The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-04

! nave ShlNered through a lOHs WlHler
for you. Without pay or Clothes or
care of any sort, their devotion to you
and faith in you have been the only
things which have held this army to-
gether. If you demand the sacrifice,
there are still left thousands of US who
will die for you. You know the game
is desperate beyond redemptiohs and
that, If you so announce, no man or
I government or people will gainsay your
decision. That isewhy / repeat that the
! blood of any man killed hereafter is
upon your head
Gen. Lee stood for some time at
an open window. looking out at the
| throng now surging upon the roads and
| IN the fields, and made no response,
1t Will be remembered that John
Sargent Wise was individually present
| at this conversation, a youth of nine
teen. / have as little respect as any
one well can have for the recollection
| or thirty years since as a basis of his
| tory, Nevertheless, it would seem quite
out of the question that a youth of
only ~ could have been present at such
a Scene as is here described, and that
the words which then passed and the
incidents which occurred should not
have been indelibly imprinted upon his
memory am disposed, therefore, TO
consider this reliable historical mate
am able to supplement it by similar,
as yet unpublished, testimony from an.
other quarter. Some years ago was
| closely associated with Gen. E. p.
Alexander, who had been chief of Ar
tillery in Longstreet's famous corps,
and who. in April, 1865, was, if my rec
election is correct, chief of artillery
OF the Army of Northern Virginia. It
was Gen.. Alexander who, in 1863
fought With Gen. Hunt, of the Army of
the Potomac, the famous artillery duel
which preceded, on July g. the memora-
BILE charge of Picketts division at Get
tysburg. In the course of many con-
versations with Gen. Alexander, whose
memory, sipgularly accurate as well as
tenacious, was also supported by mem
oranda taken at the time, he more than
once gave me an account of which
| retain the freshest possible recollec-
ton, of an interview which followed
close upon that with Gen. Wise at
Lees. headquarters. Gen. Wise evil
IDENTIFY saw Lee at an early hour of
April g.. That same morning Gen.
Alexander had occasion TO report to
Lee. He knew that the Army of Vir-
ginia was in a desperate situation.
Moreover, as he well knew the timber
chests were running low his arm of
the service was in no condition to go
INTO another engagement. Yet the idea
Of an abandonment of the cause had
never occurred to him as among the
probabilities. All night he had lain
awake thinking as to~what was next
to be done, Finally he had come to
the conclusion that there was but one
course 70 pursue. The Army of Yir-
ginia, while nomipally capitulating,
must in reality dispense, and those
composing 1t should be instructed
whether individually or as part of de
tachments, to get to his own state in
the most direct way and shortest pos
sible time, and report to the Governor
thereof, with view to a further and
continuous resistance.
Parallel with south Africa.
Thus, exactly what is now taking
place in South Africa was to take
place in the Confederacy. Gen Ajax
ander told me that as ne passed his
batteries on his way to HEADQUARTERS
the men called out to him. in CHEEKY
tones, that there were still some
rounds remaining in the cais1ons, and
that they were ready to renew the
| fight Riding rapidly to his dastina-
ton, Gen. Alexander found Lee seated
on the trunk of a fallen trls before
a dying campfire. He was dressed in
| uniform. Full OF the idea which dom
mated his mind, Alexander SAID that
he sprang from his horse and adyane
ing to Lee knelt down beside him,
leaning against the log on which he
| was seated, and proceeded almost AT
once to PROFOUND his plan, for it seem
ed to him the only plan wn, rl1y of con-
| sideration, AS he went, on Cen Lee,
looking steadily into the fire with an
distracted air, listened patiently. AL
exander said his full say. \ brief
pause ensued, which Lee finally broke
rl,r,N L
Alexander, that viii not do. You must
remember we are a Christian people.
| We have fought this fight as long ami
| as well as we knew now We have
| been defeated. For us, as a Chris
| tan people, there is now but one course
| TO pursue. We must accept the situa-
| ton; these men must go horne aud
| plant a crop. and we must proceed to
| build up our country on a new basis
| We cannot have recourse to the meth
| DDS YOU suggest I 'emenlber being
| deeply impressed with Alsxander's
! comment, as he repeated these words
| of Lee. They had evidently burned
themselves into his memory. He said
| i had nothing more to say. / felt
that the man had scared way up siI1ve
| me-he dominated me completely. 7
rose from beside him, siently mount.
| ed my horse, rode back TO my com
mand and waited for the order to sur
render .a-. ---...l..-,--
What Lees Choice Meant.
Then and there Lee decided IT'S
course for the Coufederacy. And | take
It there is not one solitary man in the
United States to-day, North or South.
who does not feel that he decided right,
The Army of Northern Virginia. ii
Will be remembered, laid down its arms
at Appomattox on April 8. What John
ston might do was still open to cues
ton, but Lees act decided his There
Is a vivid description, in Pollards book
! think, of an interview which. imme-
! dlately after Lees surrender. took
| place between Jefferson Davis and
Johnston at the headquarters of the
latter The two had met to consider the
situation, Davis, stubborn in temper
ana bent on a policy of continuous ir
regular resistance, developed his plan
with much esrnestness. Johnston
muteY listened to him, Finally the ex-
President of the Confederacy lapsed
into silence. Johnston then said: mr..
President, do you wish my opinion?'
Davis intimated that he was there for