Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-08-20


Richmond.
The Hon. John III. Reagan, who was
postmaster general of the Southern Con-
federacy, delivered lecture in San An
tonic, Tex, on the evening of April 90
in behalf of the fund for a Confederate
monument and 1.-THE Southern Battle alb
bey," in the course of which he related
the following:
con 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 Mcchanicsville and riding along
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 10 time being brought back to the
road we were on. When we reached the
point where we had a 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 good deal of solic-
itudo, both IN The army and among ci-
villains, aLCut General Lees exposing
himself so much III battle and it was
felt that his loss would be great Ca
lalnity. | suggested to Judges Meredith
and Lyons nat | would ride down to
the generals headquarters. They said
they would not go, but asked me . sug-
gest TO General Lee the question as to
whether hc could not cover himself by
some large trees Il few hundred yards in
his rear and from these send his orders
anC receive reports as we'll as from the
exposed position he was then in.
"WhCn l reached his headquarters
his staff officers were all out; none but
an orderly with him. | mentioned that
a good deal Of artillery was being used.
He said, Yes; more than usual
amount on both sides. Ee added, That
does not Go much harm. And waving
his hand oil pretty much TO the front
Of him, where the musketry firing made
noise much like the tearing of sheets,
ne said, Ihat 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 in the field
whore lac was he had ordered the wagons
containing the quartcrmastor, commits
sary, ordnance and medical stores back
behind the timber, but that it was nee
cssary for him TO ~ as near the line Of
battle as practicable.
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 a re-
serve the enemy would turn him, and II
b. should weaken his lines TO make
reserve they would be broken. And he
said that had been his condition from
the opening on the Rappahannock He
also SAID that he had lost more men
from excessive fatigue and from want
of vegetables than by bullets, and re-
qucstcd me TO see the commissary gen
eral on my way back and urge him to
send, as soon as possible, all the pota-
toes, onions and other vegetables he
could He said that he had requested
the mon 10 eat sassafras and grapevine
buds as substitute for vegetables, but
that these did but little good.
There he was, with his back on
Richmond, seven miles from the city,
his line being assailed by force vastly
more numerous than his own, and he
MAS apparently as cool and self possessed
and a. free from excitement as if nothing
was occurring, even then keep
INK IN mind the welfare and necessities
OF the sOlulCls under his command. 1t
made such an impression on me Of the
git@tnts, ana grandeur Of his character
that l could not forget it, and because
OF that impression l have made you this
statement
Us illustrative Of the intrepid valor
and military enterprise of General Lee
when that quality would serve his pur.
pose, l Will mention another incident.
which, as far as / know, has not been
noticed by the historians of the war.
When the Federal army was at Cold
Harbor, in front Of Richmond, in 1864,
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 Gen.
eral Grants right and put himself be-
tween Grant and his base of supplies
and to put Grant between his (Lee's)
command and the city of Richmond
This movement, if il had been executed,
would have resulted either in the de-
struction Of the Federal army or in the
tall of Richmond. After some Of Cen
eral Lees divisions had been put in mo-
ten TO execute this plan he received "A
advising him that the Federals
were advancing on Lynchburg in force,
and that without immediate help that
city, which at that time contained q
large amount Of military stores, must
fall into the hands of the enemy. He !
Il 4