The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-06
ANECDOTES OF THE
CONFEDERACY'S LEADER
From the Richmond Times.

be iOund some which have found their way
into print and others that are related for
the first time:
Many times during the course of the war
General Lees officers were compelled to
catch the bride rein of his horse and turn
him back to prevent their beloved COM
mander from risking his life to set an ex-
ample to his men, who would have followed
| him anywhere.
/ On one occasion a portion of General Lees
men became temporarily demoralized and
broke for the rear. As they passed the
general. who sat like a statue on his horse,
| he cried to them scornfully:
That's right; go on and disgrace your
| uniforms
Others Joined the fugitives and General
| Lees manner changed. Calling his chief of
staff he said sternly:
Take a squad and bring those men
| back"
This was done and General Lee rode to
the front to encourage them. but the men,
solicitous for his welfare, declared that they
would not advance until he was safe He
| allowed himself to be taken to the rear,
| and the men. all trace of fear gone, plunged
into the fight
| Many stories are told to illustrate the
| calmness of General Lee in the face of dan
| GER when Others completely lost their
| heads
At the Bristow Station skirmish, when a
| severe Engagement was expected, General
| Lee and General EweH were sitting OH
| their horses at some little distance from
| the scene of the fighting, when Colonel w.
| e. Cutshaw, then member of General
| Longs staff. now city engineer of Rich
mond, came riding by.
/ General Ewell, in his impetuous manner,
| called to him to come over, and began to
| question him In an excitable and irritable
/ way concerning the delay in placing some
/ guns in position, with which 1T was decided
\ to enfilade the enemy's line. General Lee
/ sat calmly listening to the conversation,
/ until it became evident that Ewel had not
properly looked after the arrangements of
/ his men. Suddenly turning to him. he said
| in his musical baritone, but with a sar-
| casm under which Ewell WINGED:
Don't you think, general, that you had
| better ride over yonder and personally look
/ after the matter?"
/ The rebuke, delivered without any show
/ of irritation, cut Ewell ito the quick and en-
traged him, but he made no reply and quick
/ ly adopted the suggestion.
General Lee one of the most sympa-
| thetic of men, His heart was touched by
| any suffering, and he would assist person
| in trouble, no matter how great the dis
| comfort to himself might be.
| On one occasion, some years after the
| close of the civil war, General Lee was a
delegate from the Episcopal church at Lex
| ington to council of the churches at
| Lynchburg. He was a guest at the home of
well known citizen of that place.
| Shortly after midnight, when all the
| household was sunk in profound slumber.
| General Lee n
| room of his host and awakened him. say
| ing:
There is some one in distress in this
| house. They need help and I cannot sleep.
| Let us search the house."
| vigorous search was instituted. without
| avail, and the household again retired.
| They had scarcely gotten to sleep again
| when the old warrior again aroused them
| and insisted that he heard a moaning noise
| somewhere. and that someone was in need
i of,assistance.
i The family once more turned out and
Il searched thoroughly. This time their efforts
i were crowned with success.
i An ancient and badly spoiled pointer dog
4 of the master of the house. who was accus-
/ toned to do he chose, had gluten under
| General Lees bed, dreamed unpleasant
dreams. and was moaning in his sleep. The
| general heard the noise but could not locate
| it. but his sympatnies were aroused. and
/ he would not take any rest until he discov-
i cred whether any one needed aid
The marriage of General Lee to Miss
| Mary Gusts. the Virginia heiress, which
i was one of the most brilliant events in the
Old Dominion of ante-b ellum DAYS was at
i tended by an incident. which gave rise to
! much merriment at the time, and has been
| since oftimes related to the descendants
i of those who were present.
| The Episcopal clergyman who was to per
1 form the ceremony was the Rev. Mr..
/ Meade, tall, thin and very dgnifed sdi-
1 vine.
! On his way to Arlington, the home of the
| bride he was caught in a severe storm.
/ The rain poured, and soon the sombre gar
| ments of the minister, as well as his inn
| maculate linen, were drenched. He pre-
| scented himself a the mansion in deplora-
| BILE condition and without a change of raj
| ment.
| Here was a predicament: the wedding
| was to take place within the hour and it
| would take much longer to make his rev.
i erence presentable.
| In this emergency recourse was had to
| Mr.. Washington Parke Custis, father of
| the bride, who cheerfully agreed to loan
| the necessary garments. But Mr. Gusts
| was short and fat as Mr.. Meade was
1 long and thin, and the latter, when he ar
i rived in his hosts habihments, was a sight
4 for gods and men,
/ However, with the aid of his surplice,
which covered multitude of evils, he went
| through the ceremony with such dignity
| as he might in his misft condition
| III is Sald OF General Lee by those who
| knew him intimately that he was one of
| the most even-tempered of men. and never
| allowed himself to give free rein to his
! passion but twice during the course of the
civil war On one of these occasions the
| life of a soldier was put in deadly peril by
| his action.
| 1t was near the field of Sharpsburg that
| the general came across soldier who had
| stolen and Killed a pig, which he was car
| rying to his quarters.
| The most positive orders having been
| given against pillaeing of all kinds Cen
| eral Lee was Infatuated. He ordered the
| arrest of the man and issued instructions
| that he be taken to jackson. to whom he
| sent word TO have the thief shot at once
"Old Jack" as he was called was A man
| of his own mind. however. and as soldiers
| We're worry scarce he determined to carry
| out the commanding generals orders in
| different manner from that intended
Actuated hv the same amiable motives
| that actuated King David in Uriah's case
| no DOStRl m a In Of J.,