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WAR SI Xjee?s Sagacity Saved I Wai Charles Francis Adan The following article is an extract from a paper read by Mr. Adams be fore the American Antiquarian Socie ty. It sheds entirely new light on the character of Robert E. Lee as the sa vior of his country, and is of vast his torical value: Thc j resent seems to me a sufficient ly proper occasion, and this a g.1 place, to call attention to a matter not otherwise than germane to the purpose "r . u: . . . II:.....:, I :.. :. .. Lino butiui) i ftiintOriCai III ita character, it conveys a lesson of grave import. One of the most unhappy, and, to those concerned in it, disas trous wars ol' the century is that now in South Africa dragging itself out to a conclusion apparently ?still remote; and, iu every way, unsatisfactory. There is a good reason to believe that the conflict was unnecessary in its in ception; that by judicious action, it might have long since have been brought to a close; and, finally, that it is now continued simply because the parties to it canuot be brought to gether to discuss and arrive at a sentible basis of adjustment-a basis from which both are in reality ready to agree. My purpose, however, is to draw at tention to the hair-breadth escape we ourselves had from a similar experi ence uow thirty feix years ago, and to assign to whom it belong., thc credit of that escape. In one word, in the , strong light of passing events I think it now opportune to set forth the debt . : gratitude this reunited country of ours-union and confederate, uorth and south-owes to Robert K. Leo, of Virginia. Most of those here-for this is not a budy of youug men-re member the Mate of affairs which ex isted in the United States, especially in what was then kuown as the Con federate States, or tho rebellious por tion of the United States, in April, 18Gf). Sueh as are not yet as mature as that memory itu plies, have read and heard thereof. It was in every re spect ulmoht the identical Mate of af faira which existed in South Africa at the time of the capture of Pretoria by General Roberts iu June a year ago. On tbe 2nd of April, 1865, ihe con federate commander found himself compelled to evacuate his lines be tween Richmond and Petersburg, and our forces at last entered the Confed erate capital. Four days later the army of northern Virginia was practi cally surrounded and overtures look ing to capitulation passed between General Graut and General Lee. On ?he famous Sunday preceding Jeffer son Davis, hastily called from the ohurch service he was attending, left Richmond on his way to Danville. Il is unnecessary for me even to re fer to the scries of evcntB which fol lowed the abandonment of Richmond and preceded the surrender at Appo mattox. It is sufficient to say that tho capitulation of the army of north ern Virginia had become inevitable. Not the less for that, the course thereafter to be pursued as concerned further resistance on the part of the Confederacy was still to be deoided. lt ia well known that, in the face of disaster, Jefferson Davis had not for an instant given np tho thought of continuing tbe struggle. To do so was ce; "inly practicable Foreign opinion, for instance, on this point was souled; it was assumed a* a oer . taioty of the future that the oonquest of the Confederacy was impossible. The English journals had always maintained, and still did maintain, that the defeat of Lee io the Seid, or even the surrender of all the Confed erate armies would be but the close of one phase of the war and the opening of another phase-the final phase being a long, fruitless effort to subdue a united people in a region so vast that it would be impossible to pene trate every portion of it much lets hold it in subjection. As au histori cal fact, tho scales on the 9th of April, 1865, hung wavering iu the balance; a mere turn of thu hand would decide which way they Vero to incline. Thus, on the morning of that momentous day, it w.-s an abso lutely open question, ac even chance, whether the course which was actual ly pursued should oe pursued, or whether the leaders of the Confeder acy would adopt the policy which President Kruger and Generals Botha and DeWet have in South Africa more reoently adopted, and are now follow ing. The decision rested in the hands of one man-tho commander of the army of northern Virginia. Fairly reliable and very graphic aeeounts of what took placo at General Lee's headquar \ ter* in the early morning hours of Vtuui day have either appeared in print br betti told in conversation, and to . two of these acoounta I propose to call attention. . Apparently the seo Ond of these interviews described fol lowed uloae OA the first, not more than rORIES. dation. Prom Gruerrilla L'fare. tx, in Thc Sunny South, a couple of hour.s intervening between them. Of the first, I find this ac count in a book recently published by John Sargent Wisc, entitled "The End of an Kra." John Sargent Wise ?s ti*e son of Henry A. Wise, once