The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-17

j 1
at vicksburg. and being stranger
to the State, President Davis took oc-
casion, in n speech at Jackson soon
after, to say of him:
HE was sent to Virginia at the be-
ginning of the war With little bat
terry OF three guns. With these he
fought the Yankee gunboats, drove
them off, and stripped them of their
terrors. He was promoted for distin-l
guished NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. efe Ids lie
was finally made colonel OF artillery,
and have reason to believe that at
the last great conflict on the field Of
Manassas he served to turn the tide
of battle and .consumniate the victory.
On succeeding fields he has won equal
distinction. Though. yet young, he has
fought more battles than many officers
who have lived to an advanced age
and died in their beds. ] have, there
FORE sent Gen. Stephen D. Lee to take
charge OF the defenses of Vicksburg."
Mr.. Davis continued to cherish the
highest opinion of Lee, and said to me
one day at Beauvoir. not long before
his death. when speaking freely OF HIS
generals; Stephen D. Lee was one of
the very best all-round soldiers we.
had. I tried him in artillery, and he
handled his guns SO srperbly that I
thought we could never spare him
A.
| him in command of cavalry and he
made such a dasling cavnlryman that
I thought he was born for that GER.
vice; and when put him to command
1 infantry I found him equally as able
and accomplished In that position. He
was great and good soldier"
4 Soon after he took command at
/ vicksburg, General Sherman brought
down 10000 men from Memphis, and
4 advanced by way of Chfckasaw Bayou,
4 where Lee was posted with only 1900
men, and gave him, SO bloody a re-
| pulse that after losing 100 men,
killed. wounded and prisoners. Sherman
4 retreated, embarked on his trans
ports and went back to Memphis.
Il It was sad day for the Confed-
. eracy when Gen. j. c. Pemberton was
put In command of ViGksburg. and
4 there seems little doubt that. IL S. D.
Lee lwho greatly distinguished him
!, self at Bakers Creek, where he had
j three horses shot from under him and
/, was slightly wounded, and In several
assaults upon, yicksburg) had been
: continued in command the results
would have been different, and II
"a Yieksburg had fallen tho army would
!. have been saved. n "a
After the capture of Vicksburg, or
2 The 4th of July. Lee was soon eX-
8 changed and was made major genera
, the Sd Of August. and assigned to the
y command OF all Of the cavalry in Mis-
e gisEippi. 3.i
April, 1861, he was put in command
a Of the Department of Alabama, MIS-
Eigsippi and East Louisiana, and wa
a Jjis force was utterly inadequatesfo
{ amy proper defense. but 1t was undo
y his orders that Forrest routed Sturgi
y "A al Tishamingo Creek. When Gen. 500.
y Smith invaded MISSISSIPPI with 1900
e men, Lee had but GOO q (mostly For
4 rests Cavalry with which to NEE
g him; but he did not hesitate to attacl
~ him near Pontotoc,@ and afterf thre
!. dayn Of hard lighting, eliminating !
y the battle OF Harrisburg, one Of u
~ beverest of the war; lie drove tn
enemy and compelled his rapid retrca
= before one-third Of his numbers.
8. When General Hood succeeded Gen
y erh Johnston, Lee WAS put In comman
OF his old corps, and participated !
y the Inflated campaign into I.enneSset
Y, Lee commanded the rear guard n Q
- the retreat from Nashville, and M
y cool courage and skilfnl inanag
" aided by the heroic hEhtingEof his me
- and by Forrest who came to his al
~ later saved the remnants Of Hood
'' army,
pW,s He was so severely wounded in til
5, foot that he could Ia Ike no further pa
IN In the closing scenes OF tho war.
~ Bong captured by "a beautiful ur
accomplished Mississippi woman. who
I, hn married, he located at Columbu
Law Misc. and has taken. a prominent pa
"a IN the affairs Of the State, being SCI
nv ernl times elected to the state Selat
!, and being prominent member Q 8 Y
Constitutional Convention, lie was I,
many years president pf The 4 stu
20 AGRICULTURAL and Mechanical C!ollc;
AZ al starkeyi,le and conducted It's 4
~ fairs with such signal abilitN and 81
cess that they said III the State. "
De would make him Cioyelnol or mt
nd states senator. hut titis We eiln " g. \