The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-08-14
OUR GREAT LEE AT HIS BEST
Recollection OF Great Battle -
First Impression of Confederate
Leader.

Richmond Times.
| distinctly recall the famous pac
and the memorable conditions SUI
rounding the great soldier whcn | say
hlm the first time. WAS then fairly
"hscrvanL youth, in my twentieth year
Il period ut which W '"g apt 20 ccccivt
and retain VIVID IL. ,,siOns OF am
noted event or famous parsonage
personally seen and known. As ON,
grows old there is Il commcndablc ten
dcnCy to indulge the reminiscent mood
AS matter OF blended fact an,
sentiment, most of Us like to loOl
back and lovingly dwell on the pleasant
and the notable things OF the past il:
| which we were actors. At times | an
gwen TO such moods Of tender and
pathetic, sober and serious, reflections.
Then, over the kindly stretch of nearly
two-scorc years | would call up in
prOudcst memory the iadvlcss pOrtral-
turc of that manly, hcrolc figure, so
Ilrmly and gracefully seated on his
noble, trusty StGcd. In recalling my
iirst view and impression, | take II TO
DC well within tho province of this
sketch to state the place, clrcum-
stances, environments, as they were
all quite remarkable, now forming
lllusirious pages i'll American history.
They also help to depict to some cX-
ten: the grand character of one of the
greatest soldiers Of the past two cen
turtles.
1T was about noon Of September II
1862, at Sharpsburg. during the terri
Bile, sanguinary and lndccislvc battle
Of Auuctam. Here | lilsl saw Gen
eral itoblt +. Lee, riding along the
firing line. He was iuQuiring for
General Jackson. heard him make
The inquiry of several officers was
SO impressed with the noble bearing,
the stately appearance of the man, and
his good, substantial mount. that was
induced to ask an officer near me r. he
was not some general officer. | received
the prompt reply that the distin.
guished-loOkiny man was no less "A per-
SOnGGC than General Robert T.. Lee. |
had thought before put my question
that he was one Of Our generals, but |
bad no idea he was our grcul com
mandcr- irchcr. He wore NO sign of
his exalted rank. His good, gray unl-
''Aih NiS 'I'iO NN llp olIilillIllo II any
kind, indicating the high grade of his
official position. Still tie personal APP
pcarancc of such a wcll-dcvclOpcd
manly figure was very imposing and
attractive, and he was well mounted
on large, trusty.lookIng horse.
| was not SO greatly surprised at
being informed that the dignllied, com
manding-lookius soldier was Il. l..
Lee, but | was surprised and felt quite
uneasy that he should be where he was
likely to be struck down any second.
80 expressed myself, at the same time
rcmarking that did not suppose Gen
cral Mcclellan was in mile of the
battlefield. II is rot generally the
rule that the commanL"r-in.c chief adj
vances with his men under Il terrific,
sweeping fire of rifles and muskctry.
His subOrdinat; 3, from brigadicr-ycn.
erals down, arc expected to do this,
and, OCCASIONALLY, his major.gcncrals
lcnl their assuring presence in hot
and doubtful struggle. | "cadily recall
two gallant old brigadicr generals
Paul Scmmes ard NJ. ID. Corsc-thaL |
rad the honor TO servo under, who
always led their men in any and every
general engagement with the enemy.
SO it came about that first saw
General Robert L. Lee, to know him,
at Sharpsburg, September II, 1862,
while the great battle of Antictam was
g in full swing; while |, was raging;
while some 100000 men were making
the gamcst fight of the ninctccnth
century, not excepting Waterloo,
which, i'll some respects, rcScmblcd
Antictam, but with very different re-
suits, Napoleon being defeated and
leaving the field with badly-routcd
army, Lee, with his heroic army occu-
cupyl0g and resting on the field OF
battle, the entire day after the battle,
and then the night Of September 18th,
retiring deliberately, and in good order,
carrying ali his guns and baggage.
When | saw General Lee be looked
firm and rcsolutc, perfectly self posed,
confident, digI iiicd He evidently felt
that his 80 900 veterans could hod IL c
field and carry it over the SO 900 men
composing the Federal host.
| saw our great Lee at his best. with
the light o! battle in his eye, hcroism
in every feature. 1t was during the
most critical and trying part of that
most desperate day, when the deadly,
bloody tide Of dubious conflict was
iicrccly, turbulcntly cbbing and now.
ing; when the red vintage OF human
gore flowed in corn fields and apple
orchards; IN open hollows and on
wooded slopes; often blushin. the pure
waters OF the modest stream and stain
ing the shapcly leaves OF The shelter
ing forest. On this terrible, This en-
sanguincd field, at midday, the struQgl,
for supremacy was most cvcnI!ul an,
uncertain 1t could not be tod wher,
the bird of victory would folds it
weary and triumphant wings. II VII
l.crc the red badge of courage
, Haunted its crimson hues over all tn
, fair face of peaceful nature. 1t wa
. here that knightly deeds far oulshon
e the mythical splcndor of that vauntC
\ time " when knighthood was in flow
er." 1t was here tho captain
n courageous" only cmulat the supc,
/ courage of their mnn, each and a
n brayely doing amid 80 many Lc.oc
Z dead and dying. And il was here an
}. then the heroic manhood of Robert
, | ec woG trinb op1 ,oetoI anil fnn,