The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-03-25
WAR STORIES.
Hero Worship.

l1er0-W OrShlp seems instructive IN
man. Amongst barbarians this facui-
ty amounts to alteration and such pco-
pie defy the object Of their worship.
With the civilized races this devotion
is modified and gratiGcd by higher in
telligence, but is found to exist. More
largely is this faculty developed in
the case of military hcroism, and
oftentimcs the magnetism Of a won
derful and attractive personality domi-
mates and forces this Difference from
those with whom they come in con-
tact. Scipio's veterans offered to
''die for him if he would but spare
himself" The Old Guard proved
their devotion to the "Littlc Cor
poral" in the sublime expression ,''thc
Old Guard dies but never surrcnders.'
Thus, through the annals of time,
does history reveal this tendency Of
the human race to hcro-worsb'"
Few heroes have ever held the COM
plete loyalty Of their followers to the
extent that General Robert f. Leo
did from his soldiers. No character
in history measured nearer up to per-
feet manhood than did the great Vlr-
ginian. Stainless in life, grand in all
the attributes of a great captain, yet
simple as a child in his Christian
faith and trust. Like Saul of old, he
lowered above his surroundings, and
today the whole world recognizes in
Robert Il. Lee the true representa-
tive and faithful exponent Of our
splendid southern civilization. So
completely conferred in him were all
} man virtues, the priestly laureate
Ut the South, in n stanza, lifts his
subject into acute sublimity:
"Out of it's scabbard never hand
Waved sword from stain so free,
Nor a brighter sword led drawer band,
Nor q Drawer fought for a brighter
land,
Nor a. brighter land had O cause as
grand,
Nor q cause q chief like Lee.n
AS evidence Of the loyalty Of that
hero.worship that halloed this truly
great man, let me cite a few Incidents.
The splendor Of Lees great genius
was never better. displayed than at
Charlottesville. The unfortunate
fall of Jackson did not mar his plan,
and as Staurt, now in command of
Jackson's corps in the'morning, press
ed tho advantage gained by Jackson
just preceding his fall, Lee with the
balance Of the army, Joined in the for
ward movement entering into the ear
nest ardor Of his troops. A writer in
The (English) Pail Mall Gazette thus
describes the scene:
General Lee accompanied the
troops in person and as they emerged
from the fierce combat they had waged
In the depths Of tho tangled wilder
ness, driving the superior force Of the
enemy before them across the open
ground, he (Lee) rode into their midst.
The troops were pressing forward with
all the ardor anG enthusiasm Of COM
bat. The white smoke of the musSet-
~ fringed the front of the battle line,
while the artillery on the hills in rear
OF the infantry, shook the earth with
its thunders and filed tho air with the
shrieks of the shells that plunged into
the masses of the ~retreating foe.
ITO add greater horror and subj
nifty to the scene the Ohanoellorsville
house and the woods surrounding iit
were wrapped in flames. In the midst
of this awful scene, General Lee.
mounted upon that horse which we all
remember so we'll (the famous gray,
Traveler,D rode to the front Of his ad.
battalions. His appearance
was she signal for one Of those un-
comfortable outbursts Of enthusiasm
which none a appreciate but those
who have witnessed them. The fierce
soldiers, their faces blaokened with
the smoke Of battle, the wounded
crawling with feeble limbs from the
fury Of the devouring flames, all seem
ed possessed with a common impulse.
One long, unbroken cheer, in which
the feeble cry Of those who lay help
less on the earth, blended with the
strong voices Of those who still fought,
rose high above the roar Of battle and
hailed the presence Of the victorious
chief. {
He sat in the full realization Of all
that soldiers dream Of triumph, and as
Hooked uponhim;the complete fruition
Of the SUCCESS Of his genius, courage
and confidence in his army had won, I
thought it must have been from some
such scene that men Of ancient days
aaeepded to the dignity Of tho gods"