The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-02
GEN. LEE IN A NEW LIGHT
LEADER or THE CONFEDERAOY rs
SEEN BY MOSBY.
Capture of the Writer by a Cavalry of Blue
Coats-His Escape and Trip to Ices
Headquarters.

Headquarters.
first saw General Robert E, Lee on
the day after the battle of Malvern
Hill. He was sitting under the shade
of some trees in the front yard of
house, few miles from the battlefield,
Longstreet was sitting by talking to
him. l was looking for Stuart, the
chief of cavalry, and as l was pass
ing the place saw some of his couriers
there and stopped. I dismounted and
| Joined them. While we were talking
about the events of the last few days
| two horsemen rode up, a general and
an orderly, who took a seat by Long
| street. The couriers told me that the
general talking to Longstreet was Cen
| eral Robert E. Lee, and that the gaunt
| looking figure, who had just come up,
was Stonewall Jackson.
| l stood few yards off and gazed on
the group in mute admiration. AT that
time their fame was resounding
through the world. Malvern Hill was
a rear guard fight at McClellan's; at
night he resumed his retreat to James
river, where he stayed until his army
was ordered back to the defense Of
| Washington. This was in July, 1862. l
was then a private, without political
! influence and no hope of promotion. /
had very little idea then that the time
| would ever come when | would sit in
General Lees tent and discuss mill
tary questions with him.
A few weeks after that, when Nc
Clellan was still resting inactive under
cover of the gunboats. Pope was as
signed to the command of a troop in
front of Washington. He came upon
the stage somewhat in the style of
Rombastes Furioso, when he hung up
his boots and proclaimed that he did
| not intend to look to the rear. 1t seemed
! to me that if General Pope did not in
| tend to pay any attention to his rear
some one ought to do it for him. Here
was a tempting chance for an enter
prising Confederate. Jackson's corps
had now been detached and sent to
| Gordonsville in observation of Pope.
Around Richmond there was little for
the cavalry to do; McClelan's army
was resting on the river, which was
his line of supply. The authorities at
| Washington seemed to hesitate wheth-
er to answer McClellan's cry for re-
! Inducements and let him move against
Richmond again, or to transfer his
army back to the point from which 1t
had started in the spring.
l suggested to Stuart, for whom I
had done a great deal of scouting Ca
| scout is not a spy in disguise, but % sol
der in uniformly, to let Inc take small
| detachment from his cavalry and oper-
ate in Pope's rear. Pope's different
army corps were at that time so scat
tered that an active partisan force
! could give employment to all his cav
| airy to keep up communication be-
tween them. AS Jackson had a very
strong force of cavalry with him, Stu
art thought it best to rest his own
cavalry and for me to get a detail from
| Jackson's to do the work. So he gave
me a letter of introduction to Jackson
whom l had never met, and left head
| quarters with one companion to deliver
it ii the great chieftain. Out of the
conception was evolved the Partisan
Battalion I afterward commanded
I felt happy because I knew there was
a splendid prospect in Northern Vir-
ginia for adventure, and a chance to
realize my ambitious dreams
We spent the first night on the way
at the house of farmer who lived neal
Beaver Dam depot, on what is now the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. The
next morning my companlon-Weave
| 10 Loo ,,n1y IN
sons headquarters, while would take
the cars, go on in advance, and have
everything ready when he arrived. Ii
this way time could be saved. / was
in hurry to get into the region where
the harvest was plentiful and the reap
ers were few. We went to the depot
Weaver left me there and started off
leading my horse. laid down my hav-
ersack that had Stuart's letter to Jack
son in it, unbuckled my pistol belt. and
sat down to wait for the train. l also
had in my pocket a copy of Napole.
on's maxims, just published in Rich
mond, which Stuart sent as a present
| to Jackson. Weaver had scarcely got
ten out when a man standing by hal
looed out, Here they comet l jumped
up to see what was the matter. Not
a hundred yards distant was a regi-
ment of cavalry in blue coming up at 6
trot. started to run, but it was no use
Before I got fifty yards several troop
ers were upon me. My pistols and hav-
ersack had been left in the depot. Wher
they took me back they had them, and
were reading my letter to Jackson /
was published in the Northern papers
to let the world see what John Pope
had done. The regiment had marched
all night from Fredericksburg to cap.
ture the morning train from Rich.
| mond.
They fronted into line and put me II
the front rank. ! called to an Officer
and protested against putting pris
oner in the front of line of battle ant
told him there would be brigade of in.
fantry on the train, and we would al
be killed. They had read Stuart's let.
ter to Jackson and attached some
credit to what I said So they con.
Guided to let the train go by unmolest-
ed and moved off "by fours' The
train soon arrived, with not soul or
board; my being captured saved it.
l was taken to the old Capitol pris.
on in Washington. The next day
thanks to fortune cartel for ex.
change of prisoners was agreed on
After a confinement of ten days, one
a ayapipo with Sayera1 hundred Otbarc