with the service
of General Robert L. Lee.
When our army, then commanded
by General Joseph E. Johnston, fell
back before General McClelland from
the peninsula, and failed to contest
the crossing Of the Chickahominy
with him, and took up its position
near Richmond, President Davis be-
came solicitous and fearful that Rich
mond might be evacuated without the
fighting Of a battle. General Lee then
occupied the position of consulting
general; that is, he conferred with
and advised the president on military
questions. He was invited to meet
the president and cabinet to consider
the question as to the defense Of
Richmond. In the course Of this
meeting the president put the ques-
ton to him if we should have to aban-
don Richmond what would be the
next best line of defense. After dis
cussing the problem, he concluded
that Staunton river would be the next
best line of defense. "But" he add
ed, with tears starting from his eyes,
Richmond must not be given up. [
had rather die than see Richmond Civ
en- up" I saw much Of General Lee
during the war, but never saw him ex-
hibit special emotion on any other oc-
casion.
A few days later the battle of Seven
Pines was fought. General Johnston
during the battle with his staff took
position at the Fair Oaks house, in
close proximity to the Federal line of
battle. Seeing this I rode to where
he was and said to two of his staff Of
fcers, Major Garrett and Major Banks,
that I was astonished to see the com
mander of a great army in a great bat
tie, expose himself, as it seemed to
ME, unnecessarily to such great dan
ger. I did not go into the house where
the general was. On their telling him
what I said, he answered, as they told
me directly afterwards, that it was no
time to hunt safe places. By that
time General Hatton's command had
moved up to the right near US. AS we
had served four years together in con-
gress and were friends, / rode to
where he was at the head of his col
umn. Heard him give the order to
"Front, load" and then to forward"
AS he rode in front of his brigade his
last words were to me, saying he
hoped we would meet again. And he
moved forward but a few rods, when
he was shot dead. I then witnessed
the spreading advance of Hatton's and
Pettigrew's brigades through an open
field on the enemy's works. Regular
soldiers could not have done better.
When the grape and canister Of the
enemy would cut e. gap in their ranks
it was quickly closed up without ar
resting their forward movement, until
they reached the enemy's trenches. I
rode across the field to west side, and
there found President Davis and Gen
eral Lee and General Magruder under
a heavy fire. I expressed my aston
ishment at seeing the president there,
and told him I had just left General
johnson where he could not in all
probability live but q short time. We
were informed that General Hampton
had been wounded. And a courier
g%alloped up and reported that General
Johnston was killed, which turned out
to be a mistake. In a few minutes he
was brought by us on a stretcher,
cramped stiff and carried off the field.
The president then and there, by YER
bal order, directed General Lee to
take command of the army. | have
seer that some of the historians fix
the date of his assignment to this
command a few days after that. Their
reference may be to the formal order
of the war department as to his as
Segment. But it was made on the
battlefield, as I have stated.
SECOND COLD HARBOR.
On the morning of the second battle
Of Cold Harbor, in 1864, Judge Mere
dith and Judge Lyons, two of the
judges in Richmond, and myself, rode
out to the battlefield, crossing the
Cb~ickahominy at Mechanicsyille, and
riding along a road a few hundred