Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-10-22
SPARED LEES LIFE.
A Wisconsin Soldier Whose Thought Of
Home Inspired Mercy.

"A WISCONSIN, Soldier whose Ihoueht OF
Home Inspired Mercy.
General Robert L. Lee, the Confeder-
etc commander, owed many years Of
life to the leniency of Thomas w. Bur-
ton, well to do farmer of Racine
county. Burton enlisted in an Ohio reg
iment at the beginning Of the war. He
was an expert woodsman and crack
shot and had lived in Virginia several
years in the fifties. His experience in
woodcraft and knowledge of the coun-
try adjacent TO the James river and
around Richmond commended him for
the duties of a scout, and early in 1869
he received orders to report for special
duty. He served as scout until wound
ed at Charlottesville in May, 1868.
He was discharged, and a few years
later came to Wisconsin and engaged in
farming. He attended the q. A. r. en-
campment at Buffalo and related the
story Of General Lees escape from death
to the group of veterans in the smoking
car.
"Yes," he said, 81 could have killed
Lee as easily as a 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 Con-
federate army Of Virginia-and the
death at that time Of the ablest leader
Of the rebel forces might have had a
powerful effect on the fate of the Con-
federacy. Lee sat on a horse not over 20
feet from where | lay concealed behind
log For five minutes my rifle covered
his heart and my fingers rested on the
trigger. | might have shot him dead
and could have escaped without trou-
bic, but didn't. Lee was great man,
and have been thankful always that |
did not shoot "
"Did Lee ever know Of his escape?"
asked the man with the Sixth Wisc0n-
sin artillery badge pinned on his lapel
Eyes After the war wrote to him
about it. He sent me this letter. And
Mr. Burton produced a sheet of paper
yellowed by age the writing faded and
barely legible 1t bore the signature,
"R. E. Lee, ," and was as follows:
RICHMOND, Va, Feb. l. 1866
7. v. Burton, Racine;
DEAR SfR-Your favor Of the Goth ultimo al
hand. I think | remember the day TO which
you refer / had on the day previous taken
command Of the troops &C.. 5. A. about Rich
mond and, in company with General q "
Smith, whom / succeeded, made a personal ex
animation Of the field. I do not doubt your
statement and while iseveral words here IL
legiblel God. thank you. Cordially,
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 General 81 Casey's division of
Keycs' corps as scout and had spent
several days in working through the
big Chickahominy swamp One after
noon-it was June or 3, Think
was in the swamp between our lines
and the rebs. \ little creek ran through
the swamp and into the Chickahominy.
had sat down on log behind a sumac
or some other small bush, when | heard
something moving through the bushes
on the other side Of the stream. | drop
ped down behind the log and swung my
rifle over, cooking it, and as l did so
two men in gray rode into plain view.
At a glance | knew one 70 be Lee, and
the other l surmisod-correctly, it APP
peared later-was General Smith. Joe
Johnston had loen wounded in the fight
OF Seven Pines, and Smith had succeed
ed him, and Lee, we knew, in turn had
succeeded Smith, and held the lives Of
both Of thcm-one at lcast-in my
hand.
THE Confederate leaders rode out Of
the bushes and down 10 the edge Of the
brook and let their horses drink. They
were talking earnestly, and l heard
Stuart name mentioned. They proba-
bly, were discussing plans for the raid
his cavalry made around us a few days
later.
well. Lee and Smith sat on their
horses and talked. My rifle sights Gov
cred q spot on Lees gray coat directly
over bis heart. Then thought I'd get
the two in line and kill them both.
Twice pressed the trigger to kill Lee,
and once started to pull to kill both.
Why didn't 1? | thought Of my wife
and babes back in Ohio, and then Of
Lees dear ones Tears came into my
eyes. and when got the mist out OF
them the party was riding away. 1t
would have been murder, and, praise
God my hands are clean "-Milwaukee
Sentincl