Year: 1870

always disclaimed, that no small share
of the glory of those achievements was


due to your valor and your military


"Sir, one OF the prOudest reeolIec-


tions of my life will be to the honor


that L yesterday had, of submitting to


this body confirmation of the nomina-


ton made by the Governor Of this State,


of you as Chief of the


military and naval forces If this Com


monwealth. ! rose to put the question,


and when l asked if this body should


advise and consent to that appoint


ment, there rushed from the hearts to


the tongues of all the members an affir-


native response, told with an empha-


sis that could leave no doubt of the


feeling whence it emenated. put the


negative of the question for forms


sake, but there was an unbrOken si-
lence.


"Sir, we have by this unanimous


vote expressed our convictions that you


are at this day among the living citi-


zens of Virginia, first in war;" We


pray to God most fervently that you


may SO conduct Interpretations commit
ted to your charge, that it will soon he


said of you that you are : first Is peace >


and when that time comes, you will


have earned the still prouder distinc-
ton of being first in the hearts of your


countrymen.'"


At the close of this address, General


Lee, i'm a clear, distinct, full vOlumed,
as well as melodious voice, replied as


follows:


"Mr. President, us,d GctticB.els OF Tie
COnreRtiOn - Profoundly impressed


with the solemnity of the occasion, for


which, / must say, was not prepared,


accept the position assigned me by


your Partially. ! would have much


preferred your choice had fallen upon


an abler man. Trusting an Almighty


God, an approving conscience and the


aid of my fellow citizens, l devote my
self to the service of my native State,
in Whose behalf alone will / ever again
draw my sword"


All the force which personal appear
ance could and to the power and im


pressiveness of the words, as we'll as
sentiments uttered by him, was inn
parted by his manly form, and the
great dignity as well as grace in his ev-
cry action and movement. All these
combined sent home to the breast of
every one the full conviction that he
was thoroughly impressed himself with
the full consciousness of the immense
responsibility he had assumed. A
more deeply interesting or solemn
scene of such Il character / never wit !
messed.


SO much COR this ceremony 10y way |
of premise, and what occurred at my |
first sigitL of General Lee. This is not |
x..sf1, f1,<,
of which ] spoke. That occurred on |
the evening of this memorable day, and
at my quarters in the Ballard House, |
and requires something further still by |
way of premise.


On my arrival at Richmond, aud
hearing what had been done by the !
Governor and the Convention, in rela-
ton to the rank of General Lee, knew |
full well that every thing pertaining to
the success of the mission depended |
mainly upon this man. For no practi-
cal alliance, as matters then stood,
ate States and the Commonwealth of |
Virginia, which would not in effect, or
might not in effect, Tasce to some ex-
tent the high official position and rank
just conferred upon him. This felt
qullc CCl tdlu llC SOAlN CatlO4 WOulu
exceedingly reluctant to agree to, and
would not agree to, unless the menu
bers became perfectly satisfied that the
measure, having even by possibility
this effect, met with his full and cordial
approval. If Virginia came into alli-
ance with the Confederate States, her
State commission, would necessarily
r., ha c,,hArIsv,afn 70 of nfl
lower grade or rank i'm the Confederate
highest grade in the Confederate army,
at that time, was that of Brigadier-
General. .


OF the man personally knew moth :
ing, but feeling assured that all depend
ed in great degree upon him, my first
object was to see how the land lay in
that quarter. Upon invitation, he met
me at my quarters in private confer
ence that evening. 1t was at this con-
ference first became acquainted with
the man. unfolded to him, with per-
feet candor, the object of my mission,
the nature of the alliance l should pro-
pose, and particularly the effect it
might have upon his official rank and
position. There was ON his part equal
candOr and franknesS-nO reserve what
ever. He understood the situation full
ly. With a clear understanding of its
bearing upon himself individually, he
expressed himself as perfectly satisfied,
and as being very desirOus of having
the alliance formed. He stated, in
words which produced thorough cOn-
yiction i'm my mind of their perfect SIM
cerity, that he did not wish anything
to interfere in the slightest degree with
the immediate consummation of that
measure, which he regarded as one of
the utmost importance in every pOssi-
bic view of public considerations. From
what occurred, felt assured that there
was no danger in the quarter from
which L had apprehended that there
might probably he the most.


The omission i'm the Articles To make
special provision for General Lees Off
cial rank was soon discovered in the
Convention. The commissioners on
the part of the State were urged TO get
a change made in this particular.
was appealed to by number of tile
members OH the subject. Knowing
that no such change could be made,
and feeling the deepest solicitude in the
result, barely referred all parties ap-
preaching me in relation to it, to Cen
eral Lee himself l advised them to
consult him, and to submit the whole
matter to him, as he was the party i'm
mediately interested, and assured them
that believed he would cordially APP
prove what had been done; and if he
did, i thought the Con gention ought to
be satisfied. He was thoroughly sound
ed by several of his most devoted
friends i'm the Convention, who left
him feeling as fully assured as did
that he was perfectly satisfied with the
Articles as they stood, and that there
was no bare affectati0n OH his part in
this matter. The truth is, a look, or an
intOnation of voice even, at this time,
which would have indicated that his
professed satisfaction was not the real
and unaffected feeling of his heart
would have defeated that measure
This / knew; but the result was as l
believed it would be from the time of
our first interview.


General Lee on this occasion, as well
as on the occasion of the resignation of
his commission in the United States
army, after Mr.. Lincoln had made the
most tempting offers to him as has
been stated by high authority showed
q personal disinterestedness, and an
connected with himself individually,
or his official rank or personal position,
unselfish devotion to principles and
country, rarely to be met with in this
country, rarely to he met with in this
worldi These are the facts in relation
10 him, which / have thought not in