Year: 1879

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AFTER APPOMATTOx.


AN INTERESTING TALK WITH GEN. R. E. LEE.


When the army of Gen. Sherman was
making its famous homeward march to Wash
ington, it rested for a few days in the fallen
Capital of the fallen Confederacy. While
there Federal chaplain visited Gen. Robert
E. Lee, and had an interesting conversation
with him, and this conversation now sees print,
for the first time, in the Cincinnati CONNER.
cial The writer says:


Accompanied by Gen. Geary, afterwards
Governor Geary, Of Pennsylvania, and pro-
vided with letter from General Hazen, who
knew General Lee at West Point, was ad-
mitted to the presence of the illustrious COM
mander General Lee was erect and hand
some His easy smile and simplicity of man.
ner did not speak of disaster. He was very
positive in his convictions, but in our long
talk always weighed every sentence. Presi-
dent Lincolns assassination was uppermost in
all our minds General Lee said 1.-The death
of that eminent citizen has filled me with
horror. If there were blenishes in his char
acter, his life exhibited some splendid and
rare virtues. He was one of the most extra.
ordinary men that ever lived in our country.
His heart was grand and large. He was con-
stitutionally pensive Had he been spared,
the South would be treated with honorable
propriety and with gallant generosity; that
goodwill and friendliness would have marked
his treatment Of the people of the South"
General Lee now adverted to the character of
Grant, of whom he spoke in the most friendly
words and terms. He ascribed to him the
possession of the noblest attributes of Ameri-
can manhood that he possessed all the re.
quisites and talents for the organization of
armies. II wish," said General Lee, ito do
simple justice to General Grant, when l say
that his treatment of the Army of Northern
Virginia is without parallel in the history
of the civilized world When my poor SOL
diers, with famished faces, had neither food
nor raiment, it was then chat General Grant
Immediately issued the humane order that
forty thousand rations should be furnished to
the impoverised troops. And that was not
all of his nlagnanilnity. was giving direc-
tions to one Of my staf-oficers, when making
out the list of things to be surrendered, to in:
clude the horses. At that moment General
Grant, who seemed to be paying no attention
to what was transpiring, quickly said "No,
no, General Lee, not horse-not one-keep
them all. Your people will need them forthe
spring crops!" 1t was scene never to be
forgotten to watch Lees manner, when with q
spirit of chivalry equal to his skilband gal
lantry, he told with moistened eyes, this and
many other instances of the magnanimity so
nobly displayed by his illustrious rival. |
asked him who was the greatest of the Fed
eral generals. "Inleed, sir, have no hesita-
ton in saying General Grant. Both as a gen.
tleman and an organizer of victorious war,
General Grant hath exeelled all your most
noted soldiers. He has exhibited more real
greatness of mind, more consummate prudence
from the outset and more heroic bravery than
any one on your side" The conversation
turned to General Sherman, Of whom he spoke
as follows: GAS strategist and commander
of men Sherman has displayed the highest
order of military genius. Throughout his re-
cent campaign, when he had to pass through
an unknown country, cross rivers, support his
troops, ETC., be certainly exhibited singleness
of purpose, fertility of resource, which wins
him high place among the famous soldiers
of history. He seems to be cool without apa.
thy, cautious without being dilatory, patient
without being dispirited, personally brave,
but never rash. Judged by Napoleon's test,
who did all that? he is, in my opinion,
among the most successful of the Federal Off
GERS who have played prominent part in the
history of the war" In the course of con.
versation, he spoke of Sheridan as most
brilliant and magnetic commander.


WHY THE coNFEDERAcY PROVED FAILURE.


To the question "What was the cause Of
the failure of the South ?" the General smil-
ingly said:


Il am not a very good extemporaneous
speaker, nor am | very good extemporaneous
answerer of questions. The most conspicuous
reason was the superiority in men and in the
resources Of the North. The United States
had all the advantages-a land of boundless
wealth, cities secure from the horrors Of civil
war, and constant stream OF emlgrants to
fill up the depleted ranks of your armies.
The numbers against us were enormous. The
population of the South was never more than
seven millions With five to one against
them the Southerners performed mighty
work and made gigantic step towards their
independence.


"Another cause lay in the vanity of many
of our people. The first battles Of the war
being favorable to us, the South was wild with
confidence and the whole country was thrown
into ferment of excitement Itwas doubt
full, indeed, whether one in thousand Of our
people supposed for a moment that there was
any doubt of an immediate and successful
termination Of the struggle. The public meet
ings we're, in every case, too enthusiastic
The people were carried away by acclamation.
The cheering proved to be our folly. This
excess of confidence lost US New Orleans and
many other cities.


"a much more serious difficulty arose from
the mistaken view of the Southern cause by
the Philanthropsts of the Old World. They
were led to believe that we were lighting for
the perpetuily of slavery, and that the estab-
lishment of the Confederacy would be the re-
opening of the African slave trade. This
opinion shook the faith of great and good men
in the humanity and Righteousness of the
South. The conscript law was another effect
i've check to our success. Instead Of being
benefit, it was curse-a badge of disgrace
The rich were favored falsehood and dissim-
ulation were it's natural results suspicion and
mistrust arose where confidence and reliance
should have prevailed. The attitude preserved
by Mr.. Davis and other leaders, in opposition
to the arming of the negroes, policy which
1 always believed to be expedient, proved
most disastrous. The widespread poverty Of
the country, accompanied by the just convic-
ton that all further efforts were hopeless