The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-08-07
Baltimore Sun .

Address of Gen. Lee Was Written.
Baltimore Sun.
In an article in the June number ol
the Maryland LaW Review on the
military career of the late Col. Chas.
Marshall, of this city, Gen. Bradley
T. johnson relates many amusing
and interesting incidents connected
with Colonel Marshall's service as
military secretary to General Robt.
f. Lee. The post of military secre-
tary TO the Commander-in-Chief, says
General johnson, is the most conf
Dental place on the general staff, and
after Colonel Marshall's selection by
General Lee all the orders and reports
that went out from headquarters
emanated from the pen and, as to the
reports, from the brain of Charles
Marshall. He wrote the report of the
seven days battle around Richmond.
June 9th to July 4th, 1862, after an
exhaustive study and compilation OF
the reports of corps, division and
brigade commanders and many re-
ports of colonels of regiments and
captains of batteries and of maps OF
operations furnished by the topo-
graphical engineer.
Such work as this requires the
strongest analytical intellect, together
with the power of generalization and
of bringing results together in graphic
description, and the reports Of the
Army of Northern Virginia show
these qualities in their highest de-
velopments.
All this was done, of course, under
the rigid supervision of General Lee,
whose taste required the most con.
densed style.
When Marshall would submit the
draft of report or order to the Gen
eral for criticism or correction the
"Old Man" would say: "Strike out
some of the adjectives, Colonel; save
some for the next time" and out
would 90 every word that could be
spared, adjective or substantive, par.
ticiple or pronoun.
Headquarters was ruled by grave
decorum that never relaxed. The
"Old Man" never for a moment forgot
himself.
When he rode, he rode two horses
length in front, and the staff follow
ed; and the boys life was not entirely
a happy one. They got even some
times, though.
I've been at headquarters when
"Old man had been sitting on some
of them and they all resented it
Their great means of revenge was te
keep his own letters from him. Taylor
or Marshall would sift out the papers
which flood an army headquarters
and select some half dozen and ge
to the Generals tent and lay them or
the Generals table with the remark
General these require your atten
tion.- The General would look long
ingly at the pockets of the young mel
bulging out with papers and say wist
fully: 'Are these the only ones fol
me, Colonel?" "These are ALL sir.
and off they would frisk to enjoy how
they had got ahead of him.
One day was over there and Mar
shall had just got jug Of applejacl
and we were lying in the straw in his
tent with tin cup between us dis.
cussing mathematics. Marshall had
been professor of mathematics a,
some Western college aud | had taker
good position in mathematics a
Princeton. and we were so intent OF
the applejack and the question unde
discussion that we did not hear a tai
on the tent pole.
At length the fly was drawn bacl
and the Generals head was pushet
in. "Excuse me, gentlemen, for in
terrupting this interesting discussion
but could not attract your attention
so | am obliged to intrude." q
course everyone jumped to his feet
and says Marshall: 1--WE were en-
: gagged in a very interesting mathema
tical question. sir" Yes" said tn
} General, 1.-THE unknown quantity. -
suppose" with a glance at the ju
} and tin cup. Tableau'
, When Meade crossed the Kappa
hammock at Mine Run in the fall Q
; 1868 Hampton was covering that lin
, with the cavalry and General lie
: rode down to see what was going o
and whether it was q real mevem en-
; or only a reconnaissance.
, As they rode the cavalry staff, eve
alert to make themselves comfortabl
J were sent off to locate headquarter
J for the night. After satisfying then
e selves that Meade was going bac
: the two generals rode together unit
Y at a point a courier stationed in th
l road turned them off to fine hous
, in the distance. Arrived there the
: found Major Rawlins Lowndes. {
s Hampton's staff, in possession. wi,
, a fine fire in the only room and goo
8 stables for the horses.
; After warming themselves-it Wa
e rough, raw weather-Gen. Hampto
) said: General, where are your heat
= auarters?" Said Lee: Indeed,
r don't know. These were my heaG
quarters last night and this mornin
when l left here, but these youn
& gentlemen are SO comfortable that
would be a pity to disturb them"
. course, great protestation and excu
+ on Hampton's part. "We'll move |
once" There was only one habitat
room, with two beds. and it was uii
= mately arranged that the two ge
O erals should have the two beds ~
o each keep a staff officer and that Il
j. res. should shift for themselves.
It General Lee kept Marshall and Ge
y eral Hampton kept Lowndes. and II
). cavalrymen gave Marshall affair sha
of the carpet before the fire and p
him on the outside, next the door.
Il he bad to be getting up all night
s- receive reports that were constant
" coming in. Lowndes slept the sle'