Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 21.djvu/32

 24 Southern Historical Society Papers.

dismounted, handing his bridle rein to his attendant, and advanced, drawing the gauntlet from his right hand, Jackson flung himself off his horse and advanced to meet him, little sorrel trotting back to the staff, where a courier secured him.

The two generals greeted each other warmly, but wasted -no time upon the greeting. They stood facing each other, some thirty feet from where I lay, Lee's left side and back toward me, Jackson's right and front. He began talking in a jerky, impetuous way, mean- while drawing a diagram on the ground with the toe of his right boot. He traced two sides of a triangle with promptness and decis- ion; then, starting at the end of the second line, began to draw a third projected toward the first. This line he traced slowly arid with hesitation, alternately looking up at Lee's face and down at his dia- gram, meanwhile talking earnestly; and when at last the third line crossed the first and the triangle was complete, he raised his foot and stamped it down with emphasis, saying, " We've got him." Then instantly signalled for his horse, and when he came, vaulted awk- warkly into the saddle, and was gone.

Lee looked after him a moment, the courier brought his horse, he mounted, and he and his staff rode away.

The third line was never drawn so we never "got" McClellan.

I question if any other man witnessed this interview: certainly no other was as near the two generals. At times I could hear their words, though they were uttered, for the most part, in the low tones of close and earnest conference. As the two faced each other, except that the difference in height was not great, the contrast between them could not have been more striking in feature, figure, dress, voice, style, bearing, manner everything, in short, that expressed the essential being of the men. It was the Cavalier and the Puritan in intensest embodiment. These two great roots and stocks of British manhood had borne each its consummate flower, in the rank soil of the New World.

LEE.

The most eloquent tongues and pens of two continents have labored to present, with fitting eulogy, the character and career of the great Cavalier, who is to-day recognized, the world over as the representative of the soldiery of the South. Not only is it true of him that he uniformly acted from the highest motive presented to his soul but, so impressive and all-compelling was the majesty of his virtue, that it is doubtful whether any one ever questioned this. It