Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-11-23
GENERAL LEE AND AMNESTY
This Noble Man Died a Prisoner of
War on Parole


ed in Nashville, Tenn. in the cur
rent issue contains an article from
the pen Of Capt John A. Mcneil of
Lexington, on General Lee and
Amnesty" from which we repro
duce the following excerpts:
Statements made in the Lynchbur
News both by Commander Parker OF
the Massachusetts Veterans, and
by Ex-Governor William f. Cameron
of Virginia, are misleading. Cen
eral Parker states that General Lee
never accepted the terms of national
amnesty after the war, and that he
died an alien to the Federal govern
ment. Governor Cameron puts
traverse on the statement by say
ing General Lee was among the
earliest OF those prominent in the
Confederate struggle to ask and OBJ
tain from the President restoration
to citizenship and to take the oath
required"
In reply to both of these state
ments l quote the closing sentence
of the sixth chapter OF Personal
"reminiscences of General r. E.
Lee" by DR.. ]. William Jones, in
which he says: And yet this noble
man died prisoner OF war on pa
role. His application for amnesty
was never granted or even noticed,
and the common privileges of citi-
zenship, which are accorded to the
most ignorant Negro. were denied
this king of men,"
General Lee surren dered his little
army OF famished Confederates at
Appomattox Courthouse on April 9,
1865. A day or two after the sur
render General Lee started for
Richmond. riding his famous horse,
Traveller. His purpose in going to
Richmond was to see his wife and
daughters, who were living in that
city. He arrived in Richmond on
April Is.
One of the historians who has
written biography of General Lee
has an engraving that represents
General Lee starting alone for the
long ride from Appomattox Court
house to the city of Richmond. That
General Lee had a motive for travel
ling alone there can be no doubt. In
fact, he may be said to have had a
double motive: first. despite his
well-known modesty, he knew he
was the eXemplar of the entire
South; secondly, that he was being
closely watched by those he had
denominated ''our friends the en-
envy" and his constant wish was
to avoid even the appearance O.
evil"
The publicity given to Genera
Lee in Richmond was q source o
great annoyance to him. and hi:
constant desire was to fir some Sc
cluded spot where the curious pub
lie could no longer worry him. 81
early in June. 1865, he mounted hi.
faithful horse, Traveller, and entire
ly alone rode away some twenty 6v,
miles distant to visit a near rela
tive. While making this visit b,
heard OF the amnesty proclamation
of President Andrew Johnson, ant
on the 18th of June he returned t,
Richmond, and there heard that tn
United States Federal Court was be
ing convened in Norfolk. that the Fed
eral grand jury might indict Presi
dent Davis. himself and other promi
nent ex-Confederates, whereupol
, General Lee wrote the following LET
ters:
: RICHMOND, Va, June l3, 1865.
Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant, Command
ing the Armies of the Unite
States:
, General: Upon reading the Pres
: ident's proclamation OF the 10Th ult.
: I came to Richmond to ascertain
: what was proper or required of m
o to do, when 1 learned that, wit
Q others, l was to be indicted 70
r treason by the grand jury at No,
q folk. had supposed that the off