The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-08-11
RECOLLECTIONS OF R. E. LEE.
How he Entertained Three Little Girls
Children Under Fire.
NeW York EUcning Post.

Children Under Fire.
New York EUcning Post.
In the life of Gen. Lee, written by
his nephew, Fitzhugh Lee, may be
found the following extract from a
letter of Gen. Lee to Mrs. Lee, writ
ten from his headquarters, near Pc
tcrsburg, January 10, 1865:
YESTERDAY afternoon three little
girls walked into my room, each with
a small basket. The eldest carried
some fresh eggs laid by her own hens;
the second some pickles made by her
mother the third some popcorn which
had been grown in her garden. They
were the daughters of a 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 8
years, had a small wheel, on which
she spun for her mother, who wove all
the cloth for her two brothers-boys
of IL and II years. I have not had
so pleasant a visit for a long time. l
fortunately was able to fill their bas-
kets with apples, which distressed poor
Bryan, (his steward,) 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 wildly
the whole scene came up before me p!
The many intervening years were blot
ted out, and I was again the tiny four
year-old girl seated very much at ease
on the great Generals knee, listening
with deep interest to his conversation
with my oldest sister. The second
little girl, being very shy, subsidized
into a seat, and employed herself
chewing her glove fingers, much to the
modification Of the nurse who accom-
panied US, ard -Ssshe was deeply i'm
pressed with the Importance Of Tie
occasion.
Our farm was divided only by a
fence from the Turnbull farm, where
Gen. Lee had his headquarters, and
the two houses we're only a few hun
dred yards apart, and very soon after
our visit he called on my mother. He
had completely won our little hearts,
and we were all eagerness to 60 in and
see him, and after a time Of waiting,
which seemed very long to US, and
much washing Of faces and curling of
hair, we were sent in, with the ad-
monition from our nurse "to mind our
manners" But when Gen. Lee took
me up and, looking at my hand, asked,
"And how did these little fingers get
burned ?" I forgot all previous ex-
hortations-also all lessons in gram
mar-and promptly replied, "Me and
Althea were pulling roast Eaters out
of the fire." Gen. Lee seemed much
amused, and I proceeded further to
enlighten him as to various pieces of
mischief to which ''me and Althea'
had been chief actors. [ do not re-
member how my dismayed elders
checked my unusual flow Of confidence.
Ordinarily I was shrinkingly sensitive
and quiet, so that my outburst Of can
dor was q tribute to the charm Of Gen.
Lees manner. The "Althea'' to
whom I referred was a colored child of
my own age, and my constant COM
panion and dearly loved playmate.
During those last months of the wal
we saw a great deal of Gen. Lee, and
if he ever wearied of our attention We
were never allowed to see it, and We
always kissed him at parting with the
feeling that We had given him a great
deal Of pleasure. Certainly we never
failed to enjoy ourselves. We never
felt any awe in his presence, but
always chatted like magpies about all
our hopes and plans. 1t was during
one Of our visits that he gave me a
little tobacco-bag, filling it first with
tiny cakes, and telling me it was q
present to him from 'little May Mos
by, Col. Mosby's little daughter" It
lies on the table before me, a quaint
little bag, made of the red uniform
cloth, with seams covered with yellow
worsted, and IN" worked on one side
in a child's Uneven stitches. [ had
the honor of a ride once, seated before
the General, on the historic "Trav-
%eller." The pink challie frock which
I wore on that occasion was afterwards
regarded as a sacred garment, only to
be worn on the highest of high days.
Times were growing harder every
day, and economies becoming more
rigid. My mother sent Gen. Lee a
bowl of soup one day, and in his mes
sage of thanks he told her that "never
was dish more timely I had three
generals to dine with me to-day, and
only baked beans to set before them"
We lived surrounded by tho sights
and sounds of war, and We children
drilled as soldiers and made miniature
Notifications. Every day the end was
drawing nearer, though at the last it
came suddenly, and found us quite
u%nprcpared. Had we foreseen, much
could have been saved, but no one
thought of personal danger or Of our
being forced to leave the house. A
jar Of silver and family miniatures was
buried in a wood-shed, and a box of
china and glass was concealed beneath
the roof of the porch, because it was
thought possible that these things
might attract the attention of "raid-
ers." After the battle, when stray
glers, searching for hidden treasure,
sounded every foot of land around our
house and outbuildings, the jar escap-
ed, owing to Gen. Custer having used
the shed for a stable.
On that memorable I'd of April Mr..
Turnbull came down about sunrise
with the intelligence hat "Gen Lee
had gone to the front, and there would
be heavy fighting" Later my father
walked over to headquarters, and
while there Gen. A. p. Hill rode up
and engaged in earnest conversation
with Gen. Lee. Then he rode off,
and in less than an hour VIC heard he
had been killed. There has always
seemed a peculiar pathos about Hills
lo,+b h. boJ bro,-ad CO mopu DON.