Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/214

 202 Southern Historical Society Papers.

to the right, passed through the vacancy between the brigades, took off his hat and rode "Traveler" grandly to the front. He had scarcely got a dozen paces in front of our brigades when Gen- eral Gordon and an officer on his left, whom I took to be his adjutant, trotted quickly after General Lee, and Gordon, as soon as he reached him, seized " Traveler " by the right cheek of his bit, stopped him, and said to General Lee: " You must not expose your- self; your life is too valuable to the army and to the Confederacy for you to risk it so wantonly; we are Georgians, we are Virginians, we need no such encouragement." At this some of our soldiers called out, "No, No," Gordon continuing, said: "There is not a soldier in the Confederate army that would not glady lay down his life to save you from harm;" but the men did not respond to this last proposition. While Gordon was speaking his adjutant rode around the heads of the horses of the two generals and facing his horse in a direction opposite that of General Lee's began to tug at "Traveler's" bit or bridle rein. Looking through an aperture in our breastworks I saw a body of the enemy coming from our left, slowly, and cautiously approaching us.

" STEADY, FRONT !"

I called out to General Lee to come back, the enemy were ap- proaching, and that we could not fight while he was in our front. A number of our men, especially those of Company A, called out: "Come back, General Lee; we can't fight while you are in our front;" and some members of Company A turned their right shoulders to General Lee and their backs to me, but I immediately brought these men into line by a "steady, front !"

Neither Lee nor "Traveler" seemed inclined to take a single step backward. And Gordon continued his patriotic address and his adjutant continued tugging at " Traveler's " bridle bit in a com- ical manner, but the noble presence of General Lee and the eloquent words and graceful bearing of General Gordon relieved this dra- matic scene, which might soon have become a dreadful tragedy from every appearance of being a comedy.

"COME BACK GENERAL LEE."

On looking out again for the enemy I noticed that they had drawn very close to our earthworks. I called out to General Lee " To come back, and come quick; that the enemy were close upon us, and that my men could not fire on the enemy without shooting