Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-30
General Lees Patience Under Trial
DIR. Jones's Lecture.

To the Editor of the Dispatch:
DR.. Jones could not employ his time
with better effect than I'm repeating TO
young and old his admirable lecture on
General r. Il. Lee. In this money-loving
age, a great model of the highest type
Of manhood, sustained by indubitable
facts in great number, must do great
good, to the young men especially. No
reasoning like facts. l once was unfor-
tunate to be the occasion of worrying
General Lee in a very trying situation.
1t was on crossing the Potomac at Shop
pardstown, two days after the battle OF
Sharpsburg The order was to cross at
night, in all possible silence, as We were
in the presence Of the enemy. My bat
terry had been badly cut up in the Sharps-
burg fight, and l was afraid i could not
get off all my guns. After seeing that
the crippled gun was well up, l hurried
to the pontoon bridge, crossed 1t, and
found the head Of my column ascending
the hill. l was only at my post few
moments before / heard General Lee, In
a calm but firm, voice, say, Whose bat
terry is that?" 1 replied. Captain Park
er's sir" where is the captainY' he
asked. Here i am, General" Hurry up
your guns, Captain" 1 replied, Yes, sir.
But the caisson was stuck fast in the mud
at the bottom of the hill. Strong, power
full men had been detailed at this very
spot all night TO hurry up wagons and
artillery. They cursed and yelled at my
horses, and tugged at the wheels, but TO
no purpose. The horses We're poor and
exhausted. The General naturally was
becoming impatient Most of the infan-
try was behind me. Daybreak was ap-
preaching, and our situation. and, indeed,
the situation of the whole army, was be-
coming embarrassing. Had the enemS
attacked us at this juncture the peril
would have been serious. The General s
patience was exhausted. He urged me
10 hurry up. I explained that l had lost
twelve Of my best horses In the fight two
DAYS before, and that was the difficulty,
| but that did not relieve the situation. lie
commanded that l must open the way,
and intimated / was a nuisance which /
| we'll knew. so there was nothing left for
me TO do but order TO unlimber the rear
chest and pull it out Of the way, and go
on with the front chest. Had my old
friend. General E, been there, the
heavens would have been blue with livid
lightning and sulphurous flames. L was
so worried at this incident l forgot en-
tirely 1 had sent the day before every
thing I'm the way Of outfit, with my body
|
my ambulance, TO Join me. But everything
was forgotten, and l lost all my worldly
possessions, camp chest, surgical instru-
ments; and indeed, everything; but all
this was not equal to my modification. j
| had done the best l could, under the cir-
cumstances. For the General not 10 have
been worried was an impossibility, but II
left In my heart no unkind feelings for
! him.
Some months afterwards. at the terrible
battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, l was
| lucky in selecting a position In the line
| from which l could do great execution or
a large body OF infantry who had no ar
tillery support. They were threatening 9
weak part OF our line. and feared every
hour they would charge and carry 1t.
have often thought that the officer n
charge Of this gallant body OF infantry
should have been court-martialled for ex
posing his men all day long to my nre
A visit to this part OF the field after the
fight was sickening. 1t was I'm the nea'
OF this engagement that General Aiexan
der brought me General Lees "comph
ments" on two occasions. A military
friend thought that these compliments
were the kind impulses OF the GeneraI
noble spirit for the scolding at the bridge
WILLIAM w. PARKER.
January q. 1888.