The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-02-07

mind to raise my hard against my
relatives, my children, my home.
Save in defepcs of my native State.
with the sincere hope that my poor
services may never be Deeded, I hope
may never be called upon to draw
my sword" :"
When at length hostilities began
aud Virginia took her place in the
Confederacy the psopl Of the Old
D iminion with one voice turned to
him as commander OF ner army then:
Forth from its scabbard, pure and
bright,
Flashed the word of Lee!
Fa' in the front of the deadly fight,
High DER the brave in the cause OF
Right,
It's 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,
Norsbraver bled for brighter land,
Nor brighter land had a cause so
grand,
Nor cause a chief like Lee!
The story of his military career Is
practicslIv the story Of the army of
northern Virginia, and 1t reads more
like romance than history. Through
four years of the bloodiest war known
to history at that time that army,
com posed Of the flower Of Southern
manhood, under lis matchless leader,
made a record Of victories never sur
passed In the annals Of warfare, a
record which We Of the South and our
children;s children to the remctest
ages should claim as our proudest
heritage.
He assumed command of this army
In June, 1852, when Mcclellan was
Immediately in front. Of Richmond.
On June 26, with an army inferior IN
numbers and equipment, he attacked
the forces of Mcclellan In their in
trenchment and for seven days the
bloody conflict ragged, until Mcclellan
took refuge under the protection OF
his gunooats at Harrison's Landing.
This army defeated, Lee turned upon
second larger than his 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 bis able lieutenant,
Jackson, routed Pope army at Grove
ton and Second Manassas and drove
him for safety under the protection OF
the fort 'catiolS at Washington. Nc
Olellan had been removed for his dc.
feat and Pope followed in his train.
Disregarding both Of these defeated
armies, Lee moved rapidly into Mary.
land, captured Harper's Ferry and it's
large garrison on the way and fought
at Antietam on September II, 1852,
the blooiiest battle of the Civil war.
Mcclellan, who after Pope's defeat had
been reinstated In command, was
again removed for failing to inflct q
crushing defeat upon Lee, and Burn.
side was made Commder.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. Hook.
er placed in command. In May, 1863,
Hooker marched on Richmond, having
issued a general order in which he
said that the Confederate army must
either ingloriously fly or come out
from behind its trenchments,, 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
cellorsville and overwhelmed, fleeing
In the greatest disorder from the
field. Lee 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.
Il was in 1864, In the campaign
from the Wilderness to Pete 'sburg,
that the star OF Lee reached its zsnith.
Under bis leadership the army OF
northern Virginia up to this time IN
offensive warfare had held every bat
tlsfeld upon which 1T bad fought with
the exception Of Getty sburg and
Sharpsburg or Antietam, and uroa
these fields, although 1t failed to beat
the army pitted against it, it stood In
battle array on each occasion for "a
hours, was not ATTACKED and marched
away unmolested.
He was now to show that In dsfan'
sive fighting he was greater master
OF the art of war than In bis cff ensive
operations. Grant, with the larg :st
army ever marshalIed upon this conti-
nent uudsr single commander, with
unlimited res urces Of men and money
with the world to draw upon for all
that was most useful In destructive
warfare, advanced up"n this army of
Lees wanting in everything but val
or, aud 80 decimated that as Grant
expressed it it had robbed the cradle
and the grave'' to fill the gaps be-
tween the veterans that still survived.
There followed from May 5, 1854, In
the Wilderness at Spottsylvania
court housa. Mt Gold Harbor and the