The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-09-10

moa.
up the Rappahannock, intending to
cross the river at Fredericksburg and
proceed from that point to Richmond
but when he reached Fredericksburg
he found Lee in position ready to
dispute his passage. After some de-
lay Burnside succeeded in crossing
the river and attacked Lee, but was
defeated with disastrous loss. He sue
ceeded, however. in recrossing the
river, and a few days later was re-
lieved of his command, and Gen. Jo-
seph Hooker was appointed in his
place. After considerable time spent
in preparation Hooker moved against
Lee; but was defeated and driven
back of the battle of Chancellors-
Vile, May "a. Lee soon gathered
together all his available forces and
moved northward, his campaign end
ing with the battle of Gettysburg,
which took place on the first two
days of July, 1868. On the first
two days of this battle the advantage
seemed to with Lees army, but on
the third day he staked the issue in a
grand charge, which was repulsed
and he was compelled to order a re-
treat. He succeeded in recrossing the
Potomac, and was again safe in Vir-
ginia.
No operations of Importance were
undertaken by either army during
the winter of 1S63-64, but early in
May, 1864, Lieut.. Gen. U. S. Grant
was called to Washington, and took
the field against Lees army in per-
son. Grant attempted to turn Lees
right flank BY a march through the
densely wooded region known as
The Wilderness Here occurred
two days bloody but indecisive
fighting. after which Grant again
sought to turn Lees flank by march
ing to Spottsylvania Court House.
At this place, on the twelfth of
May, there was another bloody
and indecisive engagement be-
tween the opposing forces. The two
commanders continued to confront
and manoeuvre against each other
for some weeks without coming to a
general engagement and without any
result, save that Lee was gradually
forced back toward Richmond, until
he occupied very nearly the same
ground that McClellan's army had
occupied two years before. After
making an unsuccessful attack upon
Lees position at Cold Harbor on
June 8, Grant moved down the
Chickahominy to the James, and
after crossing the latter river, entered
upon the siege of Petersburg, which
continued till the spring Of 1865.
Grants army then entered upon more
active operations. and Lee was COM
PEELED to abandon both Petersburg
and Richmond. He was still hotly
pursued by Grant. and few days
later at AppomattoX Court House his
entire force surrendered, and the war
came to an end. Lee might have
prolonged the struggle indefinitely by
breaking up his army into bands and
scattering them among the mountains
but this he refused to do. There are
few instances of such nobility as lie
showed in accepting defeat, and set
ting himself to help to make his coun-
try once more a union of loyal States.
Although impoverished by the war
and face to face with old age, he re-
fused wealth and places Of honor in
service abroad, to accept the presi-
dency Of Washington and Lee uni
versity at Lexington, Va. Its doors
had been closed four years. This was
Gen. Lees part in the work of re-
construction. 1t was the last call to
duty. In the last five years of his
life 900 young Southerners came un-
der his care to learn the duty of
cooling their hot heads and sweeten-
ing their bitter hearts. The day of
final reconciliation must have SEEM
ed very far away indeed, when, on
October 12, 1870, "Marse Robert
fell asleep and was buried in the COL
lege chapel.-By Mrs. H. A. Taylor,