The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-16
GEN. LEE AND THE CIVIL WAR,
An Incident Described by Mr.. John
b Wise Denied by a Confederate,
ENrnrn Ahn ID inhra..-.a M

From the Richmond Times.
John S. Wise, Esq, formerly of Virginia.
but now of New York, has contributed an
article to the April number of the Atlantic
Monthly, giving some of his experiences
as Confederate soldier during the last
days of the Confederacy, which throws
some side lights upon the character of Gen.
Il. E. Lee that will very greatly surprise
the world. He says that in April 1866. he
was young lieutenant of IS, and was sent
by Gen. Walker with a personal letter
from MIR. Davis to find out, if possible,
In what direction Lees army was retreat
ing and to put Mr.. Davis into communica-
tlon with Gen. Lee II possible.
After some halrbreadth escapes Mr.. Wise
reached Gen. Lee, and this is his account
of what took place:
Touching my cap as 1 rode up, 1 in
quired, Gen. Lee?
Yes he replied quietly and I DIS
mounted and explained my mission. He
examined my autograph order from Mr..
Davis and questioned me closely concern
ing the route by which 1 had come. He
seemed especially interested in my report
of the position of the enemy at Burke
Vile and Westward, to the south of his
army.
Then. with long sigh, he said. I hard
ly think ii necessary to prepare written
dispatches in reply. They may be cap
tured. The enemy's cavalry is already
thanking us to the south and west. You
may say to Mr. Davis that, as he knows.
my original purpose was to adhere to the
line of the Danville road. l have been
unable to do so, and am now endeavor-
ing to hold the Southside road, as 1 retro
in the direction of Lynchburg'
Have you any objective point. general
any place where you contemplate making
a stand?' ventured timidly.
" No. said ne slowly and sadly. NO,
shall have to be governed by each days
Developments Then, with a touch of re-
sentiment, and raising his voice, he added:
"A few more Sailor Creeks and it will all
be over, indeed; just as 1 have expected it
would end from the first
Il was astonished at the frankness Of
this avowal to one so Insignificant as l.
1t made deep and lasting impression ON
me. 1t gave me an insight into the char
acter of Gen. Lee which all the books
ever written about him could never give
1t elevated him in my opinion more than
anything else he ever said or did. 1t re-
Vealed him as man who had sacrificed
everything to perform a conscientious duty
against his judgment He had loved the
necessary; he had looked upon 1t as hone
less folly. Yet at the call of his state he
had laid his life and fame and fortune at
her feet and served her faithfully to the
last
No doubt Mr.. Wise is perfectly sincere
In his account of this interview, but there
is not a Confederate soldier alive who will
not believe that his memory has served
him wretched trick. There is not A sur
viving Confederate who will not believe
that Mr.. Wise dreamed this, and in the
course of thirty-four years has come to
believe that IL actually occurred.
AS one who venerates the memory Of
Gen. Lee above almost all earthly things
and who believes him to have been one of
the greatest, IL not the very greatest char
acters earth has seen, the Times wants To
enter its most earnest and solemn protest
against this delineatlon of him. It is
Just that character Of him which his de-
tractors in such places as Boston and Chi
cago have been attempting to fix ON hin,
ever since the war. The inference N he
derived from it is that Gen. Lee never bad
any heart in the war but PLAYED his mart
mechanically and with no feeling at ali
Now, in fact, while Gen. Lee like Co.,
Early and thousands of other Virgininas
was opposed to secession, vet when secs
sion was an accomplished fact ana an 90
Tort was made to coerce his state ha me-.
into resistance of II with his whole boort
and each blow that he struck was Ja1i,s'
cred con amore, and with the earnest ~.
that It would utterly crush his adverse
ries. 'etsd>