The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-04-13
NORTHERN WOMAN
EBlOGIlES R. {. lee

the Boston Transcript of Thursday
march Soth, on its editorial mace
prints an interesting estimate of Gem
eral Robert e. Lee from the pen of
Alice w. Clark. who appears t. have
enjoyed the acquaintance of the sraat
Soldler after the surrender
Inc writer. who is Northern
Moman' Processes a sincere admira-
uon for General Lee and describes
him "one of the worlds s,reatesS
senerals, and brave and noble Amer
lean citizen"
some Southern readers. however.
VIII be surprised TO note the apparent
Freedom with which he talked 20 tbo
author OF the article. General Iee
was n most reserved man and usualIN-
Dc displayed great caution i'm anud-
ing 10 the war.
fun: N''''' eS''mate IN
he was sitting on the porch OF his
1osne ia the Gear Southern town of
MS native state when [ first met hin,
n broken. weary, white-haired man
NOT old PERHAPS in years but 10 tba
casual view he appeared very aged.
,lnu' IN All the many times I saw him
ms position and appearance was n l.,
ways the 'same-Ieaning with both
hands on the top OF his cane. his head
erect with eyes gazing into space or
lection.
A Man of Sorrow.
MANY weeks elapsed before I dared
speak TO the great general and then
SIMPLY l1id few flowers upon his
knee and stsInmered out a faint GOOD
morning But the glance he gave mo
from pair OF kindly eyes encouraged
me 70 greater efforts. and soon our
GENTLY TO have me feel at ease in his
presence. Northerner. though I was
brought up on a strict anti-slaverv at
mcsphere, taught to consider the
never looted at nor spoke Ia Robert
E- Lee without feeling Of the great
est reverence. Abraham Lincoln car
REQ the weight of a nation upon his
shoulders, as one could see in his face
NO one looking at General Lee could
doubt that he carried the lost cause
N MS heart and deep sorrow for
the lives he had cast at the feet of the
1ailacious States rights doctrine I
never heard one word from General
Lee as to the cause OF the Confed-
eracy- 1t was always and only Vir-
GINA And once 1 ventured to ask him
what he would have done had the
states rights theory been carried out
literally and eleven separate estab-
nshments formed. He glanced at me
quickly and simply said MY address
would have been Virginia"
L coaxed General Malone. a great
friend of mine at the time to ask n
question that l dared not put forward
myself We were all three standing
in the front garden or doorway of
the Lee house. General Malone said:
General Lee. this lady is most
anxious to get an idea from someone
competent to judge to who is the
greater general of our Civil War
Robert f. Lee or u. 5. Grant"
For a moment | was frightened.
did not know just how he would
take il. but his face lightened up and
his eyes twinkled as he answered:
Robert e Lee was the greater man
by all odds. Why. he had Grant
IA -
but unfortunately Grant never seemed
10 know it,"
Grant and Napoleon
In another talk we were comparing
chiefs. and Grant was again named.
Lee said: 1T would not become me to
criticise General Grant in military
sense. but / will say that Napoleon
would have had the surprise of his
life If he and Grant had clashed.
Grant never did know when he was
licked He is a bulldog; Napoleon
was a foxhound."
At one time ! remember stopping 10
speak to the general as j was on my
way to some school celebration; l
had small American flag and was
carrying IT upside down. General Lee
took IL from me. smoothed il gently
with his hands, and gave il back TO
me union up. My friend. always re-
spect and love that flag; il has cost
your people and mine very dearly;
any sons you may have TO profit by my
example," and noticed n drop OF
moisture on the glasses ne wore that
might have been a tear.
Again when / found him in one OF
his very rare conversational moods ]
asked. gently as l could, ques-
ton that had always puzzled me. |
Why, after the oath he took at West !
Point, he felt Il right TO single out |
one particular section of the country
to benefit by his services. He paused /
long time before replying, then said: I
Il am afraid you are a Federalist. |
Virginia sent me TO West Point, and /
Virginia could and did recall me from
any obligations / had made there"
In the article written by GamaIiel
Bradford. Jr-, in the Atlantic for Feb
ruary he says that ''he believes the
theory OF Lees lack of interest in the
COn1ederacy as whole is utterly false
and that from the very first he
merged Virginia in the larger loyalty"
do not agree with Mr.. Bradford.
careful study of the military history
OF the war, personal knowledge of
General Lees character. and of the
conduct OF his life after the war had
ended. all point TO one thing-his
loyalty to the State of Virginia. 1t
ILL be remem bered that Robert E. {
awaited the action of his State g
segiAature In regard to secession be- t
'Fore he resigned from the Federal '
to take service in the Confederate y
Army, and E--4rInIS believe that had
dthe North offered and Virginia ac-
Plymed separate independence at any
horns, WINK the war. General Leel
Breast S. C.. Resigned from military |
PODS Mammoth Sd TO private life
,.~.b White ALPHABETICALLY says; 'Da-
Homer pigeons. It2 pr aO OF /outcon1n1 dife
TIror i~aiggIe' issfss other ten stat2II. I
A asserts that Lee was ready to go |
1nyw here for his country's good" Hell !
~ Hy 20
where for the good Of Virginia, even
TO leading a forlorn hope into Penn
syfvania- But for his country's good ! /
no Robert e. Lee had no country. |
He had State. How could anyone,
believing in the doctrine of States /
rights as he did, have Ut care for a |
centralized government? If he had !
ne would have remained under the |