St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-10-01
j. III. COSGROVE.

old gateway. The posts were still
standing, which General Alexander in
his narrative so wildly describes. for
it was at this spot, and while the din
of rebel yells" was deafening, that
Alexander, then a Colonel of Artil-
lery, remarked to Col. Long. Gene
raj Lee should feel proud of the great
love these men bear him, and its en-
thusiastic expression" More than
that" replied Colonel Long, it awes
him, so he says, to stand before them
in ranks"
From this testimony We can form
some idea of Generals Lees opinion
of his army and the sentimental rela-
tions it bore to him. Unbiased mill
tary judgment asserts that taking it
all in all, the Army of Northern Vir-
GINA was the finest body of soldiers
the history of the world has ever re-
corded. Culled from a civilization,
which, whatever its faults, evolved
the highest type Of our race Of men.
the highest types in the chivalrous
manhood and knightly bearing, fused
into a compact fighting force by a
mighty military genius, this army, in
the flower Of its completion, drew
from its creator that v~eneration which
Pygmalion bestowed on Gelatea. It
was this reciprocity of feeling that
prompted its great achievements, and
alas, at some periods, important and
crucial, wrought much injury.
This review gave me, SO far as my
recollection now serves, my second
impressive view Of the great com
mander. The sight of him and his
corps, division and brigade generals,
the blare of the bands, the marching
of the troops, was indeed inspiring
and long to be remembered. There
is impressed on my memory the wild
enthusiasm created by the 18th
Georgia band discoursing, as our bril-
gade marched in review, Jeb Stuart's
favorite, "Old Joe Hooker come tear
ing out of the Wilderness"
Mounted on his ~favorite old gray,
the General looked what he was,
every inch the soldier" He honored
each brigade as it passed him in the
review-march with the usual salute,
and to each commander he added
some complimentary remark.
OF the Texans he said, in response
to the depleted number of the mus
kets, that they, would have to fight
the harder to sustain their reputa-
tion." General "Jeb" Stuart was
present, and it was here also | saw
Belle Boyd, the Southern spy, for the
first and only time. General Stuart
was, besides his military qualities, a
man of infinite humor, who would
joke eve in Lees august presence.
On this occasion when Belle Boyd,
dressed in gray riding skirt and with
a Captains military jacket and cap,
reigned up her beautiful pony, saluted
the General and staff and dashed
away, General Stuart remarked to
General Lee: General, women would
be the bravest of the brave if it
wasn't for bugs and mice"
The next view of our commander
was dramatic. An artist, then a
young lad, present and part of the
real picture, painted it in after years,
and in the destruction by fire of
Texas Capitol at Austin some years
ago this important historic relic was
destroyed.
On the morning Of the 9Th Of May,
1864, there came near being a catas-
trophe, resulting from some ones
blunder. Before the dawn General
Grant found a gap in the lines-a
gap a negligent general had failed to
do-and the plank road ~traversing
the Wilderness towards Fredericks-
burg, was the scene of a bloody cpl
sode prominent in history-an episode
which missed being fatal by a scratch
What a beautiful morning that was
as we met it ascending a long, red
Virginia hill, following a road which
led from the Katharpin to the Jer-
usalem Plank Road.
A clear, majestic sun, dispelling
lacy fragments of fog, and warming
with its beams the chills of the past
night.
The day before part of a great
battle had been fought and we were