promincn. io our national politics. Governor of Virginia in the latter '"fifties," he was subsequently a brig adier general in the Confederate ser vice. Though in l<S(jj but a youth of H), John S. Wisc was a hot Confeder ate, and had already been wounded in battle. At the time now in question he chanced to have been sent by Jeff erson Davis, then on his way from Hieb mond to Danville, with despatch es to Lee; and, while seeking Lee's headquarters, be caine, in the early morning of April i>, across his father, Governor and General Wise, in biv ouac with his brigade. Tho father was then nearly GO years of age, but the t-on found him lying on the ground asleep among his men. A typical Southern "fire-eater" of the extreme type, Henry A. Wise waB au out and out Secessionist and Confederate. Aroused by his son from his uneasy slumber, almost tho first wish he ex pressed was to seo General Loo, and ho inquired impetuously of his where abouts. The son ?new where the Confederate headquarters wore, and the two started together to go to them. John S. Wise haB described vividly the aspect of affairs as they passed along. "The roads and fields were filled with stragglers. They moved looking behind them, as if they ex pected to be attacked and harried by | a pursuing foo. Demoralization, pan ic, abandonment of all hope appeared on every baud. Wagons were rolling along without any order or system. Caissons and limber chests, without commanding officers, seemed to be i floating aimlessly upon a tide of disor ganization. Hising to his full height, casting a glance around him like that of au eaglp, and sweeping tho ho rizon with his long armand bony fore finger, my father exclaimed: 'This is the end.' It is impossible to convey an idea of the agony and the bitter ness of his words audgosture9." Then follows a description of the interview whieh ensued: "We found General Lee on the rear portico of the house that I have men tioned. He had washed his faoe in a tin basin and stood drying his beard with a coarse towel as we approached. 'General Lee," exclaimed my father, "my poor, brave men are lying on yonder hill more dead than alive. For more thau a week they have been fighting day and night without food, aud, hy God, ?ir, they shall not move another step until somebody gives them something to eat.' " 'Come in, general,' said General Lee, soothingly. 'They deserve something to eat, and shall have it; and meanwhile you shalt share my breakfast.' Ile disarmed everything like defiance by his frankness. "It was but a few moments, howev er, before my father launched forth in a fresh denunciation of tho couduot of Geueral Buthrod Johnson in the en gagement ot the Gth. I am satisfied that General Lee felt as he did; but., assuming an air of mock severity, he said, 'General, are you aware that you are liable to court martial and execu tion for insubordination and disre spect toward vour commanding offi cer?' "My father looked at him with lift ed eyebrow and flashing eyes and ex claimed: 'Shot! You can't afford-lo shoot the men who fight for cursing those who ran away. Shot! I wish you would shoot me. If you don't some Yankee probably will within the next twenty-four hours.' "Growing more serious, General Lee inquired what be thought of the situ ation. 'Situation?' said the bold old man, 'There is is no situation! Nothing remains, General Lee, but to put your poor men on your poor mules and send them heme in time for spring plowing. This army is hopelessly whipped and is fast becoming demoralized. These men have already endured more than fles>b and blood could stand, and I say to you, sir, emphatically, that to pro long the struggle is murder, and the blood of every man who is killed from this time forth is on your h*ad, Geu eral Lee!' ^'Thi* last expression seemed to cause General Lee great pain. With a gesture of remonstrance, and oven of impatience, he protested: 'Oh, general, do not talk so wildly. My burdens are heavy enough. What would the country think of me if I did what you suggest?' 11 'Country be d-ni' was the quick reply. 'There is no country. There has been no couo try. general, for a y cai I or more. You are thc country of these I men. They have fought for you; shiv j eyed through a long winter for rrou II Without pay or clothes, or eire of anj ?ort, their devotion for you and faith in you have hoon the only things which have held this army together. If you detnaod the sacrifice, there are still left thousands of us who will die for you. You know thc- game is des perate beyond redemption and that, if you so announce, no man or govern ment or people will gainsay your word. That is why I repeat that the blood of any man killed hereafter be upon your head.' "General Lee stood for some time at an open window, looking out at the throng nov/ surging upon the roads and in ?he fields, and made no re sponse. "It will be remembered that John Sar gent Wise was individually present at this conversation, a youth of 19. I have as little respect as any one well can have