Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/239

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The United States urgently pressed at Geneva the charge that a Britain had been both lax in her neutral duties and partial towards the Confederate States, and commended the rigid exactness of France. The foregoing are some of the facts which may serve to illustrate the true attitude of those two neutral powers, and may help those who are still interested in the subject to determine the founda- tion upon which the " Alabama Claims" were based.

(From the Richmond, Va., IHsjMttch, Novt-mlior 26, 1800]

THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.

Details of the Mighty Conflict.

INTERESTING PAPER BY HON. JOHN LAMB READ BEFORE THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS.

Scouting in the Enemy's Lines Underground Mail Route Described.

A valuable paper on the battle of Fredericksburg was read by the Honorable John Lamb at a recent meeting of R. E. Lee Camp, No. i, Sons of Confederate Veterans, in pursuance of a custom now in vogue in the camp of having some battle of the war between the States discussed by one or more of its members each Monday night. The paper elicited much praise from those present, among whom were several of the delegates to the United Daughters of the Con- federacy, and Mr. Lamb was, by a unanimous vote, requested to present the MS. to the camp, and allow it to be published. The text of Mr. Lamb's discussion of this famous battle was as follows:

DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE.

The battle of Sharpsburg of the i6th and iyth of September, 1862, was over; the Army of Northern Virginia had recrossed the Potomac, and was camping upon its native soil in the Shenandoah Valley, where the commander-in-chief was trying to recuperate his forces. On the 25th of September, General Lee suggested to Presi- dent Davis that the best move for his army to make was to advance upon Hatjrrstown and fall upon McClellan from that direction, saying: " I would not hesitat,e to make it even with our diminished forces did the army show its former temper and disposition."