Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-05
by Douglas Gordon.
edited ny DOUGH-

Of the recently issued book. Lees
Dispatches: Unpublished Letters OF
General Robert f. Lee. c. s. A., TO
Jefferson Davis and the War Depart
ment Of the Confederate States OF
America, 1s62-65." edited By Douglas
Southall Freeman. PHI. d.
Even the devoted students OF Robert
f. Lee, the man and the soldier. had
settled down into rcgretful belief
that all his letters. dispatches and re-
ports relating TO the War Between the
States certainly those of an official or
semiofiicial nature, had been published
Yet there comes now. almost as a long
delayed message from the South's sub
FINEST figure an ordered sequence OF
communications-wr many Of
them. during the hours OF his heaviest
travail-which through the years had
remained in private collection. un-
read save BY their recipients and
fortunate few.
DR.. Freeman--of whose brilliant part
in the making of this book there is
much TO be said-states that little is
known of the history Of tho dispatches
Most OF the letters and many Of tho
kilograms are in General Lees auto
graph; others are in the familiar hand
writing of members of his staff, while
some are merely copies made In teic-
graph offices or at the War Depart
ment. The letters are grouped in one
substantial volume and the kilograms
in another. both Of post -bellum bind
ing. In this form. says the editor.
they were purchased Of "a well-known
Southern writer" by their present
owner. Wymherley Jones de Renne, OF
Wormsloe. Ga.
Reyond this. neither the editor nor
any of his assstants-to whom he has
given generous credit--has been able
TO trace the dispatches, and internal
evidence alone is depended upon as Il
guide to their history. From n close
study OF this evidence. however, Dr.
Freeman is convinced that they formed
part OF file kept by President Davis
himself. and his reasons for forming
this opinion as set out appear unan-
swerable. He further believes that the
file was carried or sent South when
Richmond fell. and was probably lost
=,
which have since been recovered.
However interesting these conjcc-
lures may hc--and they undoubtedly
intrigue the imaEination-thc dis
patches themselves tower above and
dwarf all other considerations. II II
is possible to add TO the minds stature
OF Lee, these letters Will increase a.:
III ii is possible to enhance n fame all
ready splendid. these letters will still
further ennoble il, and III 1T Is possible
to eXalt spirit even now canonized
in the heart OF people. these letters
will glorfy it,
For throughout the whole collection
there blazcs the knightliness which the
mere thought Of him sufices to coniurc
to the minds of those who followed him
and to the minds of their sons and
grandsons When danger threatened,
his the blame; when plans went awry,
his the fault: when disaster fell, his tho
burden. For his generals. his subordi-
mates. there is never a word of reproach;
for the failure of campaigns, there Is no
complaint. whatsoever may have fall
tered, hesitatcd and lost. il Is he who
assumes full responsibility. After Get
tysburg he wrote--and this is one Of
the most important letters in the De
Rcnne collcction--to President Davis:
e.. No blame can he attached to
the army for its failure TO accomplish
what was projected by me. nor should
1t he ccnsured for the unreasonable
expectations of the public-I alone am
to blame, in perhaps expecting too
much of its prowess and valour. l
thought at the time that the Inter
(victory) was practicable. I still think
If all things could have worked to-
Gether II would have been accom-.
plished. But with the knowledge
then had, and in the circumstances l
was then placed. I do not know what
better course I could have pursued
With my present knowledge, and could
I have foreseen that the attack on the
last day would have failed to drive the
enemy from his position. I should
certainly have tried some other
AS DR.. Freeman points out, this let
ter, 10 he appreciated. must be read in
the light of letters from other Con-
fedcrate generals. General Lee was
writing nonofficia1ly and therefore
without reserve, yet there is no word
OF criticism Of any OF the four generals
most frequently censured ny others
Heth. Longstreet, Ewell and Stuart. In
connection with this letter DR.. Free
mans note excuses General Longstreets
virtual attack on Lees generalship"
on the ground that he was then IAN
old man. soured by failure and embit.
tered by circumstances"
General Lees greatness OF soul is
illustrated in many other ways in this
correspondence. lie shouldcrcd tho
burden of others failures. but took to
himself none or the glory OF success.
On August 80. 1862, he sent to the
President the following dispatch: This
Army achieved to-day on the plains Of
Manassas n signal victory over COM
Ina 30 Ii, TnCI