The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-31

rot a body of young men-remembct
the state of affairs which existed in
the United States, especially IN what
was then known as the confederate
states, or the rebellious portion of the
United States, in April, 1865. Such as
are not yet as mature as that memory
implies, have read and heard thereof. 1t
was in every respect almost the iden-
tical state of affairs which existed N
South Africa at the time of the cap
ture of Pretoria by Gen. Roberts in
June a year ago. On the I'd of April,
1865, the confederate commander
found himself compelled to eYacuate'
his lines between Richmond and Pet
ersburg, and our forces at last entered
the rebel capital Four days later the
army of northern Virginia was praC-
tically surrounded, and overtures look
ing to capitulation passed between
Gen. Grant and Gen. Lee. On the IA
nous Sunday preceding Jefferson
Davis, hastily called from the church
service be was attending EFF Rich
mond on his way to Danville.
GAS an historical fact, the scales on
the 9th of April, 1865, hung wavering In
the balance: a mere turn of the hand
would decide which way they were to
! incline. Thus, on the morning of that
momentous day, it was an absolutely
| open question, an even chance, whether
! the course which was actually pursued
| should be pursued, or whether the lead
ers of the confederacy would adopt the
| policy which President Kruger and
| Gems. Botha and De Wet have in South
| Africa more recently adopted, and are
now following.
Some years ago was closely associ-
ated with Gen. e. p. Alexander, who
| has been chief of artillery in Long
streets famous corps, and who, In
April 1865, was, If my recollection is
| correct, chief Of artillery of the army
of Northern Virginia. 1t was Gen. AL
exander who, in 1868, fought with Gen.
Hunt of the Army of the Potomac, the
| famous artillery duel which preceded
on the 3D. of July the memorable charge
of Plckett's division at Gettysburg. In
the course of many conversations with
Gen Alexander, whose memory, singu-
larly accurate as well rs tenacious, was
also supported by memoranda taken at
the time. he more than once gave me
an account, of which retain the fresh
est possible recollection, of an inter-
view which followed close upon that
with Gen. Wise at Lees headquarters.
Gen. Wise evidently saw Lee at an
early hour of April 8, That same
morning Gen. Alexander had occasion
to report to Lee. He knew that the
army of Virginia was in a desperate
situation. Moreover, as he well knew,
the limber-chests were running low;
his arm of the service was in no con-
dition to go into another engage
ment Yet the idea of an abandon
ment 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 to pursue.
The army of Virginia, while nominally
captivating, must in reality dispense,
and those composing it should be in
structed, whether individually or as a
part of detachments, to get to his own
state in the most direct way and short
est possible time, and report to the
governor thereof with a view to fur
ther and continuous resistance.
THUS, exactly what is now taking
place in South Africa was to take place
in the Confederacy Gen. Alexander
told me that, as he 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 caissons and that they were
ready to renew the fight. Riding rap
idly to his destination, Gen. Alexander
found Lee seated on the trunk of a
fallen tree before dying campfire.
He was dressed in uniform. Full of the
idea which dominated his mind, Alex
ander said that he sprang from his
horse and. advancing to Lee, knelt
down beside him, leaning against the
log on which he was seated, and pro-
ceeded almost at once to PROFOUND his
PLAN for 1t seemed to him the only plan
worthy of consideration. AS he went
on, Gen. Lee, looking steadily into the
fire with an distracted air, listened
patiently. Alexander said his full say.
A brief pause ensued., which Lee finally
broke in somewhat these words: mol
Gen. Alexander; that will not do. You
must remember we are a Christian peo-
pie. We have fought this fight as long
and as well as we knew how. We have
been defeated. For US as a Christian
people there is now but one course to
pursue. We must accept the situation;
these men must go home and plant a
crop, and we must proceed to build up
our country on a new basis. We can
not have recourse to the methods you
suggest" | remember being deeply
impressed with Alexander's comment,
as he repeated these words of Lee. They
had evidently burned themselves into
his memory. He said: Il had nothing
more to say. felt that the man had