The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-11-20

sort, their devotion for you and faith
in you have been the only things
which have held this army together.
Ii you demand the sacrifice, there are
still left thousands Of US who will die
for you. You know the game is des-
perate beyond redemption and that, if
you so announce, no man or govern
ment or people will gainssy your word.
That is why repeat chat the blood of
any man killed hereafter be upon your
head
General 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 re-
sponse.
'It will be remembered that John Sar-
gent Wise was individually present at
this conversation, a youth of -. I
have as little respect as any one we'll
can have for the recollection Of thirty
years since as basis Of history.
Nevertheless, it would seem quite out
OF the question that u youth OF only
~ could have been present at such
scene az is here described, and that
The words which then passed, and the
incidents which occurred, oilould uot
have been indelibly imprinted upon
his memory. | am disposed, therefore,
to consider this reliable historical ma
terial
Meanwhile, it SO chances that I
am able to supplement- it by similar,
as yet unpublished, testimony from
another quarter. Some yeas ago
was closely associated with General
+. Z. Alexander, who had been chief
of artillery in Longstreet famous
corps, and who, in April, 1865, was,
if my recollection is correct, chief of
artillery Of the army of northern Vir-
ginia. II was General Alexander who,
in 1868, fought with General HUT,
of the army Of the Potomac, the fa-
nous artillery duel which preceded on
on the End of July the memorable
charge of Pickett's division at Get
tysburg. In the course Of many con
versations with General Alexander,
whose memory. singularly accurate as
well as tenacious, WIS also supported
by memoranda taken ut the time, he
more than once gave ME an account.
of which | retain the freshest possible
recollection, Of an interview which
followed close upon that with General
Wise at General Lees headquarters.
General Wise evidently saw Lee at an
early hour ON April 8. That same
morning General Alexander had occa-
sion to report TO Lee. He knew that
the army Of northern Virginia WAS in
a deplorabe situation. Moreover, as
he we'll knew, the lumber 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 proba-
bilities All night he had lain yake,
thinking az to what was next TO be
done.
''Finally he had come to the oonclu-
sion that there was but one course to
pursue. The army Of northern Vir.
ginia, while nominally capitulating.
must iu reality disperse, and those
composing it should be instructed,
whether individually or as pare Of de-
tachments, to get to his own State in
the most direct way aud shortest pos.
sible time, aud report to the governor
thereof, with view to further and
continuous resistance.
''Thus, exactly what is now taking
place iu South Africa was 70 take
place in the Confederacy. General
Alexander told me that, AS he passed
his batteries on his way to headquar-
ters, the mon called out 60 him that
there were still some rounds remain
ing in the caiss"ns, and that they
were ready to renew the fight. Riding
rapidly to his destination, General
Alexander found Lee seated on the
trunk If fallen tree before dying
campfire. He was dressed in uniform.
Full Of the idea which dominated his
MUD, Alexander said that he sprang