The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-26
.CEN'L LEES
PICKET LINES
How They Guarded Entrench-
ments from Hereto PeterSb'g
THE ROUGH EXPERIENCES
Soldier Life in the Southern Arn,y--A
Desperate Charge and How Cap
tain Matthews Game to
His Death.

His Death.
Editor Of The Times Dispatch:
Sir,-.In some Sunday issue kindly say
something Of General Lees pickets
guarding against Gereral Grants army
around Acknowledgement Grant having
had nine to General Lees one.
l have never coinprehended how Cen
eral Lee could move his pickets from the
main line SO as to prevent their capture,
when there was not. in view. any sign
of more than one of the gray to nine
of the blue. and those few guarded Rich
lnond. saw what is above mentioned
February o. 1865.
Very truly.
II. NJ. BULLITT,
Louisville. Ky.
The disparity between Grants and
Lees numbers was great. but not so
great as nine to one; but Lee had about
thirty-1ive miles of front to guard and
this "stringing o.t' made his ranks very
thin. There were pickets at longer or
shorter intervals all along these long
lines. AT places, the entertainments OF
the Two armies were. So ClOSe lpSctllcll
that pickets were but little needed in the
daytime. Further details Of the opera
tiors OF the army are given in the let
ter following, which was written at our
request:
AT SECOND COLD HARBOR.
Mr.. Editor: After tho battle of Second
Cold Harbor, which was fought. or rather
concluded, on the third day Of June, 1861.
there had been severe fighting on the
first day and on the SecOnd) General
Grant massed his army on our front He
was prepared to assault early on N, the ~,
miles mile a'' In = extent tl simultaneonslv with
more than one hundred thousand men,
is estimated that thirteen thousand were
struck down in twenty minutes. Three
times the order game to renew the at,
to obey-but the men remained immo-
bile; they refused to advance to certain
and useless slaughter.
~ For two hot days those poor fellows.
wounded and bleeding, lay between the
two armies. filling the air with their
mournful cries. and many of them dying
General Grant. needless OF their suffer-
nss was too proud to b send II dena ag Of
been q confession Of defeat.
He then abandoned the onward march
to Richmond though he had llaastfully
line if it took all the summer"D and COM
menced his retreat to the James River
ho6ea 70 eome by he back door
Richmond. and then followed those ten
woeful months of heat and cold mud
and slush what and misery. until at last
the end came.
Let me. II YOU please. Mr.. Editor. in
said to have been composed and sung
by Gen. Grant during this memorable
campaign.
I've looked for 10. these many days.
And sent out men on many ways
To find the key to Richmond
But !hev with one accord agree
Twas found and hid by old man Lee
To keep me back from Richmond!
told old Abe in words SO fine
That would fight ,fpon this line
At least a year for Richmond,
But this Internal CusS, old Lee,
Has locked that road up with tho key
And kept me out OF Richmond!
Some other plan must now be found
To travel DER the sacred ground.
The bloody path of Richmond
The only way that can see,
Is Ground our Arms and ask friend
in smiling tones and peaceful key.
To let us look at Richmond!
THE PICKET LINE,
our principal duty on this side OF III
river was 10 picket the roads and ~atcl
and report Inc movements OF lnt enemy
For some time during the early summe
there seemed TO be tacit Understandable
or it may be that orders 10 that enc,
by the two commanders that there shout
be no firing between the pickets
We would sometimes be on the sout
bank of the Ch!ckahominy, aud not twel
ty yards away ON the north bank woul
b. our frends The enemy, and we Wou
exchange the compliments Of the dn
In the most friendly manner and tobac'
Tor coffee and hardtack for soft brea
This arrangement however did nc
last very long, Our men talked too mup
and became TOO communicative, and "
were ordered 10 resume our former att
tdo OF helligerents and notiflcji on
neighbOrs 10 keep to their side We WEI
again on The alert and watching thel
and The previous familiar demonstration
ceased.
said the eagle TO the yulture,
i am looking straight al YOU;
Said the yulture to the eagle,
Whoop-la- Yankee doodle do r
Late one afternoon white flag emers
from the wood In our front. borne, as "
found, by Colonel Milford, the Federi
agent of the exchange who presented
communication TO our Yidette with Z
request that Il be sent 10 our ager
Judge Ould which was promptly dor
tanned the Colonel in house winch u
been aSsadoned by the owner when I
eGemy had possession
Everything Was in ruins what could i
bo carried away had been destroy,
Tie furniture lag in fragments on
floor. and not a living thing about |
premises We We're almost sfaunel to
able 10 show 10 the Colonel hueh eYlaeh,
OF the presence and Nanuahsm ol
10. cd N