for the recollection of thirty years siuce as a basis of history. Nevertheless, it would seem quite out of the question that a youth of ouiy ll) could have been present at such a scene as is here described, and that the words which then passed, and the incidents which occurred, ?huuld not have been iudelibly imprinted upon hio memory. I am disposed, therefore, to cousider this reliable historical ma terial. "Meanwhile, it so chances that I am able to supplement it by similar, as yet unpublished, testimony from another quarter. Some yea.s ago I was closely associated with General E. 1'. Alexander, who had been chief of artillery in Longstreet's famous corps, and who, in April, 1865, was, if my recollection is correct, chief of artillery of the army of northern Vir ginia. It was General Alexander who, in 1863, fought with General Hunt, of the army of the Potomac, the fa mous artillery duel which preceded on on the 2ud of July the memorable charge of Pickett's division at Get tysburg. In tho course of many con versations with General Alexander, whose memory, singularly accurate as well as tenacious, wt * also supported by memorauda taken at the time, he more than euee gave me au account, of which I retain the freshest possible reoollection, of an ioterview whioh followed close upon that with General Wise at General Lee's headquarters. General Wise evidently baw Lee at an carly hour on April 9. That same morning General Ab-xuuder had occa sion to report to Lee. He knew that the army ut' northern Virginia was in a deplorable situation. Moreover, as he well knew, the limber-chests were running low; his urtu of the service was in no condition to go into another engagement. Yet the idea of an abandonment of the cause bad never ooourred to him as among the proba bilities AU night he had lain a /ake, thinking as to what was next to be done. "Finally he had come to the conclu sion that there was but one course to pursue. The army of northern Vir ginia, while nominally capitulating, must in reality disperse, and those composing it should be instructed, whether individually or as part of de tachments, to get to his own State in the most direct way aud shortest pos sible time, aud report to the governor thereof, with a view to a further and continuous resistance. "Thus, exactly what is now taking place in South Africa was to take place in the Confederacy. General Alexauder told me that, as he passed his batteries ou his way to headquar ters, the mon called out to him that there were still some rounds remain ing in the caissons, and that they were ready to renew the tight. Riding rapidly to his destination, General Alexander found Lee seated on the trunk ?f a fallen tree before a dying campfire. He wasdre?r>?d iu uniform. Full of the idea whioh dominated his mind, Alexander said that he sprang il cm's Cry Pierces the mother's heart like a sword. Often the .mother who would do every thing for the little one she loves, is ut terly impotent to help and finds no help in physicians. That was the case with Mrs. Duncan, whose little one was almost blind with scrofula. But fortunately she was led to nse Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discov ery and so cured the child without resorting to a painful operation. The gr?iat blood purifying proper ties of Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery have , been proved over and over again in cases of sc-of ula, eczema, en ? ti on s and other diseases which are caused by an impure condition of the blood. It entirely eradicates the poisons which feed disease, and builds up the body with sound, healthy flesh. "My llttl* daughter became afflicted with scrofula, wlikh affected her eyes,'' write* Mrs, Ague* L Duncan, of Mansfield. Sebastian Co., Ark. "She could not bear the light for o Ter a year. We tried to cure.her eyes, but nothing did any good. We had our home physician aud he advised us to take ber to an oculist, as her eyelids would have to be 'scraped.* They had become so thick he thought she would never recover her, sight. As there was no one else to whom we could apply my heart sank within me. ! went to your "'Common Sense Medical Adviser,' read your treatment on scrofula, cet tine the properties of medicines there advised, ^itb. f.va bottles of ' Golden Medical Diccsrery ' I have entirety cared my child. ? Hoping this will be of some use to you and a blessing to other sufferers, with heartfelt th?.aka, I remain.** . Doctor Pierce's Pleasant Pellets are an excellent laxative for children. They are easy to take ?nd thorough *ih action. ?