Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-14
YOUTHS IMPRESSIONS
OF WAR BETWEEN STATES
n Boys Visit to Richmond and Its
Battlcflelds, and What lie
Witnessed.
TELLS STORY 80 YEARS LATEr
Jacob Mfchaux Travels by Canal to
Capital Of Confcderacy and Looks
Upon Forces OF North and South
Struggling for Supremacy.
ny JACOB MICHAUx.

Bi JACOB MICHAUx.
PART Ill
mere paced with murmurcd step the
greatest and the best man that the
Almighty has sent on this earth.
Simple In dress and manner as any
country gentleman, there were thou
sands like him I'm this, but none so
good or great: none who knew so
well the destiny Of our country-ah!
nc was too wise not to know-and
none VINO suffered as he suffered. as
ne foreSaw IL all: none who wept as
he did. though no man saw his tears
When he saw those starving veterans
ran. He walked up and down about
twenty PAGES In a little footpath just
IN front of his tent and. turning. re
traced his steps. His arms were folded
across his chest; his eyes were bent
upon the ground about twenty-five or
thirty PAGES In front OF him. He wore
an ample hat. OF light brown color,
pinned up at one side, but otherwise
unadorned; light simple fatigue coat
OF Confederate gray with n star on the
collar, gray trousers with cavalry boots
over them. The beard gray, inclining
to white all over the face. clipped to
about the length Of an inch and a
half ut the chin; a little shorter on
the sides OF the face. Then, the fore
bead. partly hidden by the hat. was
broad and high. and the cycs-what
shall way OF tho eyes" Let me saw
maj 'hcE were the most expressive and
kindly II has ever been nv fortune Ia
behold. No need OF any sign or MIA
card nero" no need of tent sentinel or
standar!-h"r" stood Lee, and all the
world knew him. and felt that it was
better for his being in it.
Napoleon. Caesar. Alexander and
Wilhelm Kaiser OF Germany at this
timc--thcy are Az dust beneath his
rect such is man when tho Almighty
Vouchsaies IT TO him 10 be both great
ana good! Yes. there stood. or. rather
slowly paced. Lee. then nearing siytv
Fcars OF age. with hair and beard nearly
white. near siN feet in height. weigh
ing about 10 pounds. He was maguif-
Gently developed and erect, without be
ING, In the least. too straight Those
Noh"f";@ eyes can never forget. and
after ff;y years tho memory of them
Of hints still with me. unimpaIr.d.
iitil" knew. thoughtlcsS hoy that
MAS Of The grave thoughts. the sor-
rowing love. TIL" immense Responsible
ties. that weighed upon that mighty
heart 80 ilrDcrturhaHly ,h"rc
HEAR POPPING OF MI'SI<I;yRY
AND ROAR or ARTILLERY
We quietly withdrew, and long after
"Hh.r hour sat down To food that
nad boon reserved for us at Grassland
ihcr" W" found matters much as usual
ana as tho da%s wore on. for thov fled
hy then much az they do now. not
needing tho momcntous events thov
were bringing forth. nor those far
EraT"r ones tn" near future was 10
launch upon us. destined 10 change tho
current of fair history and to break
MANY. many noble ana lofty heart
and send them TO carly graves
W" heard tho pop, pop. pop OF The
HlusKctry in tho distant skirmishcs till
@reatcr numbers caused them To merge
INTO one indistinruishable roar punr-
'Nated now ana again by the sullcn
Boom OF artillery. We saw the exchange
OF smells ait"" dark over on tho dis
iant lines. which we were ena bled to
race IN black background plainly by
the burning fuses
Then, cur cousin. still ,lcsiroue of nv,
iertaininS and instructing. took us
IN a Jersey wagon 10 Drewrv'a Bluff
Ia THIS journey we had TO steer clear
~ the lines by rather roundabout
routes II was very dry and dusty and
decidedly hot. VIC drove on and af-
icr traversing some eighteen miles
ltnheu for dinner at q MI. C.rcyory's
mousse about one and one half miles
south OF Drewry's Bluff. where We en-.
5oyed a nice dinner very much. the ride
having Whettcd our appctites very de-
'idedlN. After dinner, having made
inc acquaintance OF the Gregory bows
~" started out with them IS puileg TO
go to Drewrys Elun. Fort Darling. IL
VAS called. The primary object of this
VISIT was 10 see the war, out knew
there and belonged TO tile heavy aitil-
Icry and we wanted 10 see and talk
with him. THIS was Joseph MichauN
whom VIC did not h!.d at home that
day, AS he WAS on leave of absence
Mas, poor fellow. We never saw him
again. Ee was Killed in battle on his
way 10 .hppoma;;oN Courthouse JUST
before the sUrrncdcr. His body was
found reclining against a tree, muskct
by his side an incomplete note in his
lap. This note was addressed TO his
mother. Joe ana ! had been school
mates under several teachers. and af-
ter while, he reached the proper age
and enlisted. He was Il fine, manly
boy, and was infinitely distressed
when ] saw his body laid in the brick
Vailed cemetery at MichauN just
after the surrender. ] witnessed the
hcar;-rendinw grief of that aged cou-
pie ana his brothers and sisters and our
family connection over this useless sac
i!hce or youn. life
What are our petty grefs,
Let M not number mine"
PASS OVER FIELD
WHERE BATTLE RACED
AS we approached them we had to
pass directly through the field where
the battle was fought on the 18th OF
May, 1864. II was now about the end
OF August, or in the early days OF Sep
icmbcr. This was an attempt by Gen
cral II. +. Butler to bring troops by
boat aud attack tho fort in the rear by
land. as all attempts by direct APP
proach by boat had failed signnlly.
Butler lad landed n large body OF men
below tie fort very early in tho morn
ing in Il dense fog and marched
towards the fort, when, to his sur
prise. he found the Confcderates wait
ing for him under Beauregard. a Sc
we're night occurred there and the men
Butler had sent We're utterly routed
The trees were shot all to pieces and
recall two gatcposts in tho edge of the
field and near a very small stream over
which our pathway led, and these were
pcppercd with mimic balls. wondered
how any of Buffers mem got away
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES