The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-01-22
TRAVELLER" GEN. LEES HORSE,
AND HIS NOBLE RIDER
A Wartime Picture.

The hills and fields of Orange county,
Virginia, near the Courthouse, were
enlivened by concourse Of people,
many of whom were ladies in carriages,
buggies, or on horseback, Dut @ Ihe
crowd, generally, was afoot. Inc
morning was favorable, the occasion a
review of Ewell's (2nd corps) by the
commanding general (Gen. X. 4. Lee)
of the army of Northern Virginia after
return from Gettysburg, 1868.
The corps consisted of the Divisions
of Early, Rodes and Edward Johnson,
arrayed in three parallel lines, double
ranks, close order (about twenty yards
interval for the convenience OF the
reviewing officer.
General Lee was mounted on ''Trav-
eler," and looked as he always did, ike
himself; who ever saw anybody Ike
General Lee!
Traveller" was a dappled gray, six
years old, tall, long bodied, strong and
gentle, he seemed to know who he was
carrying.
General Lees staff officers were gay
and dashing young fellows, with bright
uniforms and polished boots, neat, as
became their station and the occasion,
for be it remembered, there were ladies
present: the ladies in those days were
wonders. What were we Johnnies
fighting for, if not for their sake, to
find favor in their bright eyes, gentle
and loving, the adored and revered:
Had there been no women we would
not have cared who occupied the White
House in Washington.
General Ewell rode with only one foot
in the stirrup, he had left the other on
the field of glory at Manassas, sacri-
flee to his country -ind0mitable soldier.
His commands were given by the bugle
when il sounded seventeen thousand
Confederate Infantry men arrayed for
war simultaneously presented arms,
their bristling bayonets flashing in the
October sun; the ring Of their muskets,
echoed by the surrounding hills, was a
paen of fealty TO the chief. Like a
stone wall, grim and gray, mistaken by
the ravages of many storms, those
veterans stood. The crowd of spectators
kept silent.
General Lee lifted his hat in acknowl-
edgment of the salute. his eagle glance
sweeping from right to left, over and
through the serried ranks. Replacing
his hat he made a sign to General Eweil
and he to the bugler, who, sounding, the
seventeen thousand brought their guns
to the shoulders.
Now General Lee, accompanied by
General Ewell, and followed by the staff {,
rode to the right of the first line and
lat a LOPEZ down the front; turning the
left he continued TO the right of the
second line and thus on until he had
made the tour of the three Divisions.
The steeds of the staff officers
were sprightly enough before the
start. chafng their bits and paw
ing the ground impatiently, but
on reaching the center OF the
second line they began to lag, one after
another stringing out to the rear, and
so il was that when General Lee rode
up the rear of the third division General
Ewell was his only escort, all the stafi
had dropped out, their horses lacked
the metal of Traveller" General
Ewell's horse had good bottom to keep
company with his untiring leader.
But in justice to those splendid young
men, consider the long and tiresomee
course they were to run. The front OF
each division in line was something less
than a mile; down the front and up the
rear of the three divisions made nearly
six miles that Traveller cantered
without a break. 1t was a grand
sight.
When General Lee returned to the
viewing point "Traveler" stood quietly
as his effigy in metal now stands on its
pedestal in Richmond.
Chas. Richardson,
Willie Hill fredericksburg, Va.