Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-08
RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL LEE.
NOW HE ENTERTAINED THREE
LITTLE GIRLS.
DESTRUCTION OF A HOME.
n Notable Episode-He Captured
prize in Washington-A Monument
10 Southern Women urged by nm
ola soldier.

Ola soldier.
"sr contributes this TO the New York
Evening Post:
In ne life Of General Lee. written by
~ uophew. Fitzhugh Lee, may be found
,ho following extract from letter OF
General Lee 20 Mrs. Lee, written from
Dis headquarters near Petersburg. Janu-
ary lo 1865:
Yesterday afternoon three little girls
walked into my room, each with a small
basket. The eldest carried some fresh
errs. laid by her own hens; the second
some pickles. made by her mother; the
third. some popcorn which had grown in
ler garden. They were the daughters OF
g. Mrs. n. a refugee from Northampton
county. who lived near Eastville, not FAR
from old Arlington. The eldest Of the
girls. whose age did not exceed eight
years had a small wheel on which she
frun for her mother. who wove all the
cloth for her two brothers-boys OF Il
md Il years. have not had so pleasant
q visit for a long time. / fortunately
was able TO fiji their baskets with APP
pies. which distressed poor Bryan (his
seward. and I begged them TO bring me
nothing but kisses, and to keep the eggs
corn. etc. for themselves
When i read the letter how vividly the
whole scene came up before me! inc
many intervening years were blotled OUT,
ana / was again the tiny 4-year old gifl
seated very much at ease on the great
Generals knee, listening with deep lnIe-
rcst TO his conversation with my Oldest
sister. The second little girl Deihs very
shy. subsidized into a seat and employed
herself chewing her gloye-fngers, much
10 the modification Of the nurse who ac-
COMMANDED us. and who was deeply I'M
dressed with the Importance OF the occa-
sion. -. - ,o,ca
from the I1rnbill farm, where Genera
Zee had his headquarters, and the Two
houses were only a few hundred y"iuo
apart and very soon AFTER our WISH no
called on my mother. He had cohlpie'eiy
won our little hearts and we We're "l.
eagcrness TO 20 in and sec him, and altor
. tiu,e OF waiting which seemed very
long TO MS, and much washinS Oh IdCe'
and curling of hair. we were sent III
with the admoniton from our nurse 10
,,ird orr manners" But when GeheIh
Ice took me up and, looking at my manu-,
nskcd. "And how did these niue hHseI'
Get buruedY" / forgot all previous eN-
bortatious-alsO all lessons in gIahliil'N
and promptly replied, Me ana AI'ASss
were pulling roast 'taters out or the HIc'
General Lee seemed much amused ".u
I proceeded further 10 enlghteh MN %
10 various pieces Of mischlet 10 "hiO"
enc and Althea" had been chiet actors.
do not remember how my oisni"S "a
oid.re checked my unusual flow Of conn
denco. ordinarily l was shIIhhinsiy
sensitive and quiet, so that my outouIS'
80 candor was a tribute to the charm
a. General Lees manner. The "Aithea
a. whom 1 referred was colored emu
~ my own age. and my constant coihp@"
tor and dearly loved playmate.
rrring those last months or the VIZ
- ,..,,, a great deal of General Lee, anu
tf be ever wearied Of our attentions We
1vere never allowed 10 see IL, anu We ."
1y9ys kissed him at parting Win inc - -,
sne that we had given him Bre"' - -,
Of Measure. Certainly we never i", ,.,,
a. enfov ourselves We never Ielt any
80 "a bte nresence but always chatted
Ike narpies about all our hopes anu
,Io,e II was during one of our VISITS
,,ot Ia cave me little toDacco-Dab'
cuirp it FIRST with tiny cakes, ana teillns
$40 r. vas present to him from little
a.. Nfoebv colonel Mosby's htue
d,uebter" il lies on the taoie pelo'
,oe n quaint little bag, made OF reu uil,
form cloth. with seams covered win -
lo,y v,orsted. and "M' worked on On
fise In a child's uneven sutches. -
the honor. OF a ride once seaOeu -. :.
the General on the historic Iii 49,,
r-ho mink chalie frock which l wore oi'
1'', ~ sion was afterwards regarded
as a sacred garment only 10 De
On the highest of high days -.
,r,,,os were growing harder every day
,r1 economics becoming more rigid. My
mother sent General Lee boWl OF Sup
one dav. and IN his message OF thaiiAS
be told her that "never was olsh n'oIe
timely. had three generals TO dine WIN
me today. and only baked Deans 10 SCI
before them" ,A.. ooa
We lived surrounded by the sights anu
sounds Of war. and we children uitlSN
as soldiers and made miniature 4oi -
flons. Every day the end was uIaWlns
nearer. though al the last II came suo-
denly. and found Us quite unprepareu'
Had we foroseen. much could have Deen
saved; but no one thought or PERSONA
danger. or OF our being forced 10 iedNo
the house. Jar Of silver and fanny
miniatures was buried In Woou-S"0''
and box OF china and glass was con
cealed beneath the roof Of the porch, De
cause Il was thought possible that these
things might attract the attention OF
traders" After the battle, when strag-
eIers. searching for hidden treasure
sounded every foot Of land around our
house and outbuildlngs, the Jar escaped
owing 10 General Custer having used the
she'd for a stable.
ON that memorable "a OF April Mr..
TurnbuU came down about sunrise with
the Intelligence that General Lee had
gone TO the front. and there would be
heavy nghting" Later my father
walked over to headquarters. and while
there General A. +. Hill rodo up and en-
gagged in earnest conversation with Gem
eiai Lee. Then he rode OFF, and In less
Than an hour we heard he had been Kill
e. There has always seemed pecu-
lar pathos about HIPS death, he had
braved 50 many dangers successfully
only 10 fall victim at the close. Ny
tother had never seen the General In his
ial uniform before but that day he was
iliy equipped. with sash and sword.
They shook hands, and father asked;
'AtpsIal, do YOU think the reinforce