-???ci from his horse, and, advancing to j Lee, knelt dowu beside him, leaning against the log on which he was seat ed, and began almost st once to pro pound his plas, for it seemed to him thc only plan worthy of consideration. AB he went on General Lee, looking steadily into the fire with an abstract ed ail, listened patiently. Alexander said his full say. A brief pause en sued, which Lee finally broke in some what these words: "No! General Alex ander, that will not do. You must remember that we are a Christian peo ple. We have fought this fight as long and as well as we know how. We have been defeated. For us as a Christian people there is now but one course to pursue. We must accept the situation; these men must go home and plant a crop, and we must proceed to build up our country on a new basis. Wt cannot have recourse to the methods you suggest.' I re member being deeply impressed with \lexander's comment, as he repeated these words of Lee. They had evi ently burned themselves into his memory. He said: *I had nothing more to say. I felt that the man had soared away up above me-he domina ted me completely. I rose from be ide bim; silently mounted my horse, rodo back to my command, and waited for the order to surrender. Then and there Lee decided its course for the Confederacy. And I take it there is not one solitary man n the United Slates, North or South, who does not feel that he decided right." m i - - How the Boys Got Fresh Meat In Camp. Talk about olose calls, I will endea vor to tell of one and of a display of generalship in winter quarters at Fredericksburg, Ya. Fresh meat was very scarce, and we were very anxious to procure some; so we held a council of war io our tent to devise some means by which we might be able to havo the article above named. The only way we could devise was to go after it. So two of the mess, Billie and Perry, ventured out one night, and after a long journey in the coun try returned late in the night with a tub of very fine beef, which was placed in the tent. Arising next morning with rabid appetites, as nothing but soldiers can have, we prepared our selves for a feust. But lookl What is the matter in camp? We see a provost cruard pass ing through the different streets of our camp, led by an old citizen. I gave the larm. Up, boys! No time to lose. What shall we do with this tub of beef? They are advanoing upon us! Here they oome, searching every tent. Steady boys; keepoool! Thetford gives orders; eaoh man obeys. Steady, men, they are still cd vr.noing. Perry, take your position on outside of tent. Thetford and Mao, take .your positions at the tub of meat. Orderly, you take your posi tion at the entranoe of the tent. Keep cool, which was not hard to do, as there was plenty of snow on the ground; but I didn't feel the cold much. Just at this timo they are ad vanoing down one street, first one side, theo on the other side, entering every teat. Attention, men! Every san to his plaoe. Now, orderly, when they pass by the rear of the tent raise your Slightly Disfigured b YES, we have dh-fiurc-d the Hayes but still have Hume Bargains left in Shoes, Huts, Paist* and I am adding on a Btock of Groceries, Sugar, Try a Barrel of Bromford. Clifton or 8 pleased. White Wine Vinegar 2?c. pe C. I Trade at the BUSY 6 ANYBODY that watches the ci sold. Watch the bees and you will fin* dous stacks of Goods daily piled at DE to prove that the people know where to They buy BAGGING and 1 does, and for the same reason they buy BARLEY, that havn't got a particle of They just know that DEAN & I lowest, and the quality of thur Goods i They believe that, no matter hov get, they will handle their orders just i had. That's what makes DEAN & B in trade circles, aud the high-cock-a-lor y They've staked their reputation < declare they've got the neatest, newest, ried in stock. Their Ladies' Shoes pro give you one of those regular "old shot Common, ordinary H ATS look just opened up. There's only one place to buy good RATL?FFE'8, and the best Flour DEAN'S PATENT, and don't yow foi DEAN & I MT* Tho Store where people trade, ant are now being sold. Hurry tip t band. Thetford and Mac, pass the tub through the gable to Perry ou the outside. They pass the given point; the hand is raised; the tub is passed through to the outside. "Halt!" The salute is given. "Have orders to search your tent." "For what?" Ul,'"..l._4 ?. l icou uioav. March in; beds turned up, straw turned over; bayonets jab the ground. "No meat ia this tent." Old Citizen: "Glad to know that we did not find any meat it. your tent. Lost a very fine beef last night. Shame, shame, that some soldiers will steai!" "Shoulder arms! Forward march!" Presto chao g.e-the meat is passed baok into the toot as they depart. I have been scared many times be fore and since, but for a short time I certainly was anxious and soared both at the same timo. I have been through many trying times, have had many narrow escapes since the beef scrape, but do not think I ever suffer ed more for tbe length of time it last ed. My honor wa*? at stake, but I mu?t say that after my suspense had passed and I had suppressed my con science I certainly did enjoy the beefsteak. R. P. SCHOPPEET, O. S. Co. B, 11th Ala. Regt. A World Power. "I tell you, ain't none o'th' nations a-goin* t' tackle us," shouted the man with the faded hair, gesticulating wildly to the assembled orowd. "We're a world power now, au' we've got 'em all skeered. Why, we've got a big navy, th' best army in th' world, an' we've got more money than we can haul in a hay wagon. We're so almightly big an' rich that we kin-" "Yes, we've got all them things," interrupted a woman who had slipped into the orowd and grasped the orator by the arm. "We're a world power all right; but we ain't got enough wood sawed to boil SquiVe Richman's washin', an' if we don't git it right away a portion o' this great nation ain't goin' t' git no dinner. Now you mosey off home an' let Europe trem ble all she waots to." - A vermin destroyer, *hich is recommended as a sure thing with insects of all kinds, thouich otherwise harmless, may be made by dissolving alum in hot water. Applying it to furniture and crevices iu the walls with a paint brush. .Let the GOLD DUST twins do your work." tfferae times a day. 1099 ttmss a ys*r the QOUM BUST twins will make your dlsh-washin? easy. ?HE H. K. FAIRBANK COMPANY, CL'CM at Still in the Ring ! i Stock considerably the p**t six w eke, Notions of all Kinds. Coffee and Flour. ipotlesa, end I am sure yoi will ba r gallon. fl. BUCHANAN. Masonic Temple WORE ! rowd knows where the most Oa^g are i where the honey gr.>wa. Tbe t tv ni en - AN A RATLIFFE'6 *tore diw>r? go get the m??st of their lU 'iiey. Tl EG there becaus? ?-ve rv bod y else those pure SEED OATS, RYE ?nd Johnson G VAR* in them. lATLIFF?'S prices are as low as the tre above suspicion, r busy DEAN A RATLIFFE may | is though u was the only one they ever j AYLIFFE the Czar of all the Russias om of the bargain rauch. Dn their SHOES this season, and cleanest line of Shoes they ever car ted the feet as weil a 4 the purse, and B" fits. like thirty cents beside their new line L FLOURS, aiirl that is DEAN & to buy in. season and Cut of season ia rgetit ?TUFFE I where grain fertilizers of all kinda md catch up with the crowd. "Oft The Kind Toa Have Always Bought? and which has beca in uso foi* over SO yean, has borne tho signature ?4? and has been made under his per sonal supervision since its infancy* Allow no one to> deceive yon in this* All Counterfeits, Imitations and ?? Just-as-gcod^are bat Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health af Infants and Children-Experlenco against Bxpe?rinaenfc? What es CASTORIA Castoria ls a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Pare goric, lirops and Soothing Syrups, It !* pwgft?fc; !f? contains neither Opium? Morphine nor other Narcotics substance. Its age is its guarantee? It destroys Worms and allays Feverishness. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind Colic, lt relieves Teething Troubles, euros Constipation and Flatulency. It assimilates the Food- r^gwt?ati? the Stomach and Bowels? giving healthy and natural sleep? Tho Children's Panacea-Tho Mother's Friend, GENUINE CASTORIA ALWAYS Bears the Signataxe of The Kind You Have Always Bought in Use For Over 30 Years. THE OKVfTAU ll OOSIMMV, Ti ?IMMT STStiV, UKW ?OtHt CTTYV_ ^MnOHBHaHsi "When the Leaves Begin to Turn ! ff? 18 the time to BOW OATS, R> E and BARLEY. Now, in order that yon may not come up lacking in harvest time, we have bought GOOD 8EEI> for you. JUST RECEIVED 3000 bushels Texas Bed Bust Proof Oats, 2000 bushels Ninety Six Bed Bust Proof Oats, 1000 bushels Winter Grazing Oats. Car Load Bye and Barley. Could have Bold the above without moving sam-- for a handsome profit, but preferred to give them to you at a loss, as we want to supply those that have always patronized us. Recollect the above is only about one-quarter our usual supply, and is all we can get ; BO come and secure your Seed at once. Can buy plenty of Kan sas Red Oats for lees money, but they will not do io this climate. LIGON & LE^BETTER, WHOLE8ALE DEALERS D. 8. VAN DIVER. J. J. MAJOR. E. P. VAN DIVER? Vandiver Bros. & Major. If yon want a Fine, Medium or Cheap Buggy We can sell it to you and save you mouvy. We have the nobbiest line of Fancv Young Men's Buggier to be found, and want to shew them to you. We have a large stock pf "BIRDSELL'S and "WHITS HICKORY* gons At lowest prices. We eel? the PLANO MOWER and BINDER, and want you to see them. Your trade appreciated. VANDIVER BROTHERS & MAJOR. Acme Paint andCement Cure, Specially used on Tin Roofs and Iron Work of any kind. For sale by ACME PAINT & CEMENT CO. Beferenoe : F. B. GR?YTOIS & CO., Druggists, Anderson, S. C. A. C. STEIOELANB, DENTIST? OFFICE-Front Rooms ever Fara era and Merchante Bank. .The opposite eat Illustrates Con tlnuoua Gom Teeth. Tho Ia>?l Piste-moro cleanly tb sn tbs Moo ral teeth? No bad taste or bresfi? f 3 m Pin'>. of tbla Mod * A LONG LOOK AHEAD A man thinks it IP when the matter of life intar&Eoe suggests itself--but Circassian? ces of late have shown how life hangs by ? thread when war, flood, hurricane and fire suddenly overtakes you, and the only way to be sure that your family ia protected in case of calamity overtaking you is to in sure in a solid Company like The Muta? BensSt Life Ins. Co* ? , Drop in and see us about it. STATS AGENT, Peoples' Baak Boiling, ANDERSON s a,