Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-17

- URING the Forty-SiXth congress, zen
eral Charles Field, of Virginia, was
49, selected as doorkeeper of the Demo
cratic house, Hon. Sam Randall, speaker. RE
was a very distinguished person in his sfyIe
and manners. He talked freely about Genera
Longstreet, and was greatly attached 10 the
latter This is his story Of the woundlng Oh
General Longstreet by his own men: / was
at Longstreets side in a moment lie
could not have known the extent of his IN
iuries-he seemed to forget himself in the
absorbing interest of the movement he was
making. (Battle of the Wildernessl. Had our
advance not been hndered by this disaster, L
have always believed that Grant would nave
been driven across the Rapidan before night;
but General Lee was present and ordered that
our line should first be Strengthened out.
Colonel Fairfax wrote the following "On
reaching the line of troops, you (Longstreet)
were taken off the horse and propped against
a tree You blew the bloody foam from your
mouth and said: Tell General Field to take
command and move forward with the whole
force and gain the Brock road But hours
were lost"
One night Dr. FELTON, and myself were sit
ting at the supper table, In the tea room OF
the old National hotel, in Washington, when
General Field came in and took seat with
us. I had, near my plate, the Georgia mail
which had just been delivered in the hotel
office. There was long story of The Hero
of Oustee (Who was Governor Colquittt, of
Atlanta Constitution was filled with one Of
Henry Grady's peculiar explorations of Gen
eral Colquitt and Senator Gordon, and with
pictures of the two the front page was nearly
covered. General Field said something about
General ngstreet and why he had not been
mentioned in some of the Virginia battles
where General Gordon had been credited with
managing General Lees army-along about
the time of AppomattOX. Then he related
what he saw and listened to in the night pre-
limo fbo cIJrr dor of 1at
"a war council was called to discuss what
would be done in case General Grant was
inclined to make hard terms for the Confed-
crate general. 1t was we'll understood thaC
the Confederate troops had been completely
surrounded, and if they were forced into bat
tie or refused to surrender there would be a
fearful slaughter at close range.
The war council, according to General
Field. closed after midnight. AS the generals
were departing, General Lee asked General
Longstreet to remain a while longer. Inc
chieftain said 1.-The end is come for the army,
but have made up my mind to cut my way
into the mountains of Virginia before VIII
accept dishonorable terms for myself ana
staff, and I will go with Fields Virginia sol
diers and die in the attempt, II 1t must De-
Then looking General Longstreet full IN the
face General Lee said to him: will you
can you lead this fororn hope, in the event
we cannot accept the terms tomorrow? -
Longstreet answered, 81 will go with you
General Lee" ears afterWard, Genefal Long
street was guest in our north Georgia home
told him of General Fields story of the sur
render, and mentioned what General Lee was
reported as having said to him.
He modestly said: 1--WE did have such con-
versation, but General Grant offered fair
terms and there no call for the 'forlorn
hope I always kept this matter as in strict
confidence-and would never mention 1t, for
reasons that are apparent-and General Lee
is dead and not here to be annoyed by things
which might have happened, but did not hap
pen, etc. If General Lee could speak from
his tomb, he undoubtedly would have some
thing to say concerning General L0ngstreet,