The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-07-24
GIN. LII, II l'Ai'Ti,h,
HE WAS cool AND FREE FROM Ex-
CLEMENT AT CRITICAL TIMES.


the following:
"On the morning Of the second battle
of Cold Harbcr, in 1864, Judge Mere
dith and Judge Lyons, two of the judges
III Richmond, and myself rode out to
the battlefield, crossing the Chickahom
my at Mcchunicsville and riding along
a road few hundred yards i'll the rear
of cur line of battle. The battle was
then raging the whole length of our
line. Squads Of prisoners were from
time to time being brought hack to the
road we wCrc 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 i'll the field
about General Lees headquarters. AT
that time there was Il good deal Of solic-
itudc, 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 q great ca
lamity. ! suggested to Judges Meredith
and Lyons that l would ride down to
the generals headquarters. They said
they would hot go, but asked me to sug
gcst to General Lee the question as to
whether he could not cover himself by
some large trees few hundred yards III
his rear and from these send his orders
and receive reports as well as from the
exposed position he was then i'll.
when l reached his headquarters
his staff officers We're all out; none but
an orderly with him. l mentioned that
good deal Of artillery was being used.
He said, Yea, more than q usual
amount on both aides 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
u noise much like the tearing of sheets,
he said, That is what kills men,.
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 i'll the field
where he WAS he had ordered the wagons
containing the quarteTmaster, commits
sary, ordnance and medical stores back
behind the timber, but that it was nee
essary for him to be as near the line of
battle rs practicable.
Gle then said b me that General
Grant was at that time assaulting his
lines at three different places, with col
unns of from six to eight deep. Upon
this asked him if his lines should be
broken what reserve he had. Hsreplicd,
Not IL regiment. ard added that if 10
ShCGld shorten his lines Ia make re.
serve the enemy would turn him, and if
he should weaken his lines to make q
| reserve they would be broken. And he
said that had been his condition from
the opening On the kappahanncck. lie
also said that he had lost moro men
from excessive fatigue and from want
OF vegetables than by bullets. and re-
qucstcd me to ste the commissary gen.
eral OF my way back and urge him to
send, AZ soon MS possible, all the pota-
toes, onions and other vegetables he
could. He said that he had requested
the men to cat sassattras and grapevine
buds us & substitute for vegetables, but
that these did but little good.
There he was, with his back OH
Richmond, seven miles from the city,
his line being assailcd by force vastly
| more numerous than his own, and he
was apparently as cool and self possessed
and as free from excitement as if nothing
unusual was occurring, even then keep
ing i'll mind the welfare and necessities
Of the soldiers under his command. 1t
| made such nn impression Oh me of the
greatness and grandeur of his character
that l could not forget it, and because
If that impression l have made you this
statement
As illustrative Of the intrepid valcr
and military enterprise of General Lee
when that quality would serve his pur-
poSc, | will mention another incident,
which, us far as l know. has not been
noticed 10y the historians Of the war.
when the Federal army WAS at Gold
Harbor, i'll front Of Richmond, III 1861,
with the white house at the head of
York river as their base of supplies,
General Lee determined to move the
great body of his command around Cen
cral Grants right and put himself be-
tween Grant and his base of supplies
and to put Grant Between his (Lce's)
command and the city of Richmond.
This movement, if it had been executed,
would have resulted either i'll the de-
struction OF the Federal army or i'll the
fall of Richmond. After some Of Gen
rrai Lees divisions had been put i'll mo-
ZION to execute this plan he received a
dispatch advising him that the Federals
@cre advancing on Lynchburg i'll force,
vnd that without immediate help that
city, which at that time contained il
large amount OF military stores, must
fall into the hands Of the enemy. He
Immediately ordered General Brcclsin-
ridge to go to the relief of Lynchburg
with his division. General Breckenridge
was furnished a tram of cars and with
all haste reached Lynchburg i'll time for
his men To get off the cars fighting and
saved LyncLburg This diversion caused
General Lee to abandon his plan of get
ting into General Grants rear. "