Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 127, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1910 — THE OTHER LEE. [ARTICLE]

THE OTHER LEE.

Seated in the dining room of the Ingleterre Hotel, Havana, one evening early in April, 1908, were half a score of Americans, .mostly newspaper correspondents, surrounding Consul General Lee, each demanding of him when he would leave Havana and when war would be declared. General Lee was evasive and finally, to check the flood of questions, dropped into reminiscence of the Civil War. “You boys don’t seem to realize,” he said, “that this is a sad anniversary for me. Yet in view of everything that has happened I don’t know why 1 should call it sad. While I am proud of the struggle we of the South made and while, had we to do it over again, history would repeat itself, I am glad

to-day that God reigns and the government at Washington still lives. “It is just thirty-three years ago tonight that I led my cavalry In a forlorn hope south from Richmond. It has been said that I left the army with my men without the consent and approval of my uncle, General Robert E. Lee. That is not true, although it is true that he sent for me to return when he learned that General Grant’s generous terms depended upon his ability to surrender the entire army. “The last ‘stand had been made, and we fought the last fight? we were capable of entering. For months we had seen the end approach, hoping against hope that a miracle would intervene to save the Confederacy. At last it became apparent that the end could be no loner delayed. When General Lee announced to us his decision to accept the best terms for the surrender of the army that could be obtained from General Grant, I asked and received from him permission to skirt Richmond with my cavalry, or what was left of it, and make my way south, cutting a road through the Union forces if necessary.

“I was a very young man in those days, and hope died hard. My thought was that if I could take my boys out -of the trap we might form a nucleus about which the South could once more rally. My uncle expressed the opinion that the adventure was foolhardy, but finally gave a reluctant consent. So it happened that just thirty-three years ago to-night with my men I rode south and by daybreak was safely beyond the Union lines.

“As I have said, in those days I was a very young .man. I thought I had something of a corner in the knowledge market. Even the rough, hard knocks that had come to me during the war had not been sufficient to drive the conceit out of my head. I received a mental jolt that morning, however, that started me along the right path and soon placed me where I was willing to admit there were others - who were at least fully as wise as myself. I had always held my uncle in the ♦ery highest respect. I still regard him as the .military genius of the war, but at that time I thought I could see mistakes he had matje. “It was just at break of day, while we were riding down a rough country road, the dust of which had been laid by a heavy shower, that we came up-

on an old Southern woman. Perhaps she belonged to the poor white class, but her knowledge of men was profound. She stood in front of a cabin, and I drew up and asked for-a drink. As she handed me the godrd of water she inquired for news from Richmond. “ ‘The war is all over, aunty,’ I responded. ‘We are going home. General Lee has surrendered.’ “ ‘No, he hasn’t,’ was the quick response. ‘Perhaps that no ’count, shiftless, triflin’ General Fitzhugh Lee has surrendered, but not General Robert E. Lee. I know he has not surrendered, and the war is not ended.’ “Even under the coat of tan that had accumulated during my four years of service I could feel my face flush as I heard my companions’ fruitless efforts to suppress their merriment. “We rode on, and we were perhaps four miles south of Richmond when a courier from General Lee overtook us and I received my instructions, which meant the surrender, of the last remnant of the army that had so valiantly defended Richmond.”—New York Herald.