Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/213

 / / '/;/! in the Battle of fiit/>/.^t"//-< is what is called the truth of history is concerned, their narra- tives of what they advised or planned or of what they did, it must be confessed, sometimes do violence to the actual facts.

These writers remind me of something that General Lee once said to me.

While the Confederate army lay on the Rapidan, in the winter of 1863, a report reached General Lee that a change had been made in the disposition of his troops by the enemy on the other side of the river, opposite the extreme right of our line, which, if true, required a corresponding change on our part. He sent me to General Ewell, who commanded on our right, to inform him of the report, and in- struct him to make a change in the disposition of the troops to meet that reported on the part of the enemy.

It was a long ride, as General Ewell had heard the same report and had gone to our extreme right, several miles below his head- quarters. But when I found him he told me that he had already heard the report, but had discovered that it was incorrect, and that the enemy had made no change. Of course, I did not give him General Lee's order as to changing the location of his troops.

A LESSON IN OBEDIENCE.

I reached our camp about dark and reported what General Ewell had told me and said that I had withheld General Lee's order about changing the position of the troops. General Lee expressed his sat- isfaction, and told me to get ready for dinner as there were one or two foreign officers to dine with us. I sat at the lower end of a long table in the mess tent, and after dinner conversation became general, and the subject of the report I have mentioned and of my expedi- tion to General Ewell was referred to.

General Lee, with an amused expression, suddenly called to me from his end of the table:

"Colonel Marshall, did you know General Twiggs?"

I replied that I had never met General Twiggs, but that I knew something of him from the history of the Mexican war. General Lee then said: " General Twiggs had a way of instilling instruction that was very effective, and no one ever forgot a lesson taught by him. When he went to Mexico he had a number of young officers