The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-02-09

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Forth from It's scabbard, PURE ant
bright,
Flashed the word Of Lee!
Fa In the front of the deadly fight, :
High DER the brave in the cause O.
Right,
Its stainless sheen, like beacon light
Led on to Victory.
Out Of its scabbard! Never hand
Waved sword from stain as free,
Nor purer sword led braver band,
Nor brayer bled for q brighter land, 4
Nor brighter land had q cause sc
grand,
Nor cause chief like Leel
The story Of his military career IL
practically the story Of the army oi
northern Virginia, and 1t reads more
like romance than history. Thre ugh
four years Of the bloodiest war known
to history at that time that army
composed Of the flower OF Southern
manhood, under its matchless leader
made record Of victories never sur.
passed In the annals of warfare, q
r, G ,rd which we of the South and oul
ohtldren'S children to tho remotie8t
ages should claim as our proudest
heritage.
Ho assumed command of this army
In June. 1862, when Mcclellan was
Immediately in front Of Richmond.
On June 20, with an army Inferior In
numbers and equipment, he attacked
the forces Of Mcclellan in their in
trenchment and for seven days the
bloody conf ct ragged, until Mcclellan
took refuge under the protection OF
his gunbosts at Harrison's Landing.
This army defeated, Lee turned upon
a second larger than lis own, march
Ing upon Richmond from another di
rection.
BY one Of the most brilliant and
daring movements in the history of
wars Lee with his able lieutenant,
Jackson, routed Pope army at Grove
ton and Second Manassas and drove
him for safety under the protection c.
the Notifications at Washington. Mo,
Clelan had been removed for his de-.
feat and Pope followed In his train.
Disregarding both Of these defeated
armies, Lee moved rapidly into Mary.
land, captured Hsrper's Ferry and It's
large garrlsoo on the way and fought
at Antietam on September II, 1862,
the bloo1test battle of the Civil war.
Mcclellan, who after Pope's defeat had
been reinstated in command, was
again removed for failing to iIn c. o
crushing defeat upon LIE, and Burn,
side was made GOmmder. in chief of
the army of the Potomac.
In December OF that year this same
army Of Lee signally defeated the
army Of Burnside at fredericksburg.
Burnside was removed and Gen. FL look
or placed In command. I In May, 1868
Hooker mercht d on R.ch hmond, having
Issued a general order In which he
said that the Confederate army must
either ingloriouSly fly or come out
from behind Its intrenchments, where
certain destruction awaited" A few
days after this announcement was
made Hooker's army was surprised
and attacked by Lac and Jackson sim
ultaneOusly In front and rear at Chan
cellorsv lie and Oyerwhelmed fleeing
In the greatest disorder from the
fl I'D. l. then invaded Pennsylvania
where at Gettysburg after three days
OF bloody conflict, unable to carry the
Federal position, he remained "a hours
In line Of battle with his army In their
immediate front inviting attack and
then withdrew without interruption
to Virginia.
1t was in 1864, In the campaign
from the Wilderness to Petersburg,
that the star OF Lee reached Its z NTH
Under his leadership the army Of
northern Virginia up TO this time In
lfens'vc warfare had held every bat.
tloiield upon which 1t had fought with
the exception Of Gcttj sburg and
SharoSbufg or Antietam, and upon
these fields, although 1t failed TO beat
the army pitted against IT, 1t stood In
battle array on each occasion for "a
hours, was not attacked and marched
away unin O,eSted.
He was now to show that In defsn
sive fighting he was o greater master
OF the art Of war than In his { II snsiye
operations. Grant, with the largast
army ever marshalled upon this contl.
nent urdsr q single commander, with
unlimited res utces Of men and money
with the world to draw upon fer all
that was most useful In destructive
val fire, advanced upon this army Of
Lees wanting in everything but val
or, and 30 deoimated that as Grant
expressed it ut had robbed tho cradle
and the grave" to fill the gaps be-
tReen the veterans that still survived.
There followed from May 6, 1854, In
the Wilderness, at Spottsylvania
court house, at Gold Harbor and tho
North Anna series Of conflicts 80
frightful In their havoc that the his
tory OF this campaign might we'll be
written In blood.
Tho most II mt, and In my opin.
lon the most reliable. history of the
United States, written by James Ford
Rhodes OF Boston, conscientious stu.
dent, capable analyst and just re.
covder, says: Grants loss from May
4, To June 12 in the campaign from
the Rspidan to the James was "a ,020,
q number nearly equal to Lees whole
army at the commence ment OF the
Union advances. The confidence In
Grant Of many officers and men had
been shaken"
At SIP pttsylvania Nicolay and Hay,
authors Of the Life Of Lincoln" say
Grant was completely cheokmated. u
That this Is brue Is evident from
the fact thab turning aside from the
direct roube to Richmond, with Lee'f
army In front Of him, which army he
announced in the beginning Of the
campaign as his objective, he march.
cd toward the james river, which he
} Il Il.