The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-11-04

and crack shot, and had lived in Nir-
ginia several years in the fifties. HIS
experience in woodcraft and knoEl-
edge of the country adjacent to the
James River and around Richmond
commended him for the duties of a
scout, and early in 1862 he received Or
ders to report for special duty. He
served as scout until wounded at
Chancellorville in May, 1868. He WHs
discharged, and a few years later came
to Wisconsin and engaged in farming.
He attended the G.. A. r. encampment
at Buffalo, and related the story of
Gen. Lees escape from death to the
gyoup of veterans in the smoking car.
Yes" he said, Il could have killed
Lee as easily as n boy would knock a
trapped woodchuck in the head. But |
didn't. 1t was early in the war-the
day that Lee took command of the
Confederate army of Virginia-and the
death at that time of the ablest leader
of the rebel forces might had power
full effect ON the fate Of the Confed-
eracy. Lee sat OH horse not over
twenty feet from where lay concea. ed
behind a log. For five minutes my
rifle covered his heart and my fingerS
rested on the trigger. l might have
shot him dead and could have es-
capped without trouble, but didn't. Lee
was great man, and | have been
thankful always that did not shoot"
Did Lee ever know or his escape"
asked the man with the Sixth Wiscon-
sin Artillery badge pinned on his lapel.
Yes. After the war l wrote to him
about it. He sent he this letter." and
Mr.. Burton produced n sheet of paper
yellowed by age, the writing faded and
barely legible. 1t bore the signature:
''R. Il. Lee" and was as follows:
Richmond, Va, Feb. 1, 1SG6.-T. w.
Burton, Racine-Dear Sir: Your favor
of Goth ultimo at hand. l think l re-
member the day to which you refer. l
had, on the day previous. taken COM
mand of the troops &c. S. Az about
Richmond, and in company with Gen.
G. u. Smith, whom l succeeded, made
q personal examination of the field. l
do not doubt your statement, and while
Several words here illeg!ble) God. l
thank you. Cordially, r. f. LEE"
'After the battle of Seven Pines"
Mr.. Burton began his story, "our
troops took up a position on both sides
of the Chickahominy, our left reaching
into Chickahominy swamp. | was at
tached to Gen. 'Si' Casey's division of
Keyes' corps as scout, and had spent
several days in working through the
big ChickahOminy swamp. One after
noon-it was June or 8, think-I was
In the swamp between our lines and the
rebs. a little creek ran through the
swamp and into the ChickahOminy. l
had sat down on log behind sumac
or some other small bush, when l
heard something moving through the
bushes on the other side of the stream
l dropped down behind the log and
swung my rifle over, cooking it, and as
l did so two men in gray roue into PLAIN
view. AT glance l knew one to be
Lee, and the other surmised-correct-
IL, it appeared later--was Gen. Smith.
Joe johnson had been wounded in the
fight of Seven Pines, and Smith rad
succeeded him, and Lee, we knew, in
turn, had succeeded Smith. And
held the lives of both of them-One, at
least-in my hand.
''The Confederate leaders rode out of
the bushes and down to the edge of the
brook and let their horses drink. They
were talking earnestly, and 1 heard
Stuart's name mentioned. They prob
ably were discussing plans for the rad
his cavalry made around us few days
later.
well, Lee and Smith sat on their
horses and talked. My rifle covered a |
spot on Lees gray coat directly over
his heart. Then l thought I'd ger the |
two in line and kill them both. Twice
| pressed the trigger to kill Lee, and |
once | started to pun to kill both. Why |
didn't L? l thought of my wife and |
babes back in Ohio-and then of Lees |
dear ones. Tears came into my eyes,
and when 1 got the mist out of them
the party was riding away. 1t would |
have been murder, and, praise God, my
hands are clean."-NIilwaukee Sentinel.
G