The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-29
r,,, General Lee incident.

Tint GRuGFht htG
An open Letter to Correspondent uiope-
Democrat, Merle, Burleson County Tex
yelasco. Texas, May 26.-After reading
your article in regard to the exploits Oh
Long John Williams, your famous Indian
fighter. companion OF Big Foot Wallace,
Jack Hays and Rough Rider with Ben NC
Cullough and Sui Ross, and the private
ETC., feel II my duty to answer you.
must admit that l am surprised
at your Renaissance of the
Pioneer Heroes" Now you come
out after all the participants VINO
you say Long John Williams was with ana
talk and write articles concerning MIN
when you we'll know that all those old
pioneers are dead and gone. You have
Long John Williams picture taken with
gun at carry arms, fixed bayonet, and hay-
ing him in more battles than he has hairs
on his head.
Now. Mr.. BRACES. why is that you have
never before mentioned this historical fact
CT Long Johns conspicuous bravery as
private. so well known, as you say, 10
nearly all the lighting officers in Lees
army? / say. why is 1t at this late day
that you commence TO attempt to explain
the daring valor and GOODNESS of Long
j Inns well kn5wn courage, so well au-
tehnticated (as you claim by the veterans
Of Hoods Texas brigade at the battle OF
the wilderness, when there have been
hundreds OF inquiries asking who it was
that caught the bride Of General lees
horse at the fight on the 9th day of May
1854?
In your article in the Globe Democrat
you say that Long John Williams ordered
General Lee from the firing line, and that
Anderson Hood and John Gee caught Gen
eral Lees horse by the bride bits and
ordered him from the line of fire But
not so; we are not all dead yet, my friend.
| and others yet live who VIII corroborate
my statement You say General Lee rode
a roam horse, Ne, sir; his horse was
gray or white horse You say that Gen
eral Lee almost alone galloped to the
place of danger, and realizing at a glance
that tho fate Of his whole army depended
on the CELEBRITY of a moment, calcTIated
to retake the position that had been lost,
and to I'LL the gap in his lines. He hur-
riedly rode along the lines of Hoods fam
Gus Texans, and after telling the soldiers
in a few words how much depended upon
their valor for the next few moments, he
HpuilhuGu MS eWUTQ anu NHtldltu ludL nc
would lead them into action. | say Cen
eral Lee did not gallop to the place of
danger. lie was ON the battle ground,
when the Texas brigade floods came up
TO receive orders from General Lee in
person. | was with General John Gregg,
who was in command OF the Texas brigade
at the time. as n courier, and was in six
feet of Generals Lee and Gregg when
General Lee gave his orders to General
h. II
that General Lee did not draw his sw nd,
nor make any attempt to do it, He did
not tell his soldiers that he would lead
them in the checse that was about to be
made, nor did he tell them that much de-
pended upon their valor for the next few
moments, but he addressed all of his or
ders and remarks to General John Gregg
In person.
Now. being with General Gregg as
courier and within six feet of Generals
Lee and GREGG, heard all orders given and
all OF the conversation that passed be-
tween the two generals, it seems only
reasonable that | should have seen Long
John Williams and my friend Anderson
Hood il they Were present, as he claims.
must emphaticelly say that Anderson
Hood and Long John Williams were not
present and did not catch hold OF the
bride bits of General Lees horse on the
9th day Of May, 1864, at the battle of the
Wilderness.
Now. as to John Gee The is my brother)
! say that he never did live in Velasco,
Texas, and that he was not in the battle
of the Wilderness. John Gee lives at
Bryan, Texas, and will say the same. /
Will cite you to living witnesses VINO be-
lcnged to Holds brigade and were present
and participated in the battle of the Will
derness. as to who caught hold of Cen