The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-01
LEES OFFER
TO RESIGN
What He Wrote the President
After the Close Of the Gcttys-
burg Campaign
HE RECOMMENDED A CHANGE
Davis Utterly Disagreed With
Observation-Disclosures and
Personal Anecdotes.
,vritten for The Times Dlspatch)

,written for The Times Dispatch.)
At,ar rho hattie of Gettysburg, Lees
main army fell back to the south s'ae o.
the Rapidan river, while the cavalry u''-
dor stuart picketcd the EappahanhocR.
1otb armies had suffered enormous los
ses. thoir ranks were depleted OF hoth
oHcors and men. The North was en-
Outraged while the South was Just be-
oirninr to realize the tremendous re-
sources of the enemy with its foreign
support =,
The army of the Potomac was unwill-
ing to make any further aggressive move
ment. Yet Lee found it difficult 10 re-
Mace the loss 10 his army of thousands
of trained veterans.
The misfortunes incident 70 war nao
fallen upon the army of Northern VIZ
sinia. and Lee seeing that he mao hot
accomplished his designs at GettyspursI
offered to President Davis his resignation
as commander of the army.
LEES RESTORATION.
Tee wrote: I'm all sincerity ] request
your Excenency to supply my place. l
do this with the more carncstness pe-
cause no one is more aware than myself
OF my liabilities for the duties OF my
position cannot even accomplish Whnt
] myself desire. How can fulilll the
expectations of others? In addition, !
sensibly feel the growing failure OF my
bodily strength. ] am becoming more
and more incapable of eXertion, and am
thus prevented from Taking the personal
examinations and giving the personal
supervision to the operations in the field
IA, I mr., GO
in making use Of the eyes Of others l
arm Frequently misled.
Everything, therefore. points TO the
advantages to be derived from a new
commander, and | the more anxi4nsly
urge the matter upon your Excellency
from my belief that a younger and ADLER
man than myself can readily be obtained.
know that he will have as gallant ana
brave an army as ever existed to second
his efforts. and It would be the happiest
day of my life to see at its head wor-
thy leader one that could accomplish
more than | could perform, and all that
] have wished ! hope your lGxcellency
will attribute my request to the true real
son--the desire to serve my country and
TO do all in my power 10 psure the sue
cess OF her rig,~aous c..use.'
MR.'bEtis'S REPLY.
The following is the reply in part OF
President Davis:
u am truly sorry to know that You
feel the effects of the illness you suffered
last spring, and can readily understand
the embarrassment you experience in
using the eyes Of others, having been so
accustomed to making your own recon-
nossances, But suppose my dear friend.
that ] were to admit With all their i'm
plications. the points which you present,
a..
who is TO possess the ability which you
believe to be required? TO ask me to
substitute you by some one IN my judg-
ment more 1T to command, or who would
possess more Of the confidence of the
army or Of rejecting men Of the coun-
try, is to demand an. impossibility'
Some authorities claim that there was
criticism of Lees management OF af-
fairs at this time, but If this was true,
the comments must have come from out
side sources, for Lees army would never
have questioned his AGILITY or fitness 10
command. His soldiers who knew him
best never once lost confidence in their
chief.
THE CAVALRY.
"Jeb" stuarts long march through
Pennsylvania, around Meades army thin
ed his ranks of both horses and mer
This period of rest recruited our rank
and proved a source of strength to II,
cavalry A reorganization took place
September 1868, making too divisions {
our Cavalry. as follows: First. HAM
tons Division consisting Of Jones's. Bal
EMS and Buffers brigades, Sccon
Fitzhugh Lees Division. consisting {
w. H. Il. Lees. I.omaxs and Wickham
Brieades Not only were the men az
horses rested but a daily drlll amor
the regiments perfected the men
cavalry tactics.
= Just before the reorganization and du
ing the month of August l'itz, Lee
Brigade went into camp few miles b.
low FredcricksburG whore we pasture
our WORKOUT horses on The luSurial
grass along the Rappahannock river DO
toms. II Was here as boy Of seventies
that | wrote tho following letter 10 ~
mother. The letter was preserved /
her ana Al her death, that together wi,
other war relies WAS left 10 my siste
Mrs, Sparks, Of Charlottesville Virglni
who few days ago delivered II 10 m
j hope | may be pardoned for introdu
ing into this article personal matter
hut the Times Dispatch has expressed
times desire 10 publish war letters, al
hope to be excused for enclosing min
A SOLDIERS LETTER,
Camp Near Fredericksburg VA.
August 80 1s
Ny Dear Mother;
nave Just finished my breakfast al
have nothing 10 do in the way of can
duty, so / have concluded 10 write
a Yau When / arrived Ell n HIll's, In [