The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-14

popular to erect statues to ''Crom-
Well as it was then
In the Atlantic Monthly for August
General Morris Schaff, in the third in
stallment of his The Battle of the
Wilderness, lays another stone on the
monument, and makes his contribu-
ton to the decentralization of "Crom-
Well and his Ironsides,' in the follow
ing splendid tribute to General Lee
and the Confederate soldier
And now : beg TO refer to our enc
mics, and III doing so l shall direct
the reader's attention to that upon
which mine is fixed, to Lees charac-
ter and to the spirit of his army,
rather than to its numbers, position,
or organization. True, what am
gazing upon is not so clearly defined
as the Army of Northern Virginia in
camp; but the everlasting things that
appeal to US are never quite distinct;
and if by chance they become so, if
science penetrate them through and
through, or illuminate them on all
sides, they lose their power over us,
and are silent and speeches.. AL
though Science has had her victories
over our primeval instincts, she has
no sooner buried one, than behold!
a resurrection and a more ethereal
and smiling face appears on the from
tier Of the Unknown.
Il am free to confess, moreover,
that strategy, grand tactics, and the
record of military movements, how
ever stirring they were in the Civil
war, are not the features that engag
my deepest interest; but, if l may be
a11owed SO to convey my meaning, it
is a figure, cloud wrapped, called
the spirit which animated the armies
of North and South. That, that IS
what 1 see. And 10. in her up1ifted
reckoning hand is what seems to be
a great SCROLL, and my pen whispers
to me that it is not the record OF mere
details of battles. / may be de-
ceived, but as sure as we live, the
sound reaches us of axes falling as
they frame a new story on the old
mansion of history; not to house the
tale of soldiers engaged. soldiers
killed and or to preserve
the records of the charge Of this regi-
ment upon that, or the slaughter of
this division or that. No, no, not the
multitude of dead, or the picture Of
their gazing eyes and pleading, blood
less hands shall engage the pen that
fills the records of that new story.
We do not know what the genius Of
history will treasure there, yet we
know that on it's hearth a fire will
burn who's flames will be the symbol
of the heroic purpose and spirit that
beat in the hearts of the pale, hand
some youths who streWed our fields.
And wher the beams from those
names SIIIhc IL III e oSoio
will appear, and up IN the twilight Of
the arches in the root will be family
heard an anthem, all anthem OF JOY
that new levels lave been reached by
mankind in gentleness and in love OF
what is pure and mercifu1. Wars that
will not add material for this new
story OF the old mansion Of history
ought never to be fought.
"Be all this as it may, what was it
that so animated Lees army that,
although only about one-half as strong
in mum bers as We were, they fought
US to a ~standstill in the Wilderness,
and held their lines at SpottsyiVanla,
although we broke them several
times? What sustained their fortitude
as they battled on, month after month,
till the times and seasons OF the Con-
federacy were fulfilled?
'well, to answer this. I know no
better way than to propose a
visit to the Army or Northern
Virginia, say, on the night OF
January IS, 1864. But before
setting off OF our quest. let US recall
that. through either exhaustion, mis-
MANAGEMENT, or unavoidable neceSSl-
ty, supplies for man ana beaSt We're
and had been, SO meagre that tnere
was actual suffering. My own mem
CRY bears evidence that II was an un-
usually severe winter. The snow
time to time was four and SIX 1nches
deep, and again and again it was Dit
ter cold. We do not know what the
weather was on that particular n1ght
Of January IS, but in the light OF the
following letter to the Quartermastei-
General Of the C~onfederacy, does 1t
seem unfair to assume that snow COW
ered the ground, and that the vino
was blowing fercely? Or does 1T seem
unfair to fancy that Lee heard it now
through the cedars and pines near ms
headquarters. as he thought or ms
poorly clad, half-fed picketS snudder-
ing at their lonely POSTS along the