The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-13

tho Potomac. This settled the question
in my mind. II was clear that Mcclellan
was In a state OF eclipse and Pope's star
was in the ascendant Nobody seemed
TO understand tho significance or tho
sailing OF the transports, and I never
heard II mentioned. | kept mum, 1t
was lovely moon llgSt as we steamed
up the river. | sat on deck and gnzed at
the stars knew the monientous news
] was carrying On either side were the
old Virginia plantation famous ever since
the days Of the cavaliers; they were
mostly abandoned by tnelr owners now,
who had gone to fight tho battles OF
their country. The next morning tho
steamer reached neutral ground the point
OF exchange Tho commissioners were
waiting for us. | was ono Of tho first TO
jump ashore.
VISITED GENERAL LEE.
Thinking Il would take some time 10
go through tho ceremony OF exchange.
walked 10 the Confederate Commits
sloner. Judge Ouid. whispered In his ear.
that 1 had important Information for
General Lee, and asked him 10 let me go.
He saia all right and left While In
the old Capitol had got a s. greenback
and some ono had given me n patent
leather haversack. Just before leaving
Fortress Monroe I sent my greonback
ashore and invested Il I'm lemons; the
blockade kept them out of the South.
Under a blazing sun in August and
over a dusty road, now started to walk
twelve mics 10 General Lees hcadquar-
tiers. Having been moro than a year i'm
the cavalry, / had done very little walk
ing. atter trudging alone a good many
miles | became weary and footsore, and
at last sank down by the roadside ex-
hausted. But l chung 10 my haversack
and lemons. How long I lay there I
can't remember, but a cavalry man came
along. / spoke 10 him. told him my con-
dltion. and that had news | wanted to
carry TO General Lee. His headquarters
were still several miles away. The sol
dier boiongcd 10 Hampton's Legion that
was canred near by He dismounted
generously, put ne on hts horse and on
foot led the way to his camp There he
got n horse and rode with ne to General
Lees headquarters I was q stranger
there and shabbily dressed. A stan OFF,
Ger stood on the porch. I walked UP and
told him that I had important information
for General Leo and asked 20 see him.
with n naughty air he said General Leo
was busy and that l could not see him.
replied that I had not come to ask a
favor OF him, but TO tell General Lee
something he ought 10 know. This made
no impression on him. and turned away
Another stan officer overhearing what A
had said told me TO walt minute, walked
into the house, and soon called mo in.
| went into a room where AT first l felt
ayed at the presence of tho command
ing General lie was alone sitting AT 4
liable looking over n map. I thought he
was the grandest looking man l ever saw.
But with his dignity there was ming
led a kindness In his tone that soon quiet
ed my nerves and set me a. rest. l
then related TO him what / had seen, and
what ! had heard at Hampton Roads.
| was too modest 10 express my oplnio'.
as TO the significance OF the Burnside
Armada going up tho Potomac until he
asked me. He evidently agreed with my
opinion that hostilities would now be
transferred TO another theatre.
GAVE HIM THE LEMONS.
He asked me a few questions about the
way l was captured. We were alone du-
ing the interview After we had talked
some time l remarked that as he did not
know me. he did not Of course. know
what credit TO attach to my statement
l then told him my name an that / was
one OF those whom he hsd mentioned
In his general order announcing Stuart's
ride around Mcclellan. "Oh. yes" he
said. 81 remember" He now called 10
a staff officer to have a courier ready 20
take dispatch 10 General Jack-on. lie
was afraid 20 trust the wire, Il had been
tempered with few days before by a
raiding party of the enemy His head
quarters sere connected with Jackson's
by lire OF relay couriers. I now rose
70 leave, as I knew ne wanted 70 write
TO Jackson. to strike Pope before Burn
side Joined him. ( opened my haversack.
took out a dozen lemons, and laid them
on the table. oh he said. you had
better give them TO some in the hospt-
tails" / insisted on hts keeping them
as I knew tho pleasure II would be to
him to give them TO the sick. The news
7 brought was the cause "a the battle OF
Cedar Nom ain. We parted and never
expected 10 speak 20 him again: the dis
lance between was then so great that in
his presence l felt Ike a man looking
at a fixed star through a telescope. II
was more than a year before we met
again. he was in his tent on the Rapi-
dan: I had been made major and had
been severely wounded few weeks be-
fore and was recovering and on the way
back 10 my men.
THE LAST ORDER.
4 Richmond paper had announced that
my men had recently captured q suffers
train. and had taken the goods TO Char
lottesville and had a big auction. With
out any inquiry into the truth Of the
matter. General Lee assuming II TO be
true, wrote 10 Stuart disappearing OF II;
Stuart. OF course. forwarded his letter To
me. / was Indignant when l read IL.
me story was q pure fabrication. so far
as II referred 20 me. Ny RULED temper
was soon soothed by the kind way In
which he acknowledged his error.
doubt whether he ever knew that I was
tho soldier who gave him the lemons.
After | had become a commander. al
though he was In the front and in the
rear Of the invading army. I was a num-
her OF times az his headquarters. re-
celved a great many letters Of instruction
from him: they were an ia his own hand
writing About two months before the
close OF the war / went 20 see him near
Petersburg, and took dinner with his
mess There was a leg ~ mutton on the
table. and he slightly intimated that the
cook must have stolen IL. The following
telegram from his 4. a. G.. dated few
DAYS before the fall OF Richmond IS the
last order ever got from him
Headquarters March. q. 1865.
Col. John 5. Mosby, care Mai Boyle.
Cordonsville.
Collect vour command md watch the
country from front OF Gordonsville TO
Blue Ridge and also valley Your COM
mand is all now In that section. and the
General will rely on you 10 watch and
protect the country. II any OF your COM