Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-24
The Hattie of seven Pincs-Generai
Lees Headquarters.

statements. in one paragraph. which. for
tho sake Of historical accuracy, should
be corrected. ! quote from the paragraph
referred to: During the battles around
Richmond General Lee made his head
quarters at The Mess as No. 707 was
called, and the night before the battle
OF Seven Pines he spent the night there,
but not In sleep. In the morn
ing he came down dressed In a brand-new
suit Of clothes. his form erect, his
countenance glorious with fortitude and
hope, mounted Traveller (his 'Confede-
rate gray he called him), and rode slowly
down toward Ninth street. and thence to
the scene OF one OF the bloodiest battles
Of the war. He achieved a victory that
day."
Now, mt the time Of the battle OF Seven
Pines. General Lee was acting In the
capacity OF military adviser to the Pre5i-
dent, he had no command in the field,
and had no headquarters, in military
sense. General Joseph Il. Johnston,
whose military reputation was then un-
surpassed. commanded the army defend
ing Richmond. planned and fought the
battle Of Seven Pines. on May 3lst, and
for whatever victory was achieved that
day" is entitled to the credit. Gene
raj Lee rode with President Davis to
General Smiths headquarters, on the
Nine-Mile road, where they met General
Johnston. and remained there for some
time during the progress Of the battle,
ain which, however" says General Long,
General Lee took no part" At half
past Z in the evening, at the close OF the
battle, General Johnston was severely
wounded and the command devolved on
General c. w. Smith. The battle was
renewed the next morning June lsD and
continued until about IL o'clock, when the
fighting ceased.
Very soon after Johnston was wounded,
President Davis determined to assign
General Lee TO the command OF the Army
of Northern Virginia, and notified Gene
raj Smith at ar early hour next morn
ing General Long says: AT later
hour of the same day, Lee repaired II
person to Smiths headquarters and re-
lieved him of the command Of the army
General LOngstreet says: Then Gene
raj Leo having been assigned TO com
mand, came upon the field after noon by
the Nine-Mie road. and with Genera
Smith came over to the WILLIAMSBURG
road" After stating the position OF the
opposing forces, and expressing the opin-
ion that the enemy's lines could have
been broken TO confusion in twenty
minutes" an opinion In which General
Smith did not concur, General Long
street SAYS: General Lee ordered the
troops back to their former lines" Thi-
appears 10 be the only order issued 10y
General Lee in connection with the battle
of Seven Pines. The authorities are
equally as explicit as to the location OF
General Lees headquarters after ne as
sumed command.
Mr.. Davis says: 1.-THE day after Gene
raj Lee assumed command l was riding
out TO the army when / saw at house
on my left a number of horses, and one
/ recognized as belonging to him.
dismounted and entered the house, where
| found him in consultation with num-
Der of his general officers" General Ions
says: 1.-THE council met, as had been pre-
vously ordered, on the Nlne-Miie road
near the house which had been occupied
as Smiths headquarters General Long
street says During the first week OF
his authority he called his general officers
to meet him on the Nine-Mile road ioi
a general talk"
General Long gives an extract from
his notebook, under date OF June Atm
three days after General Lee assumed
command, in which he writes: our
headquarters are very comfortable. The
front room on the house hoor Is Tue
Adiutant- Generals office. The GencraI
private Office is in rear Of this. There al
the confidential business OF the army j.
transacted, the Generals usual attendant
being his military secretary, or some
other member Of his personal stan. In
the front room, the general business OF
the army IS transacted by the AdJutant-
General and his assistants. General Lee
and his household mess together. The
mess arrangements are not very ostenta-
tious. We were visited to-day by
several high officials from Richmond.
little further on he says: Lees head
quarters were at this time on the
Nine-Mile road. a position which gave
him a good oversight of the army and
brought all portions OF the lines within
easy reach
Thus It appears that certainly within
three days after his appointment, Gene
raj Lee and his staff were I'm comforta-
BILE headquarters on the Nine-Mile road,
and probably at the very house where
Mr. Davis found him the day after the
battle. General FltZ. Lee, in his life OF
General Lee, enables us TO fix the exact
location Of the house mentioned by Gene
raj Long, and incidentally refutes the
statement that during the battles
around Richmond General Lee made his
Headquarters at The Mess as No. lOl
was called" when he says that after the
defeat Of Mcclellan General Lee returned
to his former headquarters at the Dobb s
Dabb'O house. From the records OF
Henrico county, we ascertain that the
Dabb's house was the old Gregory home
stead on the left Of the Nine-Mile road,
lust beyond Stony run, and is now tn
Tenrico county almshouse. No. 707 was
the residence OF General Lees family
mis- stopping place when in Richmond.
Int his headquarters from the time he
assumed command OF the army were al
ways with his army "in the held.
RfchmOud January y, 1891. NJ