Year: 1867

tulturd al16 Commercial ymsrssts
. JULY 4, 1867.


GEN. LEE AND sTONEWALL JACKSON.


Mr.. William Swinton, well known as writer Of
great descriptive powers, and as the author Of two
or three most valuable and interesting books, has
commenced tour through the South as the cor
respondent of the New York Times. The follow
ing we take from the first of bis letters:


INTERVIEW AND CONVERSATION WITH GEN. LEE.


Having made somewhat close study Of the
Gen. Lee, and having, besides, fol-
lowed with interest his operations on the actual
field of battle, had long been desirous of learning
by personal sight and converse what manner Of
man he is The proaer of an introduction by q
personal friend enabled me to crafty this wish
and after breakfast we repaired to the residence Of
the chiefain of the Army of Northern Virginia.
It stands on College Hill, and is modest brick
dwelling with white wooden pillars in 'front.' placed
amid pretty garden, shaded by some fine trees
and a large solitary weeping willow. The house is
surrounded by high fern hedge that lends it
somewhat the air of aristocratic seclusion. Al
though it was no later than nine in the morning,
Gen. Lee had already gone to bis Office in the COL
lege, which is but a stone throw removed. Here
was table piled up with papers and college cata-
logues and textbooks; but no reminiscence Of war
was visible, no sword, or spur or insignia. What
ever met the eye was entirely academic not in the
least military. And seated at the table was hand
some-looking gentleman, dressed in uniform suit
of pepper-and-salt color-a very portly, well pre-
served gentleman, of some four and fifty, with
fine bronzed complexion, nobly-modeled nose,
compact head, gray hair, and beard of the same
color, closely cropped-who rose to shake hands in
a courtly, gracious manner. 1t was the man who
welded the thunders of Charlottesville and the
Chickahominy was President Lee.


With the putting off the harness Of war, Lee has
laid aside all concern with the war and its thoughts
"reminiscences and passions, and is devotng himself
exclusively to the interests of Washington College,
To this fact was due that on the occasion Of this
my first interview, was only able to see him for
few minutes; for he was on the point Of leaving
to meet an appointment with the Common Coun-
Gil of the town-a body before which he had to
lay question Of great pith and moment, to wit ::
the grading of new pathway to the college build


ing 1t is such abstruse and difficult problems that
now engage his attention; and, if I learn Alright,
he finds it harder to hold his own in those contro
versies than he did in the deadly imminent point
of battle. He was good enough, however, to make
an appointment with me for another hour; and
on meeting him on his return had with him a
long, full and frank conversation. If it would be
of any interest to your readers to learn what are
his views touching such questions in the Virginia
campaigns as had occasion to ask enlig ghtenment
from him, it would yet be impossible for me to
make these public, seeing it was the express re-
quest of Gen. Lee, that should refrain from do
ing so. He has q mortal dread of appearing in
the papers, and, considering how he has been mis-
represented, this is not wonderful. Imay say that
with his friends he never recurs to the subject OF
the war; nor did he to me express any opinion on
political matters. I understand, however, from
those who are in intimate daily converse with him,
that he is strongly in favor of the people Of his
State, and of the South, coming right up, frank
ly accepting the situation and earnestly pursuing
the work of reconstruction" Personally he Is at
present in the flush of health He frequently
rides out; and the clearest image have been able
to form of him in the warlike mood came to me
this afternoon, when, with high-top boots and
leathern gauntlets, he rode out on the same grey
horse that used to bear him in the stress of battle.
Heis greatly beloved by the people for his modesty,
genteuess and goodness, and is prodigious favor
ite with children. "If you should see him as he
moves about among us, said one of the people
of the town to me, ''and the unaffected kindness
and simplicity of his life, you might fancy what
he would be in greatness" he has added great
prosperity to the town, and Washington College,
under his Presidency, has been lifted from the
grade of broken down academy to the position OF
respectable and highly Aourishing institution of
learning.


That General Lee will figure in history, when it
comes to be written, with full light and without
passion or prejudice, as very able commander, a
skillful methodical soldier, who made several ad-
mirable defensive campaigns, fought two or three
brilliant aggressive actions, protracted the wal on
the limited theatre of Virginia for four years by
careful husbandry of his resources, and finally sue
cumbed only to greatly superior numbers, may, I
conceive, be readily conceded. That he will figure
as the South now figures him, in the light of a
frst-class Captain may, believe, be fairly doubt
ed. His character takes its shape rather from an
admirable balance of intellectual and moral quail
ties than from the possession Of any overmasterng
power. Some men-a very few-are adequate !;
they are supreme, they embody revolutions, they
alone are worthy of study. Lee was not Of such.
He lacked passion, he lacked abandon; perhaps
here speak cautiously-he lacked true conviction.
And yet I think I may say he lacked true convic-
ton. For it is well known that he was an ardent
lover of the Union, and that he was, as [ have
learned since came here, always at heart an e.
mancipationist He was, therefore, not the type
Of nor the leader for that fierce and Titan spirit
that sought in the ruin of anation to erect an en-
pire on the foundation Of slavery. Such spirit
needed embodiment in a brain and hand swift and
aggressive and Aamboyant as itself. Nor on the
other hand, was he great enough to stand forth as
patriot; but he permitted himself to be drawn
into the vortex of passion that seethed and bub-
bled in his section, to be aured by poor blind fall


acies instead of following the inspiration of great
ness. 1 think he is far from happy. And yet his
fame as a soldier, though not frst-class, is very
sound and complete, so that now, away from the
field of war, and buried here in qniet academic


life, among these secluded hills, it seems as though


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