The citizen., 1899-05-05

] izen of the Commonwealth. The
convention at Richmond is wait
ING anxiously for our return with
vOur answer, as your acceptance
will give strength and encourage
ment to the people"
HIS BRIEF RESPONSE.
"To this Lee responded briefly
and directly. He stood for mo-
ment with a determined express
sion upon his face as if his mind
was fully made up, but he was
not certain how to express him.
self My friend and from what
we heard expected him to decline
and tell the committee to go
home and abandon the secession
program. He started out all
right in his reply: 'Gentlemen,'
he said, Il am opposed to war, al
though bred to the profession Of
arms, | am especially opposed to
civil war; to strife between
brother and brother. l regret
that one section of this country
is arrayed against another"
Cup to that" continued Mr..
POmeroy, 81 thought he was go
ing to decline, but his next words
frightened me: Il hear the voice
of Virginia. he said, of the
mother that bore me, whose voice
is as sacred as the ashes of my
father buried therep He's gone,'
l said to my friend, he's made up
his mind, and his next words
were: Il cannot resist the call of
the sovereign State to which |
owe my first allegiance; but re-
member, gentlemen, | shall draw
my sword only in her defence,
and with the prayer that we, in
defending our rights. may not be
compelled to shed the blood of
our brethren"
"He said that he would 90 to
Richmond at once and report in
person to the government. The
next morning everybody knew
that Lee had gone to Richmond,
and within twenty four hours the
newspapers contained his orders
upon assuming the command of
the Nirginian troops"
THE OPINION OF GEN. WINFIELD
SCOTT.
The late Gen. Winfield Scott
one of the most distinguished of
ticers that has ever adorned the
American military service, at
tributes to Lee the reputation of
being "the greatest soldier of his
time"
At the close of the Mexican
War of 1866, and soon after
the return of General Scott from
Mexico, committee from the
city of Richmond waited on him
to tender him a public reception
IN the capital of his native State.
His reply to the committee was as
follows: "You seek to honor the
wrong man Captain Robert E.
Lee is the Virginian who de-
serves the credit of that brilliant
campaign"
1t has also been quoted that
Gen. VIM. Preston, of Kentucky.
says that Gen. Scott informed
him that he regarded Lee, "as
the greatest living soldier in
America" and that in a con
versation not long before the
commencement of the rebellion
Gen. Scott said:
81 tell You that if | were on
my death bed to morrow, and the
President of the United States
should tell me that a great battle
was to be fought for the liberty
or slavery of the country, and
ask my Judgment as to the ability
of a commander, would say
with my dying breath, let it be
Robert E. Lee.n
There is also an autograph let
ter of Gen. ScOtt's to the Hon
j. b. Floyd, Secretary of War
under Buchanan, which gives his
opinion upon the subject over his
own signature:
! "HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY
May s, 1857. Hon. j. B. Floyd
! Secretary Of WG.-Sir: | beg
to ask that one of the vacant
second lieutenancies may be giver
to w. IL. f. Lee, son of Brevet
Colonel r. f. Lee, at present OF
duty against the Commanches.
81 make the application namely
on the extraordinary merits of the
father, the very best soldier that
l ever saw in the field; but the
son himself is a remarkable youth,
now about 20, of fine stature and
constitution, a good linguist, a
good mathematician, and about
to graduate from Harvard Uni
versity. He is also honorable
and amiable, like his father, and
dying to enter the army. | dc
not ask the commission as a
favor, though if l had the infu.
ence should be very happy to
use 1t in this case. My appllca