Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-04-21

4
dents in connection with the service OF
General II. r. Lee.
When our army then commanded By
GENERAL Joseph T., johston, fell back
before General McClelland from the
peninsula and failed 10 contest the
1 crossing OF The Chlckahominy with
| MIN. and took up it's position near
Richmond. President Davis become So
icitous and fearful that Richmond
| might be evacuated without the fight
/ ing OF n battle. General Lee then oc-
| cupied the position OF consulting gen
eral. that In, he conferred with and adj
viscd the president on military ques-
tons He was invited 10 meet the
president and cabinet TO consider the
question as TO defense OF Richmond.
In the course OF this meeting the presi-
dent put the question to him II he
would have to abandon Richmond what
would be the next best line Of defense,
but he added. with tears starting from
his eyes, -Richmond must not be given
up. | had rather die than see Rich
mond given mp" / saw much OF Gen
eral Lee during the war, but never saw
him exhibit special emotion on any
other occasion.
A few days later the battle OF Seven
Pines was fought. General Johnston
during the battle, with his stnff, took
position at the Fair oaks house. In
close proximity to the Federal line Of
battle. Seeing this. / rode TO where he
was and said to two OF the stan officers.
Major Garnett and Major Banks, that
was astonished to see the commander
in-chief OF great army. In great
battle. expose himself as II seemed TO
me, unnecessarily 10 such great dan
ger. 1 did not go In the house whore
the general was on their telling him
what said. he answered, ms they told
me directly afterwards. that 1t was no
time 10 look for safe places. BY that
time General Hntton's brigade had
come up and halted with his right near
us, As we had served four years TO-
gcther In congress and were friends, |
rode to where he was at the head OF |
HIS column. Heard him give the order |
TO front, lead" and then TO forward" |
AS he rode OF in front Of his brigade |
his last words were to me, saying he |
hoped we would meet again. and he |
moved forward but few rods, when he
was shot dead. ! then witnessed the
sproadcd advance OF Hatton's and
Pettigrew's brigades through an open
FIELD the enemy's works. Regular |
soldiers could not have done better |
When the grape and canister OF the
enemy would cut a. gap in their ranks
IL was quickly closed up without ar
resting their forward movement, until
they reached the euemy's trenches.
rode across the field to the west side,
and there found President Davis and
General Lee and General Magruder TN
der a heavy FIRE. / expressed my as
there, and told them | had just left
General Johnston. where he could not
In all probability live but n short
time We were Informed that General
Hampton had been wounded. and a
courier Ealloped up and reported that
General Johston was killed, which turn
ed out TO be a mistake. In a few min
u.eS he was brought by us on a stretch
er. cramped stlff and carried on the
field. The president then and there by
verbal order directed General Lee to
take command OF the army. l have
seen that some Of the historians Ak
the date OF his assignment TO this COM
mand few days after that Their ref
erence may be 10 the formal order OF
the war department as to his assign
ment, but Il was made on the battle |
Held as have stated.
on the morning Of the second battle
81 Cold Harbor in 1864 Judge Meredith
and Judge Lyons, two of the Judges in
Richmond. and myself rode out to the ,
battle field. and riding along the road {
A few hundred yards In the rear of our
line OF battle The battle was then rag {
ing the whole length OF our line. Squads
of prisoners were from time TO time be- l
Ing brought hack to the road we were |
On. When we reached the point where |
we had a view Of the Gains Mil farm, !
we saw that the cnerny's shells were !
falling In the field about General Lees
AZ that time there was |
A good deal of solicitude, both in the
army and among civilians about Cen
eral Lee exposing himself so much In '
battle and It was felt that his loss
would be great calamity. l suggested {
10 Judges Meredith and Lyons that |
would ride down 10 the generals head I
quarters They said they would not
90. but asked me 10 suggest TO General
Lee the question as to whether ne could J
over himself with some large trees '
! few hundred yards In his rear, and
rom these send his orders and receive
reports as well as from the exposed
'osition he was In then When reach
ID his headquarters his stan officers s
were all out, none but an orderly with O
him, ! mentioned that a good deal OF I
irtillery was being used. He said
Yes, more than n usual amount on
10Th sides. He added, '-rhnt does not
10 much HARM" and waving his hand |
M pretty much TO the front OF him, \
where the musketry firing made a noise
much like the tearing OF sheets, he
aid. that is what kills men" then
mentioned to him what Judges Mere ,
nth and Lyons had suggested about his
'overing himself by the large trees in
lis rear. To this he replied that when
he shells began 10 fall In the field
wagons containing the quartermaster's, !
ordnance and medical ,
torres back behind the timber but !
hat IL was necessary for him to be as
,ear the line OF battle as practicable.
lie then said TO me that General Grant :
vas at that time assaulting his lines at | /.
hree different places with columns of .
rom six TO eight deep. Upon this ! !
skcd him II his line should be broken. 1
shat reserve he had. He replied, mot /,
. regiment" and added that II he =
hould shorten his lines to make q re- !
erve the encmywould turn him, and 4
he should weaken his lines 10 make a
reserve thoy would be broken, and he L
aid that had been his condition from !
he opening OF the campaign on the 4
tappahannock. lie also said that he Il
PSI more men from excessive fatigue !,
nd from want OF vegetables than by n
ullets, and requested mo TO see the 4
ommissary general on my way back /,
nd urge 10 send Ms soon as possible all 4
pc potatoes. onions and other Vegeta- n
les he could He said he had request v
\ the men 10 eat sassafras and grape q
inc buds as substitute for vegetab- r
q. but that these Gid but little good. Il
There he was. with his back on Rich a
lond, seven miles from the city. his +
ne being assailed by n force vastly 2
,ore numerous than his own, and he d
fSs apparently as cool ard self-poss- +
ssed and as free from excitement as IL ii
- n Ia.aa