The citizen., 1899-05-05
WRITTEN FOR THE CITIZEN "
BY CHARLES I. SHTPLEY OF
PIKESvILLE, MD.
ARTICLE FIRsT-CoSTINUED.
GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE.
"reminiscences of the Life of
Virginia's Distinguished Son
and the Confederacy's Com
mander-in-C Chief.

From the pen of Captain John
Esten Cooke, the gifted Southern
historian and novelist, and staff
officer of Gen. J. +. B. Stuart,
we have the following glowing
paragraph concerning the surren-
der at AppomattOx Court House
and the behavior of Lee on that
trying occasion:
"The Army of Northern Vir-
ginia had surrendered! Strange,
incredible announcement, The
effect which it produced upon the
troops is hard to describe. They
seemed to be stupified and wholly
unable to realize the idea. For
Lee, the invincible, to WELD up
his sword was an incredible thing:
and when the troops could no
longer have any doubt, men who
had fought in twenty battles, and
faced death with unshrinking
nerves, cried like children. To
yield is terrible thing-a bitter
humiliation: and if the private
soldiers felt it so keenly, we can
imagine the stingS of the leader,
who was thus called upon to write
that word Surrender at the end
of so great career. He said
once that 'he intended for him
self to die sword in hand:' but
now even this was not permitted
him. He must sacrifice his men
or surrender, and he decided with
out hesitation or difficulty. If
there are any poor creatures so
mean as to chucllle at the specta-
Gle of a great man letting fall the
sword which had never been
stained by bad faith or diShOnor,
they can indulge their merriment.
The men who had fought the il
lustriOus leader upon many bat
tlefieldS--who had given and
taken hard blows in the struggle
did not laugh that day. The
scores which took place between
Gen Lee and his men were indies
cribably pathetic. shall not
speak of them, except to say that
the great heart of the soldier
seemed moved to its utmost
depths. He who had so long
looked nnmoyed upon good for
tune and bad, and kept, in the
midst of disaster and impending
ruin, the equanimity of great
and powerful soul, now shed tears
like a child
81 have done what | thought
was best for you," he said to the
men. "My heart is too full to
speak, but | wish you all
health and happiness"
THE SURRENDER.
'1t may be asked" continues
Capt. Cooke, "Why | have omit
ted from my sketch the scene of
the surrender. There was no
such scene, except afterwards
when the troops stacked arms and
marched off. The real surrender
was an event which was felt, not
seen. 1t was nothing apparently;
the mere appearance of a Federal
column waving white flag and
halting on a distant hill. But
the tragic event was read in the
faces of all. No guns in position
with that column so near; no
line of battle; no preparation for
battle? A dreamy, memorial sad
ness seemed to descend through
the April air and change the
scene. Silence so deep that the
rustic of the leaves could be
heard, and Longstreet's veterans
who had advanced to the attack.
moved back like mourners,
There was nothing visible in
i'll front but that distant column.
stationary, behind it's white flag,
No band played, no cheer was
heard; the feelings of the South
ern troops were spared; but there
were many that wanted to die
then. This retreat was terrible
episode Lees retreat from Peters.
burg of military life, unlike any
which the present writer ever
before saw; but he does not re
gret having borne his part in its
hardships, its sufferings, and its
humiliations. He is glad tc
have seen the struggle, and under
; Lee, and to have shared his fate,
The greatness and nobility ot
soul which characterizes this sol
dier were all shown conspicuously
In that short week succeeding the
evacuation of Petersburg. He
had done his best, and accepted
his fate with manly courage, and
that erect brow which dared des
tiny to do her worst; or rather. lei
us say, he had bowed submissively
to the decree of God in whom he