Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-05-25

operations of the armies
who wanted to know of him If he
knew "'Lias Sneed of Jackson's com
pany In Lees army" ard he related
IL to illustrate the potent fact as ev-
cry old soldier knew it, that you were
expected by the homefolk to know ey-
cry other soldier In your army, and If
you failed to remember those inquired
about, your own character as q real
soldier was UNNECESSARILY hurt.
1t was long time before | saw
General Lee, so long that I thought he
would never come my way, and that
I'd be killed or the war would end be-
fore I would see my beloved comman-
der. When l did look on him for the
first time he was In the State House
grounds In Richmond. alone, but the
observed of all observers" as he
walked unestentatioUsly and quietly
from the capitol "Stonewall" Jack
son saw but once, General Long
street, to whose corps / belonged. l
Haw much of, the most startling when
brought past me In a litter, covered
with blood at the Wilderness battle,
May 6, 1864.
But, 1t is of the general command
ing that l would more directly speak,
and of the impression he made upon
me. a humble musketeer In Hoods
Immortal Texas brigade, for there
were many illustrlous minor general
oficers-there was but one r. +. Lee.
General Alexander. chief of artillery
OF Longstreet's corps, tells us in his
charming, historic story, "The Memoirs
Of a Confederate" that Colonel Long,
General Lees aide and secretary, told
him of General Lees feelings as he
stood In review of his soldiers, and
The relation of the incident will not
be amiss. On Longstreets return from
The Chickamauga and Knoxville, Tenn,
campaigns, with the two divisions, Nc
Laws and Fields, which had formed
the force from the Army of Northern
Virginia that aided In the Western
military campaigns of 1863-64, Gener-
al Lee expressed a wish to review the
corps. This took place at Gotham,
Va, in April, 1854. A large field, that
the ravages of war had left uninclosed,
was selected as the ground, and Gen
eral Lee approached the command
through an old gateway.
This review gave me, so far as my
recollection now serves, my second i'm
pressive view of the great comman-
der.
Mounted on his favorite old gray
the general looked what he was, ''ev-
cry inch the SOLDIER" he honored each
brigade as 1t passed him in the re.
view march with the usual salute and
TO each commander he added some
complimentary remark. OF the Texans
he said, In response t. the depleted
number of muskets, that they "woulC
have to fight the harder to sustain
their reputation" General "Jeb'
Stuart was present. and 1t was here
also I saw Belle Boyd, the Southern
spy, for the first and only time. Gen
eral Stuart was, besides his military
qualities, man Of infinite humor, who
would joke even in Lees august pres
Ance. On this occasion, when Belle
Boyd, dressed in gray riding skirt and
with a captains military jacket and
cap. refined up her beautiful pony, sa-
luted the general and staff and dashed
away. General Stuart remarked to
General Lee: General. women would
be the bravest of the brave IL it wasn't
for bugs and MICE"
The next view of our commander
was dramatic.
On the morning Of May 6, 1864
there came near being catastrophe
resulting from someone's blnder. Be
fore the dawn General Grant found q
gap In our lines. gap negligent gen
eral had failed to close as ordered tc
do, and the plank road trayersing the