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SOLDIER 
 
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 9^' GEORGE RHCKETT e&Jl 
 
 Copyright IQ13 by Stth Moyle (Inc.) 
 Copyright IQI2 by the Pictorial Review Company 
 Copyright igo8 by The S. S. McClure Company 
 
 Published by SETH MOYLE {incorporated) 
 NEW YORK 
 
©CI.A3 4 6 268 
 
FORE WORD 
 
 P*OR half a century these letters have lain 
 •*• locked away from the world, the lines 
 fading upon the yellowed pages, their every 
 •word enshrined in the heart of the noble 
 woman to whom they were written. To her 
 they came filled with the thunder of guns, 
 the lightning of unsheathed swords, the tu- 
 multuous rage in the heart of the storm; but 
 through them all the radiance of a pure de- 
 votion outshone the battle flash and the lyric 
 of a great love rose above the cannon's roar. 
 To their possessor, naturally, these letters 
 are sacred and they are given to the world 
 with great reluctance. It is only the thought 
 of the inspiration that they can bring to 
 lives less glorious than that of him who 
 penned them, of the courage they can instill 
 into hearts less brave, that has led their 
 owner to share them with the world. 
 
 Through the medium of this volume, 
 which is hereby dedicated to the Great Sol- 
 dier and True Man who supplied its con- 
 tents, these letters are given, out of the 
 hands of one who has cherished them ten- 
 derly for many years, into the keeping of all 
 those who honor courage, loyalty and the 
 love of man for woman. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PART ONE 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. In which the General Tells Why He 
 
 Sided with the South .... 33 
 II. Written 'After a Light Skirmish with 
 
 the Enemy 38 
 
 III. Concerning Legitimate Warfare, Seces- 
 
 sion and the Mishaps of an Old 
 Major of Artillery 41 
 
 IV. In Which Are Given Certain Details 
 
 of the Battle of Seven Pines . . 46 
 ^V. Containing a Presentiment of Danger, 
 the Night Before He Was Wounded 
 
 at Gaines' Mill 50 
 
 VI. At His Old Home Recovering from 
 
 His Wound 52 
 
 VII. Mostly Concerning Bob, His Body- 
 Servant 55 
 
 VIII. Written Upon His Return to His Old 
 
 Command 58 
 
 IX. On the Occasion of His Promotion to 
 the Rank of Major-General — Tell- 
 ing of Jackson and Garnett . . 61 
 X. From the Field of Fredericksburg . 64 
 
 PART TWO 
 
 XI. From His Old Home on the Suffolk 
 
 Expedition 69 
 
 XII. In Which He Urges His Betrothed 
 
 to Marry Him at Once ... 73 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Continued 
 
 PAGE 
 
 XIII. Warning Her to Leave the Danger 
 
 Zone 77 
 
 XIV. When Lee Crossed the Potomac . . 79 
 XV. On the Way Through Pennsylvania 81 
 
 XVI. Lines Penned on the Road to Gettys- 
 burg 84 
 
 XVII. During a Halt in the Long March . 88 
 XVIII. While He Awaited the Order to 
 
 Charge at Gettysburg . . . .91 
 XIX. Relating Certain Incidents of the 
 
 Great Battle 97 
 
 XX. Written in Sorrow and Defeat, after 
 
 the Struggle lOi 
 
 XXI. Containing Further Details of the 
 
 Battle 104 
 
 XXII. On the Way to Richmond, Guarding 
 
 Prisoners . 109 
 
 PART THREE 
 
 XXIII. In Which the General Issues an Order 117 
 
 XXIV. Written After Their Marriage, on an 
 
 Expedition Into North Carolina . 120 
 
 XXV. From the Lines Near Petersburg, Va. 123 
 
 XXVI. In the Wilderness Before Cold Harbor 127 
 
 XXVII. Recalling a Visit from" Old Jack" . 130 
 
 XXVIII. After General Lee Had Congratulated 
 
 His Division for Gallantry . . .134 
 XXIX. When Butler Burned the General's 
 
 Old Home 138 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Continued 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PART FOUR 
 XXX. Upon Hearing of the Birth of the 
 
 ''Little General" 147 
 
 XXXI. A Second Letter Written on His Sons 
 
 Birthday . 150 
 
 XXXII. On the Occasion of His First Visit to 
 
 His Boy 151 
 
 XXXIII. Upon Returning from a Ride with 
 
 " Marse Robert" 153 
 
 XXXIV. Concerning the Gossip of His Servant, 
 
 George . 155 
 
 XXXV. After an Evening Spent at the " White 
 
 House" of the Confederacy . . 162 
 XXXVI. In the Dark Days Before the End . 167 
 XXXVII. Written in Defeat, After the Battle 
 
 of Five Forks 169 
 
 XXXVIII. A Few Hours Before Lee's Surrender 
 
 at Appomattox -. 176 
 
 PART FIVE 
 XXXIX. In which the General Tells of a 
 Trip to Washington and a Visit 
 with his old Friend, Grant . . .183 
 XL. From New York, after refusing the 
 
 Command of the Egyptian Army . 188 
 XLI. A Letter from Turkey Island, during 
 
 a brief absence of his Wife . . .191 
 XLII. Concerning a Slight Illness and the 
 
 Business Troubles of a Soldier . 197 
 
N 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 T E 
 
 Continued 
 
 N 
 
 PAGE 
 
 On the Occasion of the Memorial 
 Services in Honor of those who died 
 at Gettysburg 203 
 
 Written while away from Home, after 
 the death of his Youngest Boy . . 208 
 
 For the Introduction to this book, 
 credit is due to McClure's Magazine, 
 in which the article first appeared. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 By FRANKLIN BOOTH 
 
 Do you remember, my Sally, ho'w many times ive said Good- 
 bye that eveningf 
 
 "The enemy is there, General, and I am going to strike him," 
 said Marse Robert in his firm, quiet voice. 
 
 T<wo lines of their infantry were driven back; two lines of 
 guns were taken — and no support came. 
 
 You must have been up all night, my prettice, to have made 
 up and sent out such a basket of goodies. My, I tell you, it 
 all tasted good. 
 
 1/ 
 
x^^';i'. 
 
 Do you remember, my Sally, 
 lioiv many times ive said good- 
 bye that e'vening? — Page 80. 
 
SOLDIER 
 
 An Introductory Chapter 
 
 from the One to Whom these Letters 
 
 were Written 
 
 EARLY in life's morning I knew and 
 loved him, and from my first meeting 
 with him to the end, I always called him 
 "Soldier"— "My Soldier." I was a wee bit 
 of a girl at that first meeting. I had been 
 visiting my grandmother, when whooping- 
 cough broke out in the neighborhood, and she 
 took me off to Old Point Comfort to visit her 
 friend, Mrs. Boykin, the sister of John Y. 
 Mason. I could dance and sing and play 
 games and was made much of by the other 
 children and their parents there, till I sud- 
 denly developed the cough, then I was 
 shunned and isolated. 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 I could not understand the change. I 
 would press my face against the ball-room 
 window-panes and watch the merry-making 
 inside and my little heart would almost break. 
 One morning, while playing alone on the 
 beach, I saw an officer lying on the sand read- 
 ing, under the shelter of an umbrella. I had 
 noticed him several times, always apart from 
 the others, and very sad. I could imagine but 
 one reason for his desolation and in pity for 
 him, I crept under his umbrella to ask him 
 if he, too, had the whooping-cough. He 
 smiled and answered no; but as I still per- 
 sisted he drew me to him, telling me that he 
 had lost someone who was dear to him and 
 he was very lonely. 
 
 And straightway, without so much as a by- 
 your-leave, I promised to take the place of his 
 dear one and to comfort him in his loss. 
 Child as I was, I believe I lost my heart to 
 him on the spot. At all events, I crept from 
 under the umbrella pledged to Lieutenant 
 George E. Pickett, U. S. A., for life and death, 
 and I still hold most sacred a little ring and 
 locket that he gave me on that day. 
 
 It is small wonder that this first picture of 
 
THE HEART OF A' SOLDIER 
 
 him is among the most vivid still ; the memory 
 of him as he lay stretched in the shade of 
 the umbrella, not tall, and rather slender, but 
 very graceful, and perfect in manly beauty. 
 With childish appreciation, I particularly no- 
 ticed his very small hands and feet. He had 
 beautiful gray eyes that looked at me through 
 sunny lights — eyes that smiled with his lips. 
 His mustache was gallantly curled. His hair 
 was exactly the color of mine, dark brown, 
 and long and wavy, in the fashion of the time. 
 The neatness of his dress attracted even a 
 child's admiration. His shirt-front of the 
 finest white linen, was in soft puffs and ruf- 
 fles, and the sleeves were edged with hem- 
 stitched thread cambric ruffles. He would 
 never, to the end of his life, wear the stiff linen 
 collars and cuffs and stocks which came into 
 fashion among men. While he was at West 
 Point he paid heavily in demerits for ob- 
 stinacy in refusing to wear the regulation 
 stock. Only when the demerits reached the 
 danger-point would he temporarily give up 
 his soft necktie. 
 
 It was under that umbrella, in the days that 
 followed, that I learned, while he guided my 
 3 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 hand, to make my first letters and spell my 
 first words. They were *'Sally" and "Sol- 
 dier." I remember, too, the songs he used to 
 sing me in the clear, rich voice of which his 
 soldiers were so fond, frequently accompany- 
 ing himself on the guitar. He kept a diary 
 of those days and after the war it was returned 
 to him from San Juan by the British officer 
 who occupied the island conjointly with him 
 before the opening of the war. I have it now 
 in my possession. 
 
 Three years after our first meeting I saw 
 my Soldier again. He had just received his 
 commission as captain, and was recruiting his 
 company at Fortress Monroe, before sailing 
 for San Juan. The first real sorrow of my 
 life was when I watched the St. Louis go out 
 to sea with my Soldier on board, bound 
 around the Horn to Puget Sound, where he 
 was stationed at Fort Bellingham, which I 
 thought must be farther than the end of the 
 world. Forty thousand Indians had risen 
 against the settlers. For two years he was in 
 the thick of it, and greatly distinguished him- 
 self, but he did even better after the Indians 
 were suppressed, for he made them his friends, 
 
 4 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 learned their languages, built school-houses 
 for them and taught them, and they called 
 him Nesika Tyee — Our Chief. One old In- 
 dian chief insisted upon making him a pres- 
 ent of one of his children. He translated the 
 Lord's Prayer and some of our hymns and pa- 
 triotic songs into their jargon and taught the 
 Indians to sing them. He taught me some of 
 them afterward. Years later, one night after 
 the Civil War, while we were exiles in Mont- 
 real, General Pickett and I were singing a 
 hymn in Chinook to put our baby to sleep, 
 when a voice in the next room joined us. At 
 the close of the hymn a stranger came and 
 spoke to my Soldier in Chinook. When he 
 left, he invited us to the theater where he was 
 playing. He was William Florence, and he 
 gave me my first taste of the pleasures of the 
 drama. 
 
 Following the Indian war, the quarrel with 
 the British over the ownership of San Juan 
 Island reached a white heat, and on the night 
 of July 26, 1859, my Soldier, with sixty-eight 
 men, was sent from the mainland to take pos- 
 session. They were none too soon, for when 
 5 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER. 
 
 morning dawned there were five British war- 
 ships off the coast, with nineteen hundred and 
 forty men ready to land. They proposed 
 joint occupation, but Captain Pickett replied: 
 **I cannot allow joint occupation until so 
 ordered by my commanding general." 
 
 The English captain said: "I have a 
 thousand men ready to land to-night." 
 
 Captain Pickett replied: "Captain, if you 
 undertake it, I will fight you as long as I have 
 a man." 
 
 ''I shall land at once," said the British ofii- 
 cer. 
 
 "If you will give me forty-eight hours, till 
 I hear from my commanding officer, my or- 
 ders may be countermanded. If you don't 
 you must be responsible for the bloodshed that 
 will follow." 
 
 ^'Not one minute," was the English cap- 
 tain's reply. 
 
 My Soldier gave orders for the drawing up 
 of his men in lines on the hill facing the beach 
 where the English must land. 
 
 6 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 ''We will make a Bunker Hill of it, and 
 don't be afraid of their big guns," he said. 
 
 In his official report General Harney said: 
 "So satisfied were the British officers that Cap- 
 tain Pickett would carry out this course, that 
 they hesitated." 
 
 The United States retained the Island and 
 my Soldier remained in command until the 
 outbreak of the Civil War. But when Vir- 
 ginia passed the Ordinance of Secession he re- 
 signed his commission and recognizing the 
 claims of his native state, joined his fortunes 
 with those of the Southland, although, like 
 many others who fought as bravely against the 
 national government as in happier times they 
 had fought for it, he loved the Union and 
 every star in that flag which he had so often 
 borne to victory. 
 
 My Soldier reached Richmond September 
 13, 1861, and at once enlisted as a private. 
 The next day he was given a commission as 
 captain, a short time later promoted to a col- 
 onelcy, and early in 1862 received his com- 
 mission as brigadier-general. In June, while 
 7 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 leading his brigade in a charge at Gaines's 
 Mill, he was severely wounded in the shoul- 
 der, but refused to leave the field, ordering 
 Dr. Chancellor to extract the bullet on the 
 field. The surgeon remonstrated, but he said : 
 ''My men need me here, Doctor. Fix me 
 now." 
 
 He was finally carried off, but was back 
 with his brigade two months before he was 
 able to draw a sleeve over the wounded arm. 
 
 Time has not lessened the fame of Pickett's 
 Charge at Gettysburg, and it never will ; for 
 the changes that have taken place in the sci- 
 ence of war leave no possibility that future 
 history will produce its counterpart. Truly, 
 "the first day of the terrible three at Gettys- 
 burg was an accident, the second a blunder" 
 and the third the greatest tragedy that has 
 ever been played upon the stage of war. 
 With its imperishable glory — overshadowing 
 all other events in martial history, notwith- 
 standing its appalling disaster — is linked for- 
 ever the name of my Soldier. 
 
 8 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Down the slope into the smoke-filled valley 
 the devoted men followed him as he rode in 
 advance upon his black war-horse. Their 
 ranks were thinned and torn and shattered by 
 the tempest of lead which from every side 
 was turned on them. Smoke and flame sur- 
 rounded them. But from the rear the men 
 sprang to fill the gaps in front as they pressed 
 after their leader through the tempest of iron. 
 Five thousand Virginians followed him at 
 the start; but when the Southern flag floated 
 on the ridge, in less than half an hour, not two 
 thousand were left to rally beneath it, and 
 those for only one glorious, victory-intoxi- 
 cated moment. They were not strong enough 
 to hold the position they had so dearly won; 
 and, broken-hearted, even at the very moment 
 of his immortal triumph, my Soldier led his 
 remaining men down the slope again. He 
 dismounted and walked beside the stretcher 
 upon which General Kemper, one of his offi- 
 cers, was being carried, fanning him and 
 speaking cheerfully to comfort him in his suf- 
 fering. When he reached Seminary Ridge 
 again and reported to General Lee, his face 
 9 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 was wet with tears as he pointed to the crimson 
 valley and said: 
 
 "My noble division lies there!" 
 
 "General Pickett," said the commander, 
 "you and your men have covered yourselves 
 with glory." 
 
 "Not all the glory in the world, General 
 Lee," my Soldier replied, "could atone for the 
 widows and orphans this day has made." 
 
 Soon after the great battle my Soldier con- 
 fided to his corps commander his intention of 
 marrying, and asked for a furlough. Gen- 
 eral Longstreet replied that they were not 
 granting furloughs then, but added, with the 
 twinkle in his eye which those who knew him 
 so well will remember: "I might detail you 
 for special duty and you could, of course, stop 
 off and get married if you wanted to." 
 
 In old St. Paul's Church in Petersburg, 
 September 15, 1863, we were married, while 
 the bells rang out the chimes that still make 
 music from that old belfry and are yet known 
 
 10 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 as "Pickett's Chimes." In the throng which 
 crowded the church and extended to the side- 
 walk were hundreds whose mourning garb at- 
 tested to the costly sacrifice which Petersburg 
 had given to the South. Many hands were 
 reached out to greet my Soldier, and from the 
 lips of many a black-robed mother came the 
 words: "My son was with you at Gettysburg 
 — God bless 5^ou!" A salute of a hundred 
 guns announced the marriage; cheers followed 
 us, and chimes and bands and bugles played 
 as we left for our wedding reception in Rich- 
 mond. 
 
 The food supply of the South was reduced 
 to narrow limits then. Salt was reclaimed 
 from the earth under smoke-houses. Guests 
 at distinguished functions were regaled with 
 ice-cream made of frozen buttermilk sweet- 
 ened with sorghum. But friends of the gen- 
 eral had almost worked miracles to prepare 
 a wedding supper. It was sora season, and 
 those little birds had been killed at night with 
 paddles — the South being not much richer in 
 ammunition than in edibles — and contributed 
 so lavishly to our banquet that it was always 
 ji 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 afterward known as "the wedding sora sup- 
 per." Our wedding present from Mrs. Lee 
 was a fruit-cake, and Bishop Dudley's mother 
 sent a black cake she had been saving for her 
 golden wedding. Little bags of salt and 
 sugar were sent as presents. The army was 
 in camp near by, and all the men at the re- 
 ception, except President Davis, his cabinet, 
 and a few clergymen, came in full uniform, 
 officers and privates as well. We returned 
 without delay to Petersburg, that being my 
 Soldier's headquarters. 
 
 In early May, General Butler, with thirty 
 thousand men, came down upon Petersburg, 
 defended by only six hundred. They held 
 the place till half-starved and ragged rein- 
 forcements were hurried in from every direc- 
 tion. We women carried the despatches, and 
 cooked the food and took it to the men at 
 the guns. The roar of the cannon and the 
 shriek of shot and shell filled our ears day and 
 night. At train-time we would go to the sta- 
 tion and send up cheer after cheer to welcome 
 the train from its short trip out into the coun- 
 try, hoping to blind the Yankees to the fact 
 
 12 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 that it brought in only the half-starved railroad 
 men. During the entire week, until he had 
 Butler safely ^'bottled up at Petersburg," my 
 Soldier did not sleep, and the only times I saw 
 him were when I carried his bread and soup 
 and coffee out to him. It was just as it had 
 been when he started for Cemetery Hill at 
 Gettysburg. He would never stop till he had 
 accomplished his work. After Pickett's Di- 
 vision had retaken Bermuda Hundred the fol- 
 lowing summer. General Anderson, command- 
 ing Longstreet's Corps, wrote to General Lee : 
 'We tried very hard to stop Pickett and his 
 men from capturing the breastworks of the 
 enemy, but we could not do it." 
 
 The devotion of General Pickett's men to 
 him has often been recounted as something 
 phenomenal. It was equaled only by his de- 
 votion to them. Very near the end of the war, 
 when the army had subsisted on nothing but 
 corn for many days, as my Soldier was riding 
 toward Sailor's Creek, a woman ran out of 
 a house and handed him something to eat. 
 He carried it in his hand as he rode on. Pres- 
 ently he came upon a soldier lying behind a 
 13 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 log, and spoke to him. The man looked up, 
 revealing a boyish face, scarcely more than a 
 child's — thin and pale. 
 
 "What's the matter?" asked my Soldier. 
 
 "I'm starving, General," the boy replied. 
 "I couldn't help it. I couldn't keep up, so I 
 just lay down here to die." 
 
 "Take this," handing the boy his luncheon; 
 "and when you have eaten and rested, go on 
 back home. It would only waste another life 
 for you to go on." 
 
 The boy took the food eagerly, but replied: 
 "No, Marse George. If I get strength 
 
 enough to go at all, I'll follow you to the last." 
 He did, for he was killed a few days later 
 
 at Sailor's Creek. 
 
 I was in Richmond when my Soldier fought 
 the awful battle of Five Forks, Richmond 
 surrendered, and the surging sea of fire swept 
 the city. News of the fate of Five Forks had 
 reached us, and the city was full of rumors 
 that General Pickett was killed. I did not 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 believe them. I knew he would come back, 
 he had told me so. But they were very anx- 
 ious hours. The day after the fire, there was 
 a sharp rap at the door. The servants had 
 all run away. The city was full of northern 
 troops, and my environment had not taught 
 me to love them. The fate of other cities had 
 awakened my fears for Richmond. With my 
 baby on my arm, I answered the knock, opened 
 the door and looked up at a tall, gaunt, sad- 
 faced man in ill-fitting clothes, who, with the 
 accent of the North, asked: 
 
 *Ts this George Pickett's place?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," I answered, "but he is not here." 
 
 "I know that, ma'am," he replied, "but I 
 just wanted to see the place. I am Abraham 
 Lincoln." 
 
 "The President!" I gasped. 
 
 The stranger shook his head and said : 
 
 "No, ma'am ; no, ma'am ; just Abraham Lin- 
 coln; George's old friend." 
 15 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 "I am George Pickett's wife and this is his 
 baby," was all I could say. I had never seen 
 Mr. Lincoln but remembered the intense love 
 and reverence with which my Soldier always 
 spoke of him. 
 
 My baby pushed away from me and reached 
 out his hands to Mr. Lincoln, who took him 
 in his arms. As he did so an expression 
 of rapt, almost divine, tenderness and love 
 lighted up the sad face. It was a look that 
 I have never seen on any other face. My 
 baby opened his mouth wide and insisted upon 
 giving his father's friend a dewy infantile kiss. 
 As Mr. Lincoln gave the little one back to me, 
 shaking his finger at him playfully, he said: 
 
 "Tell your father, the rascal, that I forgive 
 him for the sake of that kiss and those bright 
 eyes." 
 
 He turned and went down the steps, talk- 
 ing to himself, and passed out of my sight for- 
 ever, but in my memory those intensely hu- 
 man eyes, that strong, sad face, have a per- 
 petual abiding place — that face which puz- 
 
 i6 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 zled all artists but revealed itself to the in- 
 tuitions of a little child, causing it to hold out 
 its hands to be taken and its lips to be kissed. 
 
 It was through Mr. Lincoln that my Sol- 
 dier, as a lad of seventeen, received his ap- 
 pointment to West Point. Mr. Lincoln was 
 at that time associated in law practice with 
 George Pickett's uncle, Mr. Andrew John- 
 ston, a distinguished lawyer and scholar, who 
 was very anxious that his nephew should fol- 
 low in his footsteps and study for the law — 
 an ambition which, it is needless to say, my 
 Soldier did not share. He confided his per- 
 plexities to Mr. Lincoln, who was very fond 
 of the boy; and the great statesman went at 
 once to work to secure his appointment. 
 
 After Richmond's fall I anxiously awaited 
 my Soldier's return, and at last one morning 
 I caught the familiar clatter of the hoofs of 
 his little thoroughbred chestnut which he al- 
 ways rode when he came home, and the sound 
 of his voice saying: "Whoa, Lucy, whoa, lit- 
 tle girl." 
 
 n 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 He gave his staff a farewell breakfast at our 
 home. They did not once refer to the past, 
 but each wore a blue strip tied like a sash 
 around his waist. It was the old headquar- 
 ter's flag, which they had saved from the sur- 
 render and torn into strips, that each might 
 keep one in sad memory. After breakfast he 
 went to the door, and from a white rose-bush 
 which his mother had planted cut a bud for 
 each. He put one in my hair and pinned 
 one to the coat of each of his officers. Then 
 for the first time the tears came, and the men 
 who had been closer than brothers for four 
 fearful years, clasped hands in silence and 
 parted. 
 
 Ever since the Mexican War General Grant 
 had been a dear friend of my Soldier. At 
 the time our first baby was born the two 
 armies were encamped facing each other and 
 they often swapped coffee and tobacco under 
 flags of truce. On the occasion of my son's 
 birth bonfires were lighted in celebration all 
 along Pickett's line. Grant saw them and 
 sent scouts to learn the cause. When they re- 
 ported, he said to General Ingalls: 
 
 i8 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 "Haven't we some kindling on this side of 
 the line? Why don't we strike a light for the 
 young Pickett?" 
 
 In a little while bonfires were flaming from 
 the Federal line. A few days later there was 
 taken through the lines a baby's silver service, 
 engraved: "To George E. Pickett, Jr., from 
 his father's friends, U. S. Grant, Rufus In- 
 galls, George Suckley." 
 
 It was through their courtesy, at the close 
 of the war, that we were taken from Rich- 
 mond down the James to my father's old 
 home at Chuckatuck. But we were not al- 
 lowed to remain long at peace. General In- 
 galls warned my Soldier that General Butler 
 was making speeches against him in Congress, 
 and urged that he would be safer on foreign 
 ground. Though he did not believe it, he 
 reluctantly consented to go. He mounted 
 Lucy and rode to the station. It was a pa- 
 thetic incident that, just as the train moved 
 out, the chestnut thoroughbred lay down and 
 died. 
 
 19 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 We had been in Canada almost a year when 
 General Grant, learning of our exile, wrote 
 to us to return, saying that his cartel with 
 General Lee should be kept, if it required an- 
 other war to make it good. We went back 
 to our dear old place, Turkey Island, on the 
 James River, and built a little cottage in the 
 place of the magnificent mansion which had 
 been sacked and burned by order of General 
 Butler. I once asked my Soldier why it was 
 called Turkey Island. He replied that there 
 were two good reasons; one was that it was 
 not an island, the other that there were never 
 any turkeys there. Everything, even the 
 monument in the family cemetery, had been 
 destroyed, but it was home. We loved it. 
 My Soldier was always passionately fond of 
 flowers, and our garden was an unfailing de- 
 light to us both. 
 
 He tried to turn his sword into a plow- 
 share, but he was not expert with plowshares; 
 and, worse, he constantly received applica- 
 tions for employment from old comrades no 
 more skilled than he. All were made wel- 
 come, though they might not be able to dis- 
 
 20 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 tinguish a rake from a rail fence or tell 
 whether potatoes grew on trees or on trellised 
 vines. They would rise at any hour that 
 pleased them, linger over breakfast, and then 
 go out to the fields. If the sun were too hot 
 or the wind too cold, they would come back, 
 to sit on the veranda or around the fire till 
 dinner was ready. There were generals, col- 
 onels, majors, captains, lieutenants, privates — 
 all of one rank now; and he who desired a 
 graphic history of the four years' war needed 
 only to listen to the conversation of the agri- 
 cultural army at Turkey Island. But the in- 
 evitable came; resources were in time ex- 
 hausted, and proprietor and assistants were 
 forced to seek other fields. 
 
 The Khedive of Egypt offered my Soldier 
 the position of general in his army, but he de- 
 clined. When General Grant became Presi- 
 dent, he entertained us as his guests at the 
 White House, and one of my keenest memo- 
 ries is of President Grant and my Soldier as 
 they stood facing each other in the White 
 House office the last day of our visit. Grant's 
 hand was on the shoulder of my Soldier, and 
 
 21 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 they were looking earnestly into each other's 
 eyes. Grant, ever faithful to his friends, had 
 been urging my Soldier to accept the marshal- 
 ship of the State of Virginia. Pickett, sorely 
 as he needed the appointment, knew the de- 
 mands upon Grant, and that his acceptance 
 would create criticism and enemies for the 
 President. He shook his head, saying: 
 
 "You can't afford to do this for me, Sam, 
 and I can't afford to take it." 
 
 "I can afford to do anything I please," said 
 Grant. My Soldier still shook his head, but 
 the deep emotion of his heart shone in his tear- 
 dimmed eyes, and in Grant's, as they silently 
 grasped each other's hands and then walked 
 away in opposite directions and looked out of 
 separate windows, while I stole away. 
 
 My Soldier was urged to accept the posi- 
 tion with Generals Beauregard and Early 
 in connection with the Louisiana Lottery. 
 There was a large salary attached to it, but 
 he said there was not money enough in the 
 world to induce him to lend his name to it. 
 
 22 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 When he was offered the governorship of 
 Virginia, he said that he never again wanted 
 to hold any office, and would be glad to see 
 Kemper, his old brigadier, made governor. 
 Kemper was the only one of Pickett's briga- 
 diers who came out of the battle of Gettys- 
 burg, and he was wounded and maimed for 
 life. He was elected governor, and as he was 
 a bachelor, my Soldier and I often assisted 
 him at his receptions. 
 
 For himself, my Soldier finally accepted 
 the general agency for the South of the Wash- 
 ington Life Insurance Company, and held the 
 office till his death. The headquarters were 
 at Richmond. I always went with him on 
 his trips, and we spent our summers in the 
 Virginia mountains. 
 
 External conditions as well as natural in- 
 stincts made my Soldier's life one of deep and 
 tragic earnestness. He was always grave and 
 dignified, but he was fond of jokes, especially 
 if they were on me. Once, when he was leav- 
 ing home for an absence of some length, he 
 asked how much money I would need. I 
 23 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 made a laborious calculation, and named a 
 sum which he promptly doubled. He had 
 not been gone long when I remembered an 
 obligation, and telegraphed him that I had 
 underestimated the amount. By the next 
 mail came a check carefully made payable to 
 "Mrs. Oliver Twist." I had to indorse it in 
 that way, and he always carried the cheque in 
 his pocket afterward for my benefit. I have 
 it now. 
 
 At the wedding breakfast given for Gen- 
 eral Magruder's niece at the mansion of the 
 governor-general of Canada, the governor 
 asked my Soldier to what he attributed the 
 failure of the Confederates at Gettysburg. 
 With a twinkle in his eyes, he replied, "Well, 
 I think the Yankees had a little something to 
 do with it." 
 
 In the summer of 1B75, when we were pre- 
 pared to start for White Sulphur Springs, my 
 Soldier was suddenly called to Norfolk. 
 Very much against his advice, I insisted on 
 accompanying him. It was fortunate, for 
 after two days of anxious work he fell ill, and 
 
 24. 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 died there. The evening he was dying, the 
 doctor wanted to give him an anodyne, but he 
 said: 
 
 "Doctor, you say that I must die. I want 
 to go in my right mind. I would rather suf- 
 fer pain and know. Please leave me now. I 
 do not want anybody but my wife." 
 
 The longest procession of mourners ever 
 known in Virginia followed him to his grave 
 on Gettysburg Hill, in beautiful Hollywood. 
 
 General Longstreet has written of my Sol- 
 dier: 
 
 "I first met him as a cadet at West Point, in the heyday 
 of his bright young manhood, in 1842. Upon graduating, 
 he was assigned to the regiment to which I had been pro- 
 moted, the Eighth United States Infantry, and Lieutenant 
 Pickett served gallantly with us continuously until, for 
 meritorious service, he was promoted captain in 1856. He 
 served with distinguished, valor in all the battles of General 
 Scott in Mexico, including the siege of Vera Cruz, and 
 was always conspicuous for gallantry. He was the first 
 to scale the parapets of Chapultepec on the 13th of Sep- 
 tember, 1847, and was the brave American who unfurled 
 our flag over the castle as the enemy's troops retreated, 
 25 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 firing at the splendid Pickett as he floated our victorious 
 colors. 
 
 "In memory I can see him, of medium height, of grace- 
 ful build, dark, glossy hair, worn almost to his shoulders 
 in curly waves, of wondrous pulchritude and magnetic 
 presence, as he gallantly rode from me on that memorable 
 third day of July, 1863, saying, in obedience to the impera- 
 tive order to which I could only bow assent, 'I will lead 
 my division forward, General Longstreet.' He was de- 
 voted to his martial profession . . . 
 
 "His greatest battle was really at Five Forks, April i, 
 1865, where his plans and operations were masterful and 
 skillful. If they had been executed as he designed them 
 there might have been no Appomattox, and despite the 
 disparity of overwhelming numbers, a brilliant victory 
 would have been his if reinforcements which he had every 
 reason to expect had opportunely reached him; but they 
 were not ordered in season and did not join the hard- 
 pressed Pickett until night, when his position had long 
 since been attacked by vastly superior numbers with repeat- 
 ing rifles. 
 
 "He was of an open, frank, and genial temperament, but 
 he felt very keenly the distressing calamities entailed upon 
 the beloved sunny South by the results of the war; yet, 
 with the characteristic fortitude of a soldier, he bowed with 
 resignation to the inevitable, gracefully accepted the situa- 
 tion, recognized the duty of the unfortunate to accept the 
 
 26 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 results in no querulous spirit, and felt his obligation to 
 share its effects. 
 
 "No word of blame, or censure even, of his superior 
 officers ever escaped Pickett's lips, but he nevertheless felt 
 profoundly the sacrifice of his gallant soldiers vi^hom he so 
 loved. At Five Forks he had a desperate but a fighting 
 chance, and if any soldier could have snatched victory 
 from defeat, it w^as the intrepid Pickett, and it was cruel 
 to leave that brilliant and heroic leader and his Spartan 
 band to the same hard straits they so nobly met at Gettys- 
 burg. At Five Forks Pickett lost more men in thirty 
 minutes than we lost, all told, in the recent Spanish- 
 American war from bullets, wounds, sickness, or any other 
 casualty, showing the unsurpassed bravery with which 
 Pickett fought, and the tremendous odds and insuperable 
 disadvantages under and against which this incomparable 
 soldier so bravely contended ; but with George E. Pickett, 
 whether fighting under the stars and stripes at Chapultepec, 
 or under the stars and bars at Gettysburg, duty was his 
 polar star, and with him duty was above consequences, and 
 at a crisis, he would throw them overboard," 
 
 General McClellan has said: 
 
 "Perhaps there is no doubt that he was the best infantry 
 soldier developed on either side during the Civil War. 
 His friends and admirers are by no means confined to the 
 Southern people or soldiers to whom he gave his heart and 
 best affections and of whom he was so noble a type, but 
 throughout the North and on the Pacific coast, where he 
 long served, his friends and lovers are legion. 
 27 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 "He was of the purest type of the perfect soldier, pos- 
 sessing manly beauty in the highest degree; a mind large 
 and capable of taking in the bearings of events under ail 
 circumstances; of that firm and dauntless texture of soul 
 that no danger or shock of conflict could appall or confuse ; 
 full of that rare magnetism which could infuse itself into 
 masses of men and cause any mass under his control to act 
 as one; his perception clear; his courage of that rare proof 
 which rose to the occasion; his genius for war so marked 
 that his companions all knew that his mind worked clearer 
 under fire and in the 'deadly and imminent breach,' than 
 even at mess-table or in the merry bivouac, where his genial 
 and kindly comradeship and his perfect breeding as a gen- 
 tleman made him beloved of his friends. 
 
 "He will live in history as nearer to Light Horse Harry, 
 of the Revolution, than any other of the many heroes pro- 
 duced by Old Virginia — his whole history, when told, as 
 it will be by some of the survivors of Pickett's men, will 
 reveal a modern type of the Chevalier Bayard, sans peur et 
 sans reproche. 
 
 "Could he have had his wish, he had died amid the roar 
 of battle. No man of our age has better illustrated the 
 aptitude for war of his class of our country, and with these 
 talents for war was united the truest and sweetest nature. 
 No man of his time was more beloved of women, of men 
 and of soldiers. He was to the latter a rigid disciplinarian 
 and at the same time the soldier's friend. Virginia will 
 
 28 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 rank him in her roll of fame with Lee, with Johnston, 
 with Jackson they love as Stonewall ; and mourners for the 
 noble and gallant gentleman, the able and accomplished 
 soldier, are legion." 
 
 These were the tributes of friend and ene- 
 my — if any man, though he fought him on 
 the field of battle, could be called his enemy. 
 Rivers of blood did not quench the flames of 
 the campfires of Mexico and the West. My 
 Soldier's comrades under the old flag were 
 still his comrades through the crucial test of 
 that most deadly warfare, a conflict between 
 the opposing sections of the same country. 
 
 To me the legacy of love that he left in his 
 letters and in the memories of his daily life 
 is greater than any riches earth could give. 
 The nobility of soul with which he met the 
 problems that come to men in the arena of 
 the world is a treasured possession in my 
 heart even greater than his magnificent hero- 
 ism on the field of battle. The radiance of 
 the stars in the blue sky of peace eclipse the 
 crimson glow of the fiery comet of war. The 
 heart of "My Soldier" is mine to-day as it was 
 29 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 in that long-gone yesterday when I awaited 
 the messages that link the battlefield with to- 
 morrow's Eternal Harmony. 
 
 La Salle Corbell Pickett. 
 
 30 
 
PART ONE 
 
 ' ^^ 
 
 In the early days 
 of the Long Struggle 
 
 31 
 
A T the time fwhen these letters begin, 
 •^ the General (then Captain Pickett, 
 U. S. A.) ivas stationed at Fori Belling- 
 ham in the north-west. Before leaving 
 Virginia, he had become engaged to 
 "Little Miss Sally" Corbell, ivho during 
 his absence ivas fitting herself at school 
 to be a soldier's -wife. The summons to 
 arms in the cause of the seceding states 
 fwas late in reaching the Captain at his 
 far-aivay post, and he, being in the dark 
 as to the course of events, ivas even more 
 tardy to respond; but ivhen the news came 
 telling of the luithdrawal of his native 
 state from the Union he resigned his com- 
 mission immediately and cast his lot with 
 that of the Confederacy. 
 
 The letters in this part give many vivid 
 glimpses of the armies in action, as they 
 do of the lighter side of a soldier's life, 
 during the first year and a half of the 
 War. There are lapses of weeks — even 
 months — between them, due to the fact 
 that some are missing; others, whose 
 pages time has stained, are undecipher- 
 able, and in still other instances the for- 
 tunes of war kept the General so near his 
 sweetheart that letters were not needed 
 to carry to her the tale of his love. 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 In Which the General Tells Why He Sided 
 With the South 
 
 SEVERAL weeks ago I wrote quite a long 
 letter from far-away San Francisco to 
 a very dear little girl, and told her that a cer- 
 tain soldier who wears one of her long, silken 
 ringlets next his heart was homeward bound 
 and that he hoped a line of welcome would 
 meet him on his arrival in his native state. 
 He told her of the difficulties he had experi- 
 enced in being relieved from his post, of how 
 sorry he was to sheathe the sword which had 
 helped to bring victory to the country for 
 which he had fought, and how sorry he was 
 to say good-by to his little command and to 
 part from his faithful and closest companion, 
 his dog, and his many dear friends; but sor- 
 rier still for the existing circumstances which 
 33 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 made this severance necessary. He told her 
 many things for which, with him, she will be 
 sorry, and some of which he hopes will make 
 her glad. He is troubled by finding no an- 
 swer to this long letter which, having at that 
 time no notion of the real conditions here, he 
 is afraid was written too freely by far. 
 
 No, my child, I had no conception of the 
 intensity of feeling, the bitterness and hatred 
 toward those who were so lately our friends 
 and are now our enemies. I, of course, have 
 always strenuously opposed disunion, not as 
 doubting the right of secession, which was 
 taught in our text-book at West Point, but as 
 gravely questioning its expediency. I be- 
 lieved that the revolutionary spirit which in- 
 fected both North and South was but a passing 
 phase of fanaticism which would perish under 
 the rebuke of all good citizens, who would 
 surely unite in upholding the Constitution; 
 but when that great assembly, composed of 
 ministers, lawyers, judges, chancellors, states- 
 men, mostly white haired men of thought, met 
 in South Carolina and when their districts 
 iwere called crept noiselessly to the table in 
 
 34 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 the center of the room and affixed their signa- 
 tures to the parchment on which the ordi- 
 nance of secession was inscribed, and when in 
 deathly silence, spite of the gathered multi- 
 tude. General Jamison arose and without pre- 
 amble read: "The ordinance of secession has 
 been signed and ratified; I proclaim the State 
 Oi South Carolina an independent sover- 
 eignty," and lastly, when my old boyhood's 
 friend called for an invasion, it was evident 
 that both the advocates and opponents of se- 
 cession had read the portents aright. 
 
 You know, my little lady, some of those 
 cross-stitched mottoes on the cardboard sam- 
 plers which used to hang on my nursery wall, 
 such as, "He who provides not for his own 
 household is worse than an infidel" and 
 "Charity begins at home," made a lasting im- 
 pression upon me; and while I love my neigh- 
 bor, i. e., my country, I love my household, 
 i. e., my state, more, and I could not be an in- 
 fidel and lift my sword against my own kith 
 and kin, even though I do believe, my most 
 wise little counselor and confidante, that 
 the measure of American greatness can be 
 25 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 achieved only under one flag, and I fear, alas, 
 there can never again reign for either of us the 
 true spirit of national unity, whether divided 
 under two flags or united under one. 
 
 We did not tarry even for a day in 'Frisco, 
 but under assumed names my friend, Sam 
 Barron, and I sailed for New York, where we 
 arrived on the very day that Sam's father. 
 Commodore Barron, was brought there a pris- 
 oner, which fact was proclaimed aloud by the 
 pilot amid cheers of the passengers and upon 
 our landing heralded by the newsboys with 
 more cheers. Poor Sam had a hard fight to 
 hide his feelings and to avoid arrest. We 
 separated as mere ship acquaintances, and 
 went by different routes to meet again, as ar- 
 ranged, at the house of Doctor Paxton, a 
 Southern sympathizer and our friend. 
 
 On the next day we left for Canada by the 
 earliest train. Thence we made our perilous 
 way back south again, barely escaping arrest 
 several times, and finally arrived in dear old 
 Richmond, September 13th, just four days 
 ago. I at once enlisted in the army and the 
 
 36 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 following day was commissioned Captain. 
 But so bitter is the feeling here that my being 
 unavoidably delayed so long in avowing my 
 allegiance to my state has been most cruelly 
 and severely criticized by friends — yes, and 
 even relatives, too. 
 
 Now, little one, if you had the very faintest 
 idea how happy a certain captain in the C. S. 
 A. (My, but that "C" looks queer!) would be 
 to look into your beautiful, soul-speaking eyes 
 and hear your wonderfully musical voice, I 
 think you would let him know by wire where 
 he could find you. I shall almost listen for 
 
 the electricity which says, "I am at . 
 
 Come." I know that you will have mercy on 
 your devoted 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 Richmond, September iT, l86l. 
 
 37 
 
II 
 
 Written After a Light Skirmish With the 
 Enemy 
 
 YOUR welcome note gladdened my droop- 
 ing spirits last evening. How can I 
 thank you for the token? ^ I shall always 
 cherish it, my darling. I sent a short note to 
 you via Petersburg to Wakefield. I sincerely 
 trust you received it, as in it I advised you not 
 to come down into this part of the country. 
 The Yankees are burning everything they can 
 reach, and God only knows what excesses they 
 may commit on the defenseless, should they 
 have the power. So much troubled am I 
 about you, that I send this by a courier of my 
 own, that he may deliver it to you in person 
 (how I wish I were the courier). I'm afraid 
 you will only expose yourself needlessly to 
 
 1 A wreath and stars, which she had embroidered for his 
 collar. 
 
 38 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 harm. I don't know when I shall see you, 
 but I should be nearly as far from you as at 
 present. At any rate, I should be worse than 
 miserable did I know you were so near these 
 now apparently infuriated beings. 
 
 Alas, my darling, as the Indian says when 
 despondent, "My heart is on the ground." 
 The enemy has been strongly reenforced, and 
 the town is one network of batteries and en- 
 trenchments. I have had two little brushes 
 with them, running them into their works both 
 times — the first one yesterday week. I was 
 ordered to make a reconnaissance in force, 
 which was done by a part of Armistead's Bri- 
 gade, and in so doing we got under a con- 
 centrated fire of about sixteen guns and had 
 as jolly a little time of it for about fifteen 
 minutes as I ever saw. Parrot and round 
 shot were about as thick as the ticks are, and 
 their name is legion. However, the object 
 was effected, and we have lost altogether 
 only about seventy-five men from my 
 division. 
 
 Haven't you some relatives living this side 
 of the Blackwater — a Captain Phillips of the 
 3rd? Write me, my dearest. Two long, 
 39 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 weary weeks since I drank comfort from those 
 bright eyes — to me a year of anxiety. 
 Your devoted and miserable 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 'New Somerton Road, April 21, 1862, 
 
 40 
 
ni 
 
 Concerning Legitimate Warfare, Secession 
 and the Mishaps of an Old Major of Ar- 
 tillery 
 
 MY heart beat with joy this morning when 
 Captain Peacock returned to camp, 
 bringing me your beautiful letter — beautiful 
 because it was the echo of a pure spirit and a 
 radiant soul. I am humbly grateful, my 
 little girl, for this loyal devotion which you 
 give me — your Soldier. Let us pray to our 
 dear Heavenly Father to spare us to each 
 other and give us strength to bear cheerfully 
 this enforced separation. I know that it can- 
 not be long, and that sooner or later our flag 
 will float over the seas of the world, for our 
 cause is right and just. 
 
 Why, my Sally, all that we ask is a separa- 
 tion from people of contending interests, who 
 love us as a nation as little as we love them, 
 the dissolution of a union which has lost its 
 41 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 holiness, to be let alone and permitted to sit 
 under our own vine and fig tree and eat our 
 figs peeled and dried or fresh or pickled, just 
 as we choose. The enemy is our enemy be- 
 cause he neither knows nor understands us, 
 and yet will not let us part in peace and be 
 neighbors, but insists on fighting us to make 
 us one with him, forgetting that both slavery 
 and secession were his own institutions. The 
 North is fighting for the Union, and we — for 
 home and fireside. All the men I know and 
 love in the world — comrades and friends, both 
 North and South — are exposed to hardships 
 and dangers, and are fighting on one side or 
 the other, and each for that which he knows 
 to be right. 
 
 Speaking of fighting. Captain Peacock this 
 morning brings us the news that the daring, 
 fearless has again won — shall I say, a vic- 
 tory? No, not victory. Victory is such a 
 glorious, triumphant word. I cannot use it 
 in speaking of warfare that is illegal to many 
 of us. Marse Robert's ^ approval and com- 
 mendation of this illegitimate mode is a source 
 of surprise, for, like many of us, the dear old 
 
 1 General Lee. 
 
 42 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 *Tyee" was reared and schooled in honorable 
 warfare. 
 
 Well, as Trenholm said, only those who 
 have enlisted for this whole war, with mus- 
 kets on their shoulders and knapsacks on their 
 backs, have a right to criticize; but I reserve 
 even from these the right, and acknowledge 
 myself wrong in criticizing. An old army 
 story, though hardly illustrative enough to be 
 justifiable in telling, occurs to me: 
 
 An old major of artillery, who was always 
 deploring the fact that he couldn't use his own 
 favorite arm against the Indians, determined 
 one day to try the moral effect of it upon a 
 tribe of friendly ones nearby. So he took one 
 of the small howitzers which defended the 
 fort and securely strapped it to the back of an 
 army mule, with the muzzle projecting over 
 the mule's tail, and then proceeded with the 
 captain, sergeant and orderly to the bluff on 
 the bank of the Missouri where the Indians 
 were encamped. The gun was loaded and 
 primed, the fuse inserted and the mule backed 
 to the very edge of the bluff. 
 
 The mule with his wonted curiosity, hear- 
 ing the fizzing, turned his head to see what 
 43 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 unusual thing was happening to him. The 
 next second his feet were bunched up together, 
 making forty revolutions a minute, the gun 
 threatening with instant destruction every- 
 thing within a radius of five miles. The cap- 
 tain climbed a tree, the sergeant and orderly 
 following suit. The fat major, too heavy to 
 climb, rolled over on the ground, alternately 
 praying to God and cursing the mule. When 
 the explosion came, the recoil of the gun and 
 the wild leap of the terrified mule carried 
 both over the bluff and to the bottom of 
 the river. The captain, the sergeant and the 
 poor, crestfallen, discomfited major, with the 
 mule and the gun to account for, returned to 
 the fort, soon to be waited on by the Indian 
 chiefs, who had held a hurried council. The 
 high chief, bowing his head up and down, 
 said: 
 
 "Injun go home. Injun ver' brave. Injun 
 love white man. Injun help white man. In- 
 jun heap use gun, use knife, heap use bow- 
 arrow; but when white man shoot off whole 
 jackass, Injun no think right — no can under- 
 stand. Injun no help white man fight that 
 way. Injun go home." 
 
 44 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 So, my Sally, if you will forgive your 
 Soldier for telling this old-time story and let 
 him say that he does not approve of fighting 
 
 in the way in which fights, he will bid 
 
 you good-by and eat his breakfast, which the 
 cook says is getting cold. Will you come, my 
 darling, and have some coffee with your 
 Soldier? It is some we captured, and is real 
 coffee. 
 
 Come! The tin cup is clean and shining; 
 but the corn-bread is greasy and smoked. 
 And the bacon — that is greasy, too, but it is 
 good and tastes all right, if it will only hold 
 out till our Stars and Bars wave over the land 
 of the free and the home of the brave, and 
 we have our own home. Nevermore we'll 
 hear of wars, but only love and life with its 
 eternal joys. 
 
 Your Own Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, May — , 1S62. 
 
 45 
 
IV 
 
 In Which Are Given Certain Important De- 
 tails of the Battle of Seven Pines 
 
 A VIOLENT storm was raging, flooding 
 the level ground, as I wrote you last, 
 followed the next day by one of fire and blood 
 — the Battle of Seven Pines. 
 
 I pray that you accepted the invitation of 
 your mountain chum, and that your beautiful 
 eyes and tender heart have been spared the 
 horrors of war which this battle must have 
 poured into sad Richmond. Three hundred 
 and fifty of your Soldier's brigade, 1,700 
 strong, were killed or wounded, and all fought 
 as Virginians should, fighting as they did for 
 the right, for love, honor, home and state — 
 principles which they had been taught from 
 the mothers' knees, the schoolroom and the 
 pulpit. 
 
 Under orders from Old Peter,* we marched 
 
 ^ General Longstreet. 
 
 46 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 at daylight and reported to D. H. Hill, near 
 Seven Pines. Hill directed me to ride over 
 and communicate with Hood. I started at 
 once with Charlie and Archer, of my staff, to 
 obey this order, but had gone only a short dis- 
 tance when we met a part of the Louisiana 
 Zouaves in panic. I managed to seize and de- 
 tain one fellow, mounted on a mule that 
 seemed to have imbibed his rider's fear and 
 haste. The man dropped his plunder and 
 seizing his carbine threatened to kill me un- 
 less I released him at once, saying that the 
 Yankees were upon his heels. We galloped 
 back to Hill's headquarters — Archer bringing 
 up the rear with the Zouave, who explained 
 that the enemy were advancing in force and 
 were within a few hundred yards of us. Hill 
 ordered me to attack at once, which I did, 
 driving them through an abatis over a cross- 
 road leading to the railroad. 
 
 As we were nearing the second abatis, I, on 
 foot at the time, noticed that Armistead's Bri- 
 gade had broken, and sent a courier back post- 
 haste to Hill for troops. A second and third 
 message were sent and then a fourth, telling 
 him that if he would send me more troops and 
 47 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 ammunition we could drive the enemy across 
 the Chickahominy. But alas, Hill, as brave, 
 as great, as heroic a soldier as he is, has, since 
 the fall of Johnston, been so bothered and an- 
 noyed with countermanding orders that he 
 was, if I may say so, confused and failed to 
 respond. After this delay nothing was left for 
 us but to withdraw. Hill sent two regiments 
 of Colston's Brigade and ordered Mahone's 
 Brigade on my right, and at one o'clock at 
 night, under his orders, we withdrew in per- 
 fect order and the enemy retreated to their 
 bosky cover. 
 
 Thus, my darling, was ended the Battle of 
 Seven Pines. No shot was fired afterward. 
 How I wish I could say it ended all battles 
 and that the last shot that will ever be heard 
 was fired on June first, 1862. What a change 
 love does make! How tender all things be- 
 come to a heart touched by love — how beauti- 
 ful the beautiful is and how abhorrent is evil! 
 See, my darling, see what power you have — 
 guard it well. 
 
 I have heard that my dear old friend, Mc- 
 Clellan, is lying ill about ten miles from here. 
 May some loving, soothing hand minister to 
 
 48 
 
" The enemy is there, General, 
 and 1 am goin^ to strike him," 
 said Marse Robert in his firm, 
 quiet voice. — Pa^e g^. 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 him. He was, he is and he will always be, 
 even were his pistol pointed at my heart, my 
 dear, loved friend. May God bless him and 
 spare his life. You, my darling, may not be 
 in sympathy with this feeling, for I know you 
 see "no good in Nazareth." Forgive me for 
 feeling differently from you, little one, and 
 please don't love me any the less. You cannot 
 understand the entente cordiale between us 
 "old fellows." 
 
 Faithfully, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Mechanicsville Turnpike, June 1, 1862. 
 
 49 
 
V 
 
 Containing a Presentiment of Danger — the 
 
 Night Before He was Wounded at 
 
 Gaines's Mill 
 
 ALL last night, my darling Sally, the spirit 
 of my dear mother seemed to hover over 
 me. When she was living and I used to feel 
 in that way, I always, as sure as fate, received 
 from her a letter written at the very time that 
 I had the sensation of her presence. I wonder 
 if up there she is watching over me, trying to 
 send me some message — some warning. I 
 wish I knew. 
 
 This morning my brigade moved from its 
 cantonments on the "Williamsburg road and 
 by daybreak was marching along the Mechan- 
 icsville turnpike, leading north of Richmond. 
 The destination and character of the expedi- 
 tion, my darling, is unknown; but the position 
 of other troops indicates a general movement. 
 This evening we crossed the Chickahominy 
 and are bivouacked on our guns in the road 
 in front of Mechanicsville, from which point 
 
 50 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 I am blessing my spirit and refreshing my soul 
 by sending a message to my promised wife. 
 I am tired and sleepy, several times to-day 
 going to sleep on my horse. 
 
 This war was really never contemplated in 
 earnest. I believe if either the North or the 
 South had expected that their differences 
 would result in this obstinate struggle, the 
 cold-blooded Puritan and the cock hatted 
 Huguenot and Cavalier would have made a 
 compromise. Poor old Virginia came oftener 
 than Noah's dove with her olive branch. 
 Though she desired to be loyal to the Union 
 of States, she did not believe in the right of 
 coercion, and when called upon to furnish 
 troops to restrain her sister states she refused, 
 and would not even permit the passage of an 
 armed force through her domain for that pur- 
 pose. With no thought of cost, she rolled up 
 her sleeves, ready to risk all in defense of a 
 principle consecrated by the blood of her 
 fathers. And now, alas, it is too late. We 
 must carry through this bitter task unto the 
 end. May the end be soon! 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 In Campj June Z'j, I862, 
 SI 
 
VI 
 
 At His Old Home Recovering From His 
 Wound 
 
 IT is only when you are here with me, my 
 darling, that I ani not chafing, fretting, 
 under my enforced absence from my com- 
 mand. As poor a marksman as the Yankee 
 was who shot me, I wish he had been poorer 
 still, aiming, as he must have been, either at 
 my head or my heart and breaking my wing. 
 He was frightened, too, I suspect, and had, 
 besides, too much powder in his load. What 
 did you want with that shot-smoked, burnt 
 coat sleeve? The arm it held is yours to work 
 for and shield you, my love, for always. 
 
 Impatient and restive as I am to get back 
 to the field, letters and reports just received 
 show me that I am not missed and that my 
 gallant old brigade is proving its valor as 
 loyally under its new leader as when it so fear- 
 lessly followed your Soldier. It held Water- 
 
 52 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 loo Bridge against Pope while Jackson crossed 
 the Rappahannock, and on the afternoon 
 of the 30th received and repelled the on- 
 set of Fitz John Porter, magnificently clear- 
 ing the field and winning a victory for our 
 arms. 
 
 The news came, too, this morning of the 
 death of Kearny, one of the most brilliant gen- 
 erals of the Federal Army, a man whose fame 
 as a soldier is world-wide. I knew him first 
 in Mexico, where, as you know, he lost an arm 
 at the siege of Mexico City. In Algeria he 
 won the Cross of the Legion of Honor. He 
 fought with the French in the battles of 
 Magenta and Solferino and received also from 
 Napoleon Third the decoration of the Legion 
 of Honor. I wish we had taken him prisoner 
 instead of shooting him. I hate to have such 
 a man as Kearny killed. Marse Robert, who 
 was his old friend, sent his body to Pope under 
 a flag of truce. I am glad he did that — poor 
 old Kearny! 
 
 The same courier, brought the sad news 
 that our Ewell had lost a leg and our Tallia- 
 ferro had been wounded. And these are the 
 horrors to which, when away from you, my 
 
 53 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 beautiful darling, your soldier is impatient to 
 return. 
 
 Never, never did men, since the world be- 
 gan, fight like ours. The Duke of Somerset, 
 who sneeringly laughed when he saw our 
 ragged, dirty, barefooted soldiers — ^'Mostly 
 beardless boys," as he said — took off his hat in 
 reverence when he saw them fight. 
 
 Lovingly, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 July 15, 1862. 
 
 54 
 
VII 
 
 Mostly Concerning Bob, His Body-Servant 
 
 HOW I shall miss your visit to-day, my 
 darling! I wish you had not gone. 
 Don't stay. Doctor Minnegerode asked me 
 this morning when he called, "Who sent the 
 beautiful flowers?" Bob, to save me from 
 answering, said, "De same young lady sont de 
 flowers, Marse Doctor, dat 'broidered dat cape 
 fer Marse George, en 'broidered dem dar 
 slippers he's got on, en sont him de 'broidered 
 stars dat he w'ars on his coat when he w'ars 
 it; but dat young lady ain't de only est young 
 lady dat sends Marse George flowers en 
 things. No, Suh." 
 
 The dear old doctor understood; he winked 
 at me and changed the subject. He is as loyal 
 to the South, dear old fellow, as if his ances- 
 tors had landed at Jamestown. When he 
 asked after my wound he said he would like 
 to pray with me, though the dear old man 
 55 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 pronounced it, with his German accent, 
 "bray," and that reminded me of a story, and 
 instead of having my thoughts and my heart 
 set upon his beautiful prayer as I should have 
 — miserable sinner that I w^as — I began think- 
 ing of Tom August, v^^ho said that one Sunday 
 someone meeting him coming out of Old St. 
 Paul's asked him v^hat w^as the matter. He 
 replied, "Oh, nothing. I'm not a jackass and 
 I'm not going to bray, and old Doctor Minne- 
 gerode not only insists that I, but that his 
 v^^hole congregation, shall 'bray.' I, for one, 
 will not do it and I don't want to make a row 
 about it; so I came out. I wonder what the 
 efifect would be if we took him literally and 
 didairbray'?" 
 
 Now, my darling, forgive this foolish story. 
 I learned to like story-telling, listening as a 
 boy to the best story-teller in the .world, Mr. 
 Lincoln. 
 
 Even the bird knows you are not coming 
 to-day, for he doesn't sing. I shall hold you 
 to the last line of your sweet note, which says, 
 "I'll come to you, my Soldier, before the 
 flowers die." When Bob asked me, "Is Miss 
 Sallie comin' dis ebenin' er in de mornin'?" 
 
 56 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 I answered, "She does not mention any set 
 time, Bob. She only says she'll come before 
 the flowers die." "De flowers ain't waxinated 
 flowers, is dey, Marse George?" he asked. 
 "Den if dey ain't waxinated 'twon't be long fo' 
 she is here." 
 
 When I asked him to hold the paper while 
 I wrote, he humbly, beseechingly asked, 
 "Please, Suh, Marse George, ef hit ain't axin' 
 too much, when you comes ter writin' er dem 
 dar words lak love en honey en darlin', er any 
 er dem poetry rhymes 'bout roses red en 
 violets blue, won't you please, Suh, show 'em 
 ter me?" I didn't promise him, my sweet- 
 heart. I only said, "Hold that paper steady, 
 Sir, and don't let it slip." But when I did 
 call you "darling" or tell you I loved you, I 
 felt so guilty that the rascal knew it and 
 grinned. 
 
 Your own 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 July i8, 1862. 
 
 57 
 
VIII 
 
 Written Upon His Return to His Old Com- 
 mand 
 
 DARLING, my heart turns to you with a 
 love so great that pain follows in its 
 wake. You cannot understand this, my beau- 
 tiful, bright-eyed, sunny-hearted princess. 
 Your face, is the sweetest face in all the world, 
 mirroring, as it does, all that is pure and un- 
 selfish, and I must not cast a shadow over it by 
 the fears that come to me, in spite of myself. 
 No, a soldier should not know fear of any 
 kind. I must fight and plan and hope, and 
 you must pray. Pray for a realization of all 
 our beautiful dreams, sitting beside our own 
 hearthstone in our own home — you and I, you 
 my goddess of devotion, and I your devoted 
 slave. May God in his mercy spare my life 
 and make it worthy of you ! 
 
 My shoulder and arm are still quite stiff, 
 and I cannot yet put my sleeve on the wounded 
 arm. I have on one sleeve, and my coat is 
 thrown over my other shoulder and other arm. 
 
 5S 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 I can reach my mouth with my hand by bend- 
 ing my neck way over; so I am not helpless. 
 Bob still buttons my collar and does some 
 other little services. Until I have more con- 
 trol of my arm, however, I shall confine my- 
 self to riding old Black and not venture on 
 Lucy. Enough of so small a matter. 
 
 My boys are delighted to welcome me back, 
 showing their affection for me in many, many 
 ways. Garnett is still in command of my dear 
 old brigade, which was temporarily turned 
 over to him when I was wounded and which, 
 under his gallant leadership, has sustained its 
 old reputation for fearlessness and endurance. 
 I miss dear, familiar faces, for many of the 
 brave fellows have been killed and wounded. 
 You have heard me speak of Colonel Strange 
 — a gallant soldier. He was wounded and 
 left behind. After he was shot the plucky old 
 chap called out in a loud, clear voice, "Stand 
 firm, boys; stand firm." 
 
 Well, the Yankees won the battle, but Mc- 
 Clellan's delay in winning enabled Old Jack ^ 
 to seize Harper's Ferry, so it was not so great 
 a victory for them after all. Old Jack's note 
 
 1 General Stonewall Jackson. 
 59 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 to Marse Robert, telling him of his success, 
 was characteristic in both brevity and diction. 
 He said, "Through God's mercy Harper's 
 Ferry and its garrison are to be surrendered." 
 
 The seventeenth following is recorded in let- 
 ters of blood for both armies, and in its wake 
 came Lincoln's great political victory, prov- 
 ing the might of the pen, in his Emancipation 
 Proclamation — winning with it the greatest 
 victory yet for the North. It will behoove us 
 now to heed well the old story of "The Lark 
 and the Husbandman," for it will be farewell 
 to all foreign intervention unless Greek meets 
 Greek and we fight fire with fire and we, too, 
 issue an Emancipation Proclamation. I pray 
 God that the powers that reign will have the 
 wisdom and foresight to see this in its true 
 and all-pervading light. It would end the 
 war, and I should assume as soon as practi- 
 cable the role of schoolmaster and husband to 
 the brightest little pupil and the sweetest little 
 wife in all the world. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 P. S. Have been placed temporarily in 
 command of a division. 
 
 Headquarters, Sept. 2$, 1862. 
 
 60 
 
IX 
 
 On the Occasion of His Promotion to the Rank 
 
 of Major-General — Telling of Jackson and 
 
 Garnett 
 
 TO-DAY I was officially promoted to the 
 rank of Major-General and permanently 
 placed in command of a division. My dear 
 old brigade, which I love and which was with 
 me in the battles of Williamsburg, Seven Pines 
 and Gaines's Mill, was assigned to General 
 Garnett and there comes somehow, in spite of 
 everything, a little ''kind of curious" feeling 
 within when I hear it called "Garnett's Bri- 
 gade," even though he has been in command 
 of it almost ever since I was wounded and has 
 won for it distinction and from it love and 
 respect. 
 
 Old Dick is a fine fellow, a brave, splendid 
 soldier. He was in the Mexican war and was 
 wounded in the battle of Mexico. He com- 
 manded a brigade under Old Jack and was 
 6i 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 for a time in command of the famous old 
 ^'Stonewall Brigade." You have not met him, 
 my sweetheart; but I want you to know him. 
 He is as sensitive and proud as he is fearless 
 and sweet-spirited, and has felt more keenly 
 than most men would Old Jack's censure of 
 him at the battle of Kernstown, when all his 
 ammunition gave out and he withdrew his 
 brigade from the field, for which Old Jack 
 had him arrested and relieved from duty. 
 Old Jack told Lawton that in arresting Gar- 
 nett he had no reference to his want of daring, 
 which was surprising for Old Jack to say, who 
 never explains anything. 
 
 Lawton, who is one of his generals, says Old 
 Jack holds himself as the god of war, giving 
 short, sharp commands, distinctly, rapidly and 
 decisively, without consultation or explanation 
 and disregarding suggestions and remon- 
 strances. Being himself absolutely fearless, 
 and having unusual mental and moral, as 
 well as physical, courage, he goes ahead on his 
 own hook, asking no advice and resenting in- 
 terference. He places no value on human 
 life, caring for nothing so much as fighting, 
 unless it be praying. Illness, wounds and all 
 
 62 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 disabilities he defines as inefficiency and in- 
 dications of a lack of patriotism. Suffering 
 from insomnia, he often uses his men as a seda- 
 tive, and when he can't sleep calls them out, 
 marches them out a few miles ; then marches 
 them back. He never praises his men for gal- 
 lantry, because it is their duty to be gallant 
 and they do not deserve credit for doing their 
 duty. Well, my own darling, I only pray that 
 God may spare him to us to see us through. 
 If General Lee had Grant's resources he would 
 soon end the war ; but Old Jack can do it with- 
 out resources. 
 
 Bless your heart, here I am talking of these 
 old war-horses to my flower queen. Well, she 
 knows how entirely I love her and how I have 
 left in her keeping my soul's all. 
 
 Lovingly and faithfully. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, Oct. ii, 1862. 
 
 63 
 
X 
 
 From the Field of Fredericksburg 
 
 HERE we are, my darling, at Fredericks- 
 burg, on the south side of the Rappahan- 
 nock, half-way between Richmond and Wash- 
 ington, fortified for us by the hand of the 
 Great Father. 
 
 I penciled you a note by old Jackerie ^ on the 
 1 2th from the foot of the Hills between Hazel 
 Run and the Telegraph Road. In it I sent 
 a hyacinth — given me by a pretty lady who 
 came out with beaten biscuit — and some un- 
 written and written messages from Old Peter 
 and Old Jack, Hood, Ewell, Stuart, and your 
 "brothers," to the "someone" to whom I was 
 writing. 
 
 My division, nine thousand strong, is in fine 
 shape. It was on the field of battle, as a divi- 
 sion, for the first time yesterday, though only 
 one brigade, Kemper's, was actively engaged. 
 
 ^ Headquarters Postmaster. 
 
 64 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 What a day it was, my darling — this ever to be 
 remembered by many of us thirteenth of De- 
 cember — dawning auspiciously upon us clad 
 in deepest, darkest mourning! A fog such as 
 would shame London lay over the valley, and 
 through the dense mist distinctly came the un- 
 canny commands of the unseen opposing offi- 
 cers. My men were eager to be in the midst of 
 the fight, and if Hood had not been so cautious 
 they would probably have immortalized them- 
 selves. Old Peter's orders were that Hood and 
 myself were to hold our ground of defense un- 
 less we should see an opportunity to attack the 
 enemy while engaged with A. P. Hill on the 
 right. A little after ten, when the fog had 
 lifted and Stuart's cannon from the plain of 
 Massaponax were turned upon Meade and 
 when Franklin's advance left the enemy's flank 
 open, I went up to Hood and urged him to 
 seize the opportunity; but he was afraid to as- 
 sume so great a responsibility and sent for per- 
 mission to Old Peter, who was with Marse 
 Robert in a different part of the field. Before 
 his assent and approval were received, the op- 
 portunity, alas, was lost! 
 
 If war, my darling, is a necessity — and I 
 65 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 suppose it is — it is a very cruel one. Your 
 Soldier's heart almost stood still as he watched 
 those sons of Erin fearlessly rush to their 
 death. The brilliant assault on Marye's 
 Heights of their Irish Brigade was beyond 
 description. Why, my darling, we forgot 
 they were fighting us, and cheer after cheer 
 at their fearlessness went up all along our 
 lines. About fifty of my division sleep their 
 last sleep at the foot of Marye's Heights. 
 
 I can't help feeling sorry for Old Burnside 
 ■' — proud, plucky, hard-headed old dog. I al- 
 ways liked him, but I loved little Mac,* and it 
 was a godsend to the Confederacy that he was 
 relieved. 
 
 Oh, my darling, war and its results did not 
 seem so awful till the love for you came. 
 Now — now I want to love and bless and help 
 everything, and there are no foes — no enemies 
 — just love for you and longing for you. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Fredericksburg, Dec. 14, 1862. 
 
 1 General McCIellan. 
 
 66 
 
PART TWO 
 
 During the Six Months 
 
 Campaign Before 
 
 Gettysburg 
 
 67 
 
TOURING the period covered by the 
 jL-J letters in this part the burdens of 
 the ivar fell heavily upon the soul of 
 the General's little s'weetheart, as they 
 did upon the ivhole South. Lee's cam- 
 paign into Pennsylvania carried his army 
 for many months into the country of the 
 enemy. It was a land that ivas strange 
 to the men and stranger still to the im- 
 agination of the sorroi^ing ones ivho 
 stayed behind. And at the end of it came 
 Gettysburg, vuhere more than five thou- 
 sand sons and husbands and lovers laid 
 doivn their lives for the cause they thought 
 to be just. 
 
 Pickett's charge at Gettysburg is one 
 of those deeds of arms that are immortal. 
 When it <was over — ending in defeat as 
 it did, on account of the lack of promised 
 supports — tivo-thirds of his beloved di- 
 vision lay sleeping on the slope of Ceme- 
 tary Ridge and the heart of their fearless 
 commander ivas crushed by the thought of 
 their sacrifice and the suffering that it 
 meant to the Southland. 
 
XI 
 
 From the General's Old Home On the Suffolk 
 Expedition 
 
 TO-DAY I rode on ahead of my division, 
 stopped for a moment at our old home, 
 ran into the garden and gathered for my dar- 
 ling some lilies of the valley, planted by my 
 sweet mother, which I knew were now in the 
 full glory of their blossoming. As I plucked 
 them one by one, I thought of the dear mother 
 who had planted them and the sweet bride- 
 to-be who would receive them, and my heart 
 went up in gratitude for the great love given 
 me by both. 
 
 While I am writing to you, Braxton and 
 the cook and the whole household, in fact, 
 are busy getting a lunch for me and preparing 
 to load up my courier and my boy. Bob, with 
 as many more lunches as they can carry, to be 
 distributed as far as they will go. My little 
 sister is making a paper box to hold my lilies 
 69 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 for you, and I am writing a love-letter to stand 
 sentinel over them and guard the sweet, sacred 
 messages entrusted to them. Old Jackerie 
 will take them to you and will also bring you, 
 with my sister's love, a box of her own home- 
 made dulces. 
 
 Perhaps, sweetheart, perhaps I say, you will 
 see your Soldier sooner than you think. You 
 know that since the capture of Roanoke Island 
 and our abandonment of Norfolk and Suffolk, 
 all that section of the country has been in the 
 hands of the enemy. Now in the extreme 
 northeast corner of North Carolina are stored 
 away large quantities of corn and bacon. Old 
 Peter, our far-seeing, slow but sure, indefati- 
 gable, plodding old war-horse, has planned to 
 secure some of these sorely needed supplies for 
 our poor, half fed army — and there never was 
 such an army, such an uncomplaining, plucky 
 body of men — never. 
 
 Why, my darling, during these continuous 
 ten days' march, the ground snowy and sleety, 
 the feet of many of these soldiers covered only 
 with improvised moccasins of raw beef hide, 
 and hundreds of them without shoes or blan- 
 
 70 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 kets or overcoats, they have not uttered one 
 word of complaint, nor one murmuring tone; 
 but cheerily, singing or telling stories, they 
 have tramped — tramped — tramped. To 
 crown it all, after having marched sixty miles 
 over half frozen, slushy roads they passed to- 
 day through Richmond, the home of many of 
 them, without a halt, with not a straggler — 
 greeted and cheered by sweethearts, wives, 
 mothers and friends. "God bless you, my 
 darling," "God bless you, my son," "Hello, 
 old man," "Howdy, Charley," rang all along 
 the line. Lunches, slices of bread and meat, 
 bottles of milk or hot coffee were thrust into 
 grateful hands by the dear people of Rich- 
 mond, who thus brought comfort and cheer 
 to many a hungry one besides their very own, 
 as the men hurriedly returned the greetings 
 and marched on. You would hardly recog- 
 nize these ragged, barefoot soldiers as the 
 trim, tidy boys of two years ago in their hand- 
 some gray uniforms, with shining equipment 
 and full haversacks and knapsacks. 
 
 Be brave and help me to be brave, my dar- 
 ling, and to trust in God. I won't say, "Keep 
 7^ 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 your powder dry," for one who doesn't know 
 enough to do that is not much of a soldier. 
 Faithfully and forever your 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 Richmondj February, 1863. 
 
 72 
 
XII 
 
 In Which He Urges his Betrothed to Marry 
 Him at Once 
 
 THIS morning I awakened from a beauti- 
 ful dream, and while its glory still over- 
 shadows the waking and fills my soul with 
 radiance I write to make an earnest request — 
 entreating, praying, that you will grant it. 
 You know, my darling, we have no prophets 
 in these days to tell us how near or how far is 
 the end of this awful struggle. If "the battle 
 is not to the strong" then we may win; but 
 when all our ports are closed and the world 
 is against us, when for us a man killed is a 
 man lost, while Grant may have twenty-five 
 of every nation to replace one of his, it seems 
 that the battle is to the strong. So often al- 
 ready has hope been dashed to the winds. 
 
 Why, dear, only a little while since, the 
 Army of the Potomac recrossed the Rappa- 
 hannock, defeated, broken in spirit, the men 
 73 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 deserting, the subordinate officers so severe in 
 their criticism of their superiors that the great 
 Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Mr. Lin- 
 coln, felt it incumbent upon him to write a 
 severe letter of censure and rebuke. Note the 
 change and hear their bugle-call of hope. 
 Hooker, who is alleged to have "the finest 
 army on the planet," is reported to be on the 
 eve of moving against Richmond. My divi- 
 sion and that of Hood, together with the 
 artillery of Bearing and Henry, have been 
 ordered to a point near Petersburg to meet this 
 possible movement. 
 
 Now, my darling, may angels guide my pen 
 and help me to write — help me to voice this 
 longing desire of my heart and intercede for 
 me with you for a speedy fulfillment of your 
 promise to be my wife. As you know, it is 
 imperative that I should remain at my post 
 and absolutely impossible for me to come for 
 you. So you will have to come to me. Will 
 you, dear? Will you come? Can't your 
 beautiful eyes see beyond the mist of my 
 eagerness and anxiety that in the bewilderment 
 of my worship — worshiping, as I do, one so 
 divinely right, and feeling that my love is re- 
 
 74 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 turned — how hard it is for me to ask you to 
 overlook old-time customs, remembering only 
 that you are to be a soldier's wife? A week, a 
 day, an hour as your husband would engulf in 
 its great joy all my past woes and ameliorate 
 all future fears. 
 
 So, my Sally, don't let's wait; send me a line 
 back by Jackerie saying you will come. Come 
 at once, my darling, into this valley of the 
 shadow of uncertainty, and make certain the 
 comfort that if I should fall I shall fall as your 
 husband. 
 
 You know that I love you with a devotion 
 that absorbs all else — a devotion so divine that 
 when in dreams I see you it is as something 
 too pure and sacred for mortal touch. And if 
 you only knew the heavenly life which thrills 
 me through when I make it real to myself that 
 you love me, you would understand. Think, 
 my dear little one, of the uncertainty and dan- 
 gers of even a day of separation, and don't let 
 the time come when either of us will look back 
 and say, "It might have been." 
 
 If I am spared, my dear, all my life shall be 
 devoted to making you happy, to keeping all 
 that would hurt you far from you, to making 
 75 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 all that is good come near to you. Heaven 
 will help me to be ever helpful to you and 
 will bless me to bless you. If you knew how 
 every hour I kneel at your altar, if you could 
 hear the prayers I offer to you and to our 
 Heavenly Father for you, if you knew the in- 
 cessant thought and longing and desire to 
 make you blessed, you would know how much 
 your answer will mean to me and how, while 
 I plead, I am held back by a reverence and a 
 sensitive adoration for you. For, my Sally, 
 you are my goddess and I am only 
 Your devoted. 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 In Camp, April 15, 1863. 
 
 Note: To those who recall the rigid system of social 
 training in which a girl of that period was reared, it will 
 not seem strange that a maiden, even in war times, could 
 not seriously contemplate the possibility of leaving home 
 and being married by the wayside in that desultory and 
 unstudied fashion. So, though my heart responded to 
 the call, what could I do but adhere to the social laws, 
 more formidable than were ever the majestic canons of 
 the ecclesiasts? My Soldier admitted that I was right, 
 and we agreed to await a more favorable time. — La- 
 
 SALLE CORBELL PiCKETT. 
 
 76 
 
XIII 
 
 Warning Her to Leave the Danger Zone 
 
 HOPING, my darling, that you heeded 
 your Soldier's admonition, and are now 
 safe across the "Black Water," I am taking 
 the risk of sending to you at Ivor, by my boy 
 servant. Bob, a little box of dulces and a note 
 filled with adoration. 
 
 My orders to follow Hood's Division have 
 been countermanded. Hood was hurried on 
 from the "Black Water" by rail to rejoin 
 Marse Robert, who has just gained a great 
 victory at Chancellorsville. I am ordered in- 
 stead to proceed at once with three of my bri- 
 gades to Petersburg, via the "Jerusalem- 
 Plank-Road," to intercept a cavalry raid. 
 
 Perhaps, my darling, I shall have met these 
 raiders ere this reaches you. Who knows 
 how many of us may then hear the roll-call 
 from the other side and be sorry? But sorry 
 for whom? For the comrades who answer to 
 77 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 their names and are reported present, or for 
 those whose spirit voices, just born, have not 
 yet gained the power to reach the ear of the 
 orderly and who are reported dead, even 
 though they, too, answer, "Here"? For, my 
 darling, there is no death, and you must feel 
 — must know — now and always, that whether 
 here or there, at the roll-call your Soldier 
 answers, "Here." 
 
 Now, adieu, my beloved. Close your 
 brown eyes and feel my arms around you, for 
 I am holding you close — oh, so close! 
 
 Forever your 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 Su^olk, May 5, 1863. 
 
 78 
 
XIY 
 Written When Lee Crossed the Potomac 
 
 EACH day, my darling, takes me farther 
 and farther away from you, from all I 
 love and hold dear. We have been guarding 
 the passes of the Blue Ridge. To-day, under 
 orders from Marse Robert, we cross the Po- 
 tomac. McLaws' and Hood's Divisions and 
 the three brigades of my division follow on 
 after Hill. May our Heavenly Father bless 
 us with an early and a victorious return. But 
 even then, the price of it — the price of it, my 
 little one — the blood of our countrymen! 
 God in His mercy temper the wind to us I 
 
 As I returned the salute of my men, many 
 of them beardless boys, the terrible respon- 
 sibility as their Commander almost over- 
 whelmed me, and my heart was rent in prayer 
 for guidance and help. Oh, the desolate 
 homes — the widows and orphans and heart- 
 broken mothers that this campaign will make I 
 How many of them, so full of hope and cheer 
 79 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 now, will cross that other river which lands 
 them at the Eternal Home. 
 
 Have faith, my little one; keep up a 
 "skookum tum-tum." ^ Your soldier feels that 
 he will return to claim his bride — his beauti- 
 ful, glorious bride. And then we shall be so 
 happy, my darling, that all our days to come, 
 we will show our loving gratitude to our 
 Father for His mercy in sparing us to each 
 other. 
 
 Now, my Sally, how I hate to say it — 
 adieu. Do you remember how many times 
 we said good-by that last evening? And then 
 as I heard the latch of the gate click and shut 
 me out, I was obliged to go back. I could not 
 stand the cruelty of the sound of that latch — 
 it seemed to knife my soul. I turned back and 
 said, "Good night!" The door was open; I 
 came in. You thought I had gone. I can't 
 just remember how many times I said good 
 night. I know I did not close the gate as I 
 went out again. Keep another gate open for 
 the good morning, my precious bride-to-be. 
 Oh, the bliss to be — the bliss to be then for 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 In Camp, June i8, i86j. 
 
 1 Chinook for strong heart. 
 
 So 
 
XV 
 
 On the Way Through Pennsylvania 
 
 I NEVER could quite enjoy being a "Con- 
 quering Hero." No, my dear, there is 
 something radically wrong about my Hurrah- 
 ism. I can fight for a cause I know to be just, 
 can risk my own life and the lives of those in 
 my keeping without a thought of the con- 
 sequences; but when we've conquered, when 
 we've downed the enemy and won the victory, 
 I don't want to hurrah. I want to go ofif all 
 by myself and be sorry for them — want to lie 
 down in the grass, away off in the woods some- 
 where or in some lone valley on the hillside 
 far from all human sound, and rest my soul 
 and put my heart to sleep and get back some- 
 thing — I don't know what — but something I 
 had that is gone from me — something subtle 
 and unexplainable — something I never knew 
 I had till I had lost it — till it was gone — gone 
 — gone I 
 
 Yesterday my men were marching victo- 
 8i 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 riously through the little town of Greencastle, 
 the bands all playing our glorious, soul inspir- 
 ing, southern airs: "The Bonny Blue Flag," 
 "My Maryland," "Her Bright Smile Haunts 
 Me Still," and the soldiers all happy, hopeful, 
 joyously keeping time to the music, many fol- 
 lowing it with their voices and making up for 
 the want of the welcome they were not receiv- 
 ing in the enemy's country by cheering them- 
 selves and giving themselves a welcome. As 
 Floweree's band, playing "Dixie," was passing 
 a vine-bowered home, a young girl rushed out 
 on the porch and waved a United States flag. 
 Then, either fearing that it might be taken 
 from her or finding it too large and unwieldy, 
 she fastened it around her as an apron, and 
 taking hold of it on each side and waving it in 
 defiance, called out with all the strength of her 
 girlish voice and all the courage of her brave 
 young heart: 
 
 "Traitors — traitors — traitors, come and take 
 this flag, the man of you who dares!" 
 
 Knowing that many of my men were from a 
 section of the country which had been within 
 the enemy's lines, and fearing lest some might 
 forget their manhood, I took off my hat and 
 
 82 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 bowed to her, saluted her flag and then turned, 
 facing the men who felt and saw my unspoken 
 order. And don't you know that they were 
 all Virginians and didn't forget if, and that 
 almost every man lifted his cap and cheered 
 the little maiden who, though she kept on wav- 
 ing her flag, ceased calling us traitors, till 
 letting it drop in front of her she cried out: 
 
 "Oh, I wish — I wish I had a rebel flag; I'd 
 wave that, too." 
 
 The picture of that little girl in the vine- 
 covered porch, beneath the purple morning 
 glories with their closed lips and bowed heads 
 waiting and saving their prettiness and bloom 
 for the coming morn — of course, I thought of 
 you, my darling. For the time, that little 
 Greencastle Yankee girl with her beloved flag 
 was my own little promised-to-be-wife, receiv- 
 ing from her Soldier and her Soldier's soldiers 
 the reverence and homage due her. 
 
 We left the little girl standing there with the 
 flag gathered up in her arms, as if too sacred 
 to be waved now that even the enemy had done 
 it reverence. As ever, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Greencastle, Pa., June 24, 1863. 
 83 
 
XVI 
 
 Lines Penned on the Road to Gettysburg 
 
 WE crossed the Potomac on the 24th at 
 Williamsport and went into bivouac on 
 the Maryland side, from which place I sent my 
 Lady-Love a long letter and some flowers 
 gathered on the way. We then went on to 
 Hagerstown, where we met A. P. Hill's Corps, 
 which had crossed the river farther down. 
 From Hagerstown I sent to the same and only 
 Lady-Love another letter, which was not only 
 freighted with all the adoration and devotion 
 of her Soldier's heart, but contained messages 
 from the staff and promises to take care of him 
 and bring him safely back to her. 
 
 We made no delay at Hagerstown, but pass- 
 ing through in the rear of Hill's Corps moved 
 on up Cumberland Valley and bivouacked at 
 Greencastle, where the most homesick letter of 
 all yet written was sent to — well, guess whom 
 this time. Why, to the same Lady-Love, the 
 
 84 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 sweetest, loveliest flower that ever blossomed to 
 bless and make fairer a beautiful world — for it 
 is beautiful, betokening in its loveliness noth- 
 ing of this deadly strife between men who 
 should be brethren of a great and common 
 cause, as they are the heritage of a great and 
 common country. 
 
 The officers and men are all in excellent 
 condition, bright and cheerful, singing songs 
 and telling stories, full of hope and courage, 
 inspired with absolute faith and confidence in 
 our success. There is no straggling, no dis- 
 order, no dissatisfaction, no plundering, and 
 there are no desertions. Think of it, my dar- 
 ling — an army of sixty thousand men march- 
 ing through the enemy's country without the 
 least opposition! The object of this great 
 movement is, of course, unknown to us. Its 
 purpose and our destination are known at 
 present only to the Commanding General and 
 his Chief Lieutenants. The men generally 
 believe that the intention is to entirely sur- 
 round the Army of the Potomac and place 
 Washington and Baltimore within our grasp. 
 They think that Marse Robert is merely 
 threatening the northern cities, with the view 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 of suddenly turning down the Susquehanna, 
 cutting off all railroad connections, destroying 
 all bridges, throwing his army north of Balti- 
 more and cutting off Washington, and that 
 Beauregard is to follow on directly from Rich- 
 mond via Manassas to Washington, in rear 
 of Hooker, who of course will be in pursuit 
 of Marse Robert. 
 
 Nous verrons. 
 
 We reached here this morning, June 27th, 
 the anniversary of the battle of Gaines's Mill, 
 where your Soldier was wounded. We 
 marched straight through the town of Cham- 
 bersburg, which was more deserted than Gold- 
 smith's village. The stores and houses were 
 all closed, with here and there groups of un- 
 cheerful Boers of Deutschland descent, ear- 
 nestly talking, more sylvan shadows than smiles 
 wreathing their faces. I had given orders that 
 the bands were not to play; but as we were 
 marching through the northeastern part of 
 the city, some young ladies came out onto the 
 veranda of one of the prettiest homes in the 
 town and asked: 
 
 "Would you mind shooting off the bands a 
 
 bit?" 
 
 86 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 So the command was given and the band 
 played "Home Sweet Home," "Annie Laurie," 
 "Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still," "Nellie 
 Gray" and "Hazel Dell." The young ladies 
 asked the next band that passed if they 
 wouldn't play "Dixie"; but the band instead 
 struck up "The Old Oaken Bucket," "The 
 Swanee River," "The Old Arm Chair," "The 
 Lone Rock by the Sea" and "Auld Lang 
 Syne." 
 
 "Thought you was rebels. Where'd you 
 come from anyhow? Can't play 'Dixie,' none 
 of you," they called out. We marched 
 straight on through the city and are camped 
 four miles beyond the town on the York River 
 road. 
 
 To-morrow, if you'll promise not to divulge 
 it to a human soul, I'll tell you a great secret. 
 No, my darling, I can't wait till to-morrow. 
 I'll tell you right now. So listen and cross 
 your heart that you won't tell. I love you — • 
 love you — love you, and oh, little one, I want 
 to see you so! That is the secret. 
 
 Lovingly and forever. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Chamhersburgj June 2^, i86j. 
 87 
 
XVII 
 During a Halt in the Long March 
 
 1WISH, my darling, you could see this 
 wonderfully rich and prosperous country, 
 abounding in plenty, with its great, strong, 
 vigorous horses and oxen, its cows and crops 
 and verdantly thriving vegetation — none of 
 the ravages of war, no signs of devastation — 
 all in woeful contrast to the land where we lay 
 dreaming. All the time I break the law 
 "Thou shalt not covet," for every fine horse 
 or cow I see I want for my darling, and all 
 the pretty things I see besides. Never mind, 
 she shall have everything some day, and I 
 shall have the universe and heaven's choicest 
 gift when she is my wife — all my very own. 
 At Chambersburg, Marse Robert preached 
 us a sermon, first instructing us in the meaning 
 of "meum" and "teum," and then taking as his 
 text, "Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord." I 
 observed that the mourners' bench was not 
 overcrowded with seekers for conversion. 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 The poor fellows were thinking of their own 
 despoiled homes, looted of everything, and 
 were not wildly enthusiastic as they acquiesced 
 obediently to our beloved Commander's or- 
 der. The Yanks have taken into the moun- 
 tains and across the Susquehanna all the sup- 
 plies they could, and we pay liberally for 
 those which we are compelled to take, pay- 
 ing for them in money which is paid to us, 
 our own Confederate script. Some of us 
 have a few pieces of gold with which to pur- 
 chase some keepsake or token for the dear 
 ones at home. Alas, my little one, how many 
 of us will be blessed with the giving of them? 
 God in His mercy be our Commander-in- 
 Chief! 
 
 We have not a wide field for selection here, 
 as we once had at Price's dry goods store or 
 John Tyler's jewelry establishment in Rich- 
 mond; but it seems quite magnificent to us 
 now, since the Richmond counters are so bare 
 as to offer not even a wedding ring or a yard 
 
 of calico. We are guying General who, 
 
 after long and grave deliberation, bought 
 three hoop skirts as a present for his be- 
 trothed. 
 89 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 All that makes life dear is the thought of 
 seeing you and being with you. And oh, what 
 an eternity it seems since I said good night! 
 Oh, my darling, love me, pray for me, hold 
 me in your thoughts, keep me in your heart! 
 
 Our whole army is now in Pennsylvania, 
 north of the river. There were rumors that 
 Richmond was threatened from all sides — 
 Dix from Old Point, Getty from Hanover, 
 Keyes from Bottom's Bridge, and so on — and 
 that we might be recalled. It turned out to 
 be Munchausen, and we are still to march for- 
 ward. Every tramp — tramp — tramp is a 
 thought — thought — thought of my darling, 
 every halt a blessing invoked, every command 
 a loving caress; and the thought of you and 
 prayer for you make me strong, make me bet- 
 ter, give me courage, give me faith. Now, 
 my dearest, let my soul speak to yours. Lis- 
 ten — listen — listen! You hear — I am an- 
 swered. 
 
 Forever and ever, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 In Camp, June 2g, 1863. 
 
 90 
 
XVIII 
 
 Written While He Awaited the Order to 
 Charge at Gettysburg 
 
 CAN my prettice do patchwork? If she 
 can, she must piece together these pen- 
 ciled scraps of soiled paper and make out of 
 them, not a log-cabin quilt, but a wren's nest, 
 cement it with love and fill it with blue and 
 golden and speckled eggs of faith and hope, 
 to hatch out greater love yet for us. 
 
 Well, the long, wearying march from 
 Chambersburg, through dust and heat beyond 
 compare, brought us here yesterday (a few 
 miles from Gettysburg). Though my poor 
 men were almost exhausted by the march in 
 the intense heat, I felt that the exigencies de- 
 manded my assuring Marse Robert that we 
 had arrived and that, with a few hours' rest, 
 my men would be equal to anything he might 
 require of them. I sent Walter with my mes- 
 sage and rode on myself to Little Round Top 
 
 Pi- 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 to see Old Peter, who, I tell you, dearest, was 
 mighty glad to see me. And now, just think 
 of it, though the old war-horse was watching 
 A. P. Hill's attack upon the center and Hood 
 and McLaws of his own corps, who had 
 struck Sickles, he turned and before referring 
 to the fighting or asking about the march in- 
 quired after you, my darling! While we 
 were watching the fight Walter came back 
 with Marse Robert's reply to my message, 
 which was in part: "Tell Pickett I'm glad 
 that he has come, that I can always depend 
 upon him and his men, but that I shall not 
 want him this evening." 
 
 We have been on the qui vive, sweetheart, 
 since midnight and as early as three o'clock 
 were on the march. About half past three, 
 Gary's pistol signaled the Yankees' attack 
 upon Gulp's Hill, and with its echo a wail of 
 regret went up from my very soul that the 
 other two brigades of my old division had 
 been left behind. Oh, God, if only I had 
 them — a surety for the honor of Virginia, for 
 I can depend upon them, little one. They 
 know your Soldier and would follow him into 
 
 92 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 the very jaws of death — and he will need 
 them, right here, too, before he's through. 
 
 At early dawn, darkened by the threaten- 
 ing rain, Armistead, Garnett, Kemper and 
 your Soldier held a heart-to-heart powwow. 
 
 All three sent regards to you, and Old 
 Lewis pulled a ring from his little finger and 
 making me take it, said, "Give this little token, 
 George, please, to her of the sunset eyes, with 
 my love, and tell her the 'old man' says since 
 he could not be the lucky dog he's mighty 
 glad that you are." 
 
 Dear old Lewis — dear old "Lo," as Ma- 
 gruder always called him, being short for 
 Lothario. Well, my Sally, I'll keep the ring 
 for you, and some day I'll take it to John 
 Tyler and have it made into a breastpin and 
 set around with rubies and diamonds and 
 emeralds. You will be the pearl, the other 
 jewel. Dear old Lewis I 
 
 Just as we three separated to go our differ- 
 ent ways after silently clasping hands, our 
 fears and prayers voiced in the "Good luck, 
 93 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 old man," a summons came from Old Peter, 
 and I immediately rode to the top of the ridge 
 where he and Marse Robert were making a 
 reconnaissance of Meade's position. "Great 
 God!" said Old Peter as I came up. "Look, 
 General Lee, at the insurmountable difficul- 
 ties between our line and that of the Yankees 
 — the steep hills, the tiers of artillery, the 
 fences, the heavy skirmish line — and then 
 we'll have to fight our infantry against their 
 batteries. Look at the ground we'll have to 
 charge over, nearly a mile of that open ground 
 there under the rain of their canister and 
 shrapnel." 
 
 "The enemy is there, General Longstreet, 
 and I am going to strike him," said Marse 
 Robert in his firm, quiet, determined voice. 
 
 About 8 o'clock I rode with them along 
 our line of prostrate infantry. They had 
 been told to lie down to prevent attracting 
 attention, and though they had been forbid- 
 den to cheer they voluntarily arose and lifted 
 in reverential adoration their caps to our be- 
 loved commander as we rode slowly along. 
 
 94 
 
..**?»... 
 
 THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Oh, the responsibility for the lives of such 
 men as these! Well, my darling, their fate 
 and that of our beloved Southland will be 
 settled ere your glorious brown eyes rest on 
 these scraps of penciled paper — your Soldier's 
 last letter, perhaps. 
 
 Our line of battle faces Cemetery Ridge. 
 Our detachments have been thrown forward 
 to support our artillery which stretches over 
 a mile along the crests of Oak Ridge and 
 Seminary Ridge. The men are lying in the 
 rear, my darling, and the hot July sun pours 
 its scorching rays almost vertically down upon 
 them. The suffering and waiting are almost 
 unbearable. 
 
 Well, my sweetheart, at one o'clock the aw- 
 ful silence was broken by a cannon-shot and 
 then another, and then more than a hundred 
 guns shook the hills from crest to base, an- 
 swered by more than another hundred — the 
 whole world a blazing volcano, the whole of 
 heaven a thunderbolt— then darkness and ab- 
 solute silence— then the grim and gruesome, 
 low-spoken commands — then the forming of 
 95 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 the attacking columns. My brave Virginians 
 are to attack in front. Oh, may God in mercy 
 help me as He never helped before! 
 
 I have ridden up to report to Old Peter. 
 I shall give him this letter to mail to you and 
 a package to give you if — Oh, my darling, 
 do you feel the love of my heart, the prayer, 
 as I write that fatal word? 
 
 Now, I go; but remember always that I 
 love you with all my heart and soul, with every 
 fiber of my being; that now and forever I am 
 yours — yours, my beloved. It is almost three 
 o'clock. My soul reaches out to yours — my 
 prayers. I'll keep up a skookum tumtum for 
 Virginia and for you, my darling. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. 
 
 96 
 
XIX 
 
 Relating Certain Incidents of the Great 
 Battle 
 
 MY letter of yesterday, my darling, writ- 
 ten before the battle, was full of hope 
 and cheer ; even though it told you of the long 
 hours of waiting from four in the morning, 
 when Gary's pistol rang out from the Federal 
 lines signaling the attack upon Gulp's Hill, 
 to the solemn eight-o'clock review of my men, 
 who rose and stood silently lifting their hats 
 in loving reverence as Marse Robert, Old 
 Peter and your own Soldier reviewed them — 
 on then to the deadly stillness of the five hours 
 following, when the men lay in the tall grass 
 in the rear of the artillery line, the July sun 
 pouring its scorching rays almost vertically 
 down upon them, till one o'clock when the 
 awful silence of the vast battlefield was 
 broken by a cannon-shot which opened the 
 greatest artillery duel of the world. The 
 97 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 firing lasted two hours. When it ceased we 
 took advantage of the blackened field and in 
 the glowering darkness formed our attacking* 
 column just before the brow of Seminary 
 Ridge. 
 
 I closed my letter to you a little before 
 three o'clock and rode up to Old Peter for 
 orders. I found him like a great lion at bay. 
 I have never seen him so grave and troubled. 
 For several minutes after I had saluted him 
 he looked at me without speaking. Then in 
 an agonized voice, the reserve all gone, he 
 said: 
 
 ^'Pickett, I am being crucified at the 
 thought of the sacrifice of life which this at- 
 tack will make. I have instructed Alexander 
 to watch the effect of our fire upon the enemy, 
 and when it begins to tell he must take the re- 
 sponsibility and give you your orders, for I 
 can't." 
 
 While he was yet speaking a note was 
 brought to me from Alexander. After read- 
 ing it I handed it to him, asking if I should 
 obey and go forward. He looked at me for a 
 moment, then held out his hand. Presently, 
 clasping his other hand over mine without 
 
 98 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 speaking he bowed his head upon his breast. 
 I shall never forget the look in his face nor 
 the clasp of his hand when I said: — "Then, 
 General, I shall lead my Division on." I had 
 ridden only a few paces when I remembered 
 your letter and (forgive me) thoughtlessly 
 scribbled in a corner of the envelope, "If Old 
 Peter's nod means death then good-by and 
 God bless you, little one," turned back and 
 asked the dear old chief if he would be good 
 enough to mail it for me. As he took your let- 
 ter from me, my darling, I saw tears glisten- 
 ing on his cheeks and beard. The stern old 
 war-horse, God bless him, was weeping for his 
 men and, I know, praying too that this cup 
 might pass from them. I obeyed the silent as- 
 sent of his bowed head, an assent given against 
 his own convictions, — given in anguish and 
 with reluctance. 
 
 My brave boys were full of hope and con- 
 fident of victory as I led them forth, forming 
 them in column of attack, and though officers 
 and men alike knew what was before them, — 
 knew the odds against them, — they eagerly of- 
 fered up their lives on the altar of duty, hav- 
 ing absolute faith in their ultimate success. 
 99 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Over on Cemetery Ridge the Federals beheld 
 a scene never before witnessed on this conti- 
 nent, — a scene which has never previously been 
 enacted and can never take place again — an 
 army forming in line of battle in full view, 
 under their very eyes — charging across a 
 space nearly a mile in length over fields of 
 weaving grain and anon of stubble and then a 
 smooth expanse — moving with the steadiness 
 of a dress parade, the pride and glory soon to 
 be crushed by an overwhelming heartbreak/ 
 
 Well, it is all over now. The battle is lost, 
 and many of us are prisoners, many are dead, 
 many wounded, bleeding and dying. Your 
 Soldier lives and mourns and but for you, my 
 darling, he would rather, a million times 
 rather, be back there with his dead, to sleep 
 for all time in an unknown grave. 
 
 Your sorrowing 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 In Camp, July 4, 1863. 
 
 ^ Here follows a detailed account of the battle, •which is omitted 
 from this volume for the reasons given in the note on page 211. 
 
 100 
 
XX 
 
 Written in Sorrow and Defeat, Three Days 
 After the Struggle 
 
 ON the Fourth— far from a glorious 
 Fourth to us or to any with love for his 
 fellow-men — I wrote you just a line of heart- 
 break. The sacrifice of life on that blood- 
 soaked field on the fatal third was too awful 
 for the heralding of victory, even for our vic- 
 torious foe, who I think, believe as we do, that 
 it decided the fate of our cause. No words 
 can picture the anguish of that roll-call — the 
 breathless waits between the responses. The 
 "Here" of those who, by God's mercy, had 
 miraculously escaped the awful rain of shot 
 and shell was a sob— a gasp— a knell— for the 
 unanswered name of his comrade. There was 
 no tone of thankfulness for having been 
 spared to answer to their names, but rather a 
 toll, and an unvoiced wish that they, too, had 
 been among the missing. 
 
 lOI 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Even now I can hear them cheering as I 
 gave the order, "Forward!" I can feel the 
 thrill of their joyous voices as they called out 
 all along the line, "We'll follow you, Marse 
 George. We'll follow you — we'll follow 
 you." Oh, how faithfully they kept their 
 word — following me on — on — to their death, 
 and I, believing in the promised support, led 
 them on — on — on — Oh, God! 
 
 I can't write you a love-letter to-day, my 
 Sally, for with my great love for you and my 
 gratitude to God for sparing my life to devote 
 to you, comes the overpowering thought of 
 those whose lives were sacrificed — of the 
 broken-hearted widows and mothers and 
 orphans. The moans of my wounded boys, 
 the sight of the dead, upturned faces, flood my 
 soul with grief — and here am I whom they 
 trusted, whom they followed, leaving them on 
 that field of carnage — and guarding four 
 thousand prisoners across the river back to 
 Winchester. Such a duty for men who a few 
 hours ago covered themselves with glory 
 eternal ! 
 
 Well, my darling, I put the prisoners all on 
 their honor and gave them equal liberties with 
 
 102 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 my own soldier boys. My first command to 
 them was to go and enjoy themselves the best 
 they could, and they have obeyed my order. 
 To-day a Dutchman and two of his comrades 
 came up and told me that they were lost and 
 besought me to help them find their comrades. 
 They had been with my men and were sepa- 
 rated from their own comrades. So I sent old 
 Floyd off on St. Paul to find out where they 
 belonged and deliver them. 
 
 This is too gloomy and too poor a letter for 
 so beautiful a sweetheart, but it seems sacri- 
 legious, almost, to say I love you, with the 
 hearts that are stilled to love on the field of 
 battle. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, July 6, 1863. 
 
 103 
 
XXI 
 
 Containing Further Details of the Battle 
 
 I AM enclosing you a copy of General Lee's 
 official letter of July 9th, in answer to 
 mine of the 8th, the same day on which I 
 wrote you (who deserved something brighter) 
 that ghostly, woeful letter. 
 
 General Lee's letter has been published to 
 the division in general orders and received 
 with appreciative satisfaction. The soldiers, 
 one and all, love and honor Lee, and his sym- 
 pathy and praise are always very dear to them. 
 Just after the order was published I heard one 
 of the men, rather rough and uncouth and not, 
 as are most of the men, to the manner born, 
 say, as he wiped away the tears with the back 
 of his hand, "Dag-gone him, dag-gone him, 
 dag-gone his old soul, I'm blamed ef I 
 wouldn't be dag-gone willin' to go right 
 through it all and be killed again with them 
 others to hear Marse Robert, dag-gone him, 
 
 J04 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 say over again as how he grieved bout'n we- 
 all's losses and honored us for we-all's bravery! 
 Darned ef I wouldn't." Isn't that reverential 
 adoration, my darling, to be vs^illing to be 
 ''killed again" for a word of praise? 
 
 It seems selfish and inhuman to speak of 
 love — haunted as I am with the unnecessary 
 sacrifice of the lives of so many of my brave 
 boys. I can't think of anything but the deso- 
 late homes in Virginia and the unknown dead 
 in Pennsylvania. At the beginning of the 
 fight I was so sanguine, so sure of success! 
 Early in the morning I had been assured by 
 Alexander that General Lee had ordered that 
 every brigade in his command was to charge 
 Cemetery Hill; so I had no fear of not being 
 supported. Alexander also assured me of the 
 support of his artillery which would move 
 ahead of my division in the advance. He told 
 me that he had borrowed seven twelve-pound 
 howitzers from Pendleton, Lee's Chief of Ar- 
 tillery, which he had put in reserve to ac- 
 company me. 
 
 In the morning I rode with him while he, 
 by Longstreet's orders, selected the salient 
 105 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 angle of the wood in which my line was 
 formed, which line was just on the left of his 
 seventy-five guns. At about a quarter to 
 three o'clock, when his written order to make 
 the charge was handed to me, and dear Old 
 Peter after reading it in sorrow and fear re- 
 luctantly bowed his head in assent, I obeyed, 
 leading my three brigades straight on the 
 enemy's front. You never saw anything like 
 it. They moved across that field of death as 
 a battalion marches forward in line of battle 
 upon drill, each commander in front of his 
 command leading and cheering on his men. 
 Two lines of the enemy's infantry were driven 
 back; two lines of guns were taken — and no 
 support came. Pendleton, without Alexan- 
 der's knowledge, had sent four of the guns 
 which he had loaned him to some other part 
 of the field, and the other three guns could 
 not be found. The two brigades which were 
 to have followed me had, poor fellows, been 
 seriously engaged in the fights of the two 
 previous days. Both of their commanding of- 
 ficers had been killed, and while they had 
 been replaced by gallant, competent officers, 
 
 io6 
 
•jroni^!:i' ! sH'-!i 
 
 Tivo lines of their infantry 
 ivere driven back; tivo lines of 
 guns ivere taken — and no sup- 
 port came. — Page lo6. 
 
. J 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 these new leaders were unknown to the men. 
 
 Ah, if I had only had my other two brigades 
 a different story would have been flashed to 
 the world. It was too late to retreat, and to 
 go on was death or capture. Poor old Dick 
 Garnett did not dismount, as did the others 
 of us, and he was killed instantly, falling from 
 his horse. Kemper, desperately wounded, 
 was brought from the field and subsequently, 
 taken prisoner. Dear old Lewis Armistