Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-09-02
GEN. LEE IN BATTLE.
He WAS COOL AND FREE FROM Ex-
CLEMENT At CRITICAL TIMES.

CITEMENT AT CRITICAL TIMES.
Rexsrdless Of the Dangers OF His Position |
ut the Battle Of Cold Harbor-why He
Abandoned IN Important Plan Before
Richmond.
The Hon. John H. Reagan, who was
postmaster general of the Southern Con-
{ederacy, delivered a lecture in San An
tonic, Tex, on the evening of April 20
of the fund for Confederate
and ''the Southern Battle alb
beyP' in the course Of which he related
the following:
"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 Chickahom
my at Mechanicsville and riding along
a road few hundred yards in the rear
Of our line Of battle. The battle was
then raging the whole length Of our
line. Squads Of prisoners were from
time to time being brought back to the
road we were on When we reached the
point where we had view OF the
Gaines hill farm, we saw that the en-
emy's shells were falling in the field
about General Lees headquarters. At
that time there was a good deal of solic-
itude, both in the army and among CT
villains, about General Lees exposing
himself SO much in battle, and it was
felt that his loss would be great ca
lamity. suggested to Judges Meredith
and Lyons that would ride down to
the generals headquarters. They said
they would not go. but asked me to sug-
gest to General Lee the question as to
whether he could not cover himself by
some large trees few hundred yards in
his rear and from these send his orders
j receive reports as well as from the
exposed position he was then in.
"When I reached his headquarters
his staff officers were all out; none but
an orderly with him. I mentioned that
a good deal Of artillery was being used.
He said, Yes; more than q usual
amount on both Sides He added, That
does not do much HARM And waving
his hand off pretty much to the front
Of him, where the musketry firing made
O noise much like the tearing of sheets,
he said, THAT is what kills men I
then mentioned to him what Judges
Meredith and Lyons had suggested about
his covering himself by the large trees
In his rear. To this he replied that
when the shells began to fall "a Il in the field
where he was he had ordered the wagons
containing the quartermaster, commits
e. :. ordnance and medical stores back
I'd the timber, but that it was nee
!, for him to be as near the line Of
battle as practices lie. -
''He then said to me that General
Grant was at that time assaulting his
lines at three different places, with col
umns of from six to eight deep. Upon
this asked him if his lines should be
broken what reserve he had. He replied,
Not regiment, and added that if he
should shorten his lines to make re.
serve the enemy would turn him, and il
he should weaken his lines to make 8
reserve they would be broken. And be
said that had been his condition from
the opening on the Rappahannock. HI
also said that he had lost moro mer
from excessive fatigue and from want
OF vegetables than by bullets. and re-
quested me to see the commissary gen
eral on my way back and urge him tt
send, as soon as possible, all the pota
yoes. onions and other vegetables he
could. He said that he had requested
+he .ho-- to eat sassafras and grapevine
buds as /. substitute for vegetables, bu
that t+eso did but little good.
'Thefe he was, with his back Oh
Richmond, seven miles from the city
his lire bting assa.led by force vastly
more numerous than his own, and ht
as apparently as cool and self possessed
and as free from excitement as if nothing
unu. lal was occurring, even then keep
ing in mind the 1,alf, re anu necessitie
of the S.. liers llider h.. command |
made sucl ,c inpI> ssioi, Oh me of til,
greatness aid grandeur Of .ais characte
that I could not force, it. and bocauz,
OF that impressi., 1 have marie you thi
statement.
''As illustrative !" nc intrepid vale
and military enterprise of General Lee
when that quality would sc ve.'s pur
pose, will mention another incident
which, as far as know, las not h1el
noticed by the historians of the war
when the Federal army was at Coli
Ha1bor, in front of Richmond, in 1864
with the white house at the head O
York river as their base Of supplies
General Lee determined to move tn
great body of his command around Gen
eral Grants right and put himself be
tween Grant and his base of supple
and to put Grant between his (Lee's
command and the city of Richmond
This movement, if it had been executed
would have resulted either in the de
struction Of the Federal army or in tn,
fall of Richmond. After some CT Gen
eral Lees divisions had been put in mo
ZION to execute this plan he received i;
dispatch advising him that the Federal
were advancing on Lynchburg in fierce
and that without immediate help tina
city, which at that time contained !;
large amount of military stores, mus
fall into the hands Of the enemy. HI
Immediately ordered General Breckin
ridge to go to the relief Of Lynchburf
with his division. General Breckenridg,
was furnished train of cars and witt
all haste reached Lynchburg in time fol
his men to get off the cars fighting ant
saved Lynchburg. This diversion caused
General Lee to abandon his plan of get
ting into General Grants rear"
In Doubt.
land I am fully able to support YOU
daughter, sir" said the young man il
conclusion.
II dunno, Dunno said the pork
baron thoughtfully. "Her last three
oil al eto