The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-01-19
ROBERT E. LEE
(By W. B. Pedigo.)

left was withdrawal. Lee, of course,
understood all this perfectly. There
was not, ard never oou.d be, the
slightest doubt in his mind as to the
Righteousness of his course.
Face to Face With Grant
1t was not until the inevitable
progress Of the war brought Lee and
Grant face to face that the military
genius of the southern commander
was fully displayed. 1t was in the
spring of 1864 that Grant took per-
sonal command of the Army of the
Potomac. Lee commanded the army
of northern Virginia. The war had
passed it's high tide Two disastrous
attempts to invade the north, result
ing in the battles of Antietem and Get
tysburg, had depleted the Confeder
ate ranks, and cast shadow over
the hopes of southern leaders.
The campaign that followed takes
rank with the foremost military OPP
erations in the worlds history. 1t
was this period of the war which in
spired the study of European strate-
gists in the world war. and served as
the model for many of the operations
on the allied and German lines in
| France and Belgium.
Grants advantages were numerous
He was foeman worthy the steel of
| any commander. He knew Lees chal.
| acter and capabilities much better
perhaps than any man then liv-
ing. He had the backing of the gov
eminent at Washington, and Vast res
| ervoirs of men and supplies from
which to draw. His army numbered
about 100000. Lees forces were no.
over half so great. His soldiers were
poorly supplied with food and NUM-
tons. The drafts no longer supplied
men for his depleted ranks. But he
had the unbounded confidence of his
own men; he was fighting on his
own soil, and he had the tactical adj
vantage of being on the defensive on
| interior lines.
The Great Campaign
Grants first effort was to crush the
Confederate forces. The battle of the
Wilderness, with desperate losses to
each side, resulted. He next attempt
Ell to surprise the important position
Of 'Spottsylvania courthouse. Lee
anticipated his design and another
bloody but ineffective battle followed.
Again Grant attempted by surprise
attack to seize a position on the flank
of Lees army, but this move was
foreseen and checked by third con
flict in which both sides lost heavily
Realizing that the strategy which
had won such brilliant victories in
the west was useless against a chief
tain like Lee, General Grant spread
J out his lines and settled down to a
| war of attrition' strategy of
overwhelming numbers. Months
passed, and though constantly weak
ened, Lee never permitted a single
federal victory to bring the issue to
| decision. The winter passed and early
spring found the dimes still confront
ing each other. But the superiority of
numbers began4Ao tell. Petersburg
| fell after long siege and the federal
troops pressed westerward. Lee fell
back slowly and stubbornly. Rich
mond was burned, and the flames lit
the pathway of the Confederate re-
treat. A vast store of munitions was
blown up. Lees supply trains were
captured. and his men were forced to
| forage over the already ravaged coun-
try for their supplies.
The time came when further re-
S1stance was vain. On the 9th Of
April, 1865, after a defensive cam
paign which made a new chapter in
military tactics, Lee and Grant met
at Appomattox courthouse to arrange
the terms of surrender. The terms
were simple and magnanimous. Lee
already possessed the respect of
Grant. Neither Lee nor his army was
subjected to any humiliation.
The war was over. The cause for
which the south had shed its best
blood was lost, but the fidelity, the
self-sacrifice and the matchless cour-
age with which it had waged the un-
equal contest had left an indelible
luster which the world has long since
fully recognized.
The collapse of the Confederacy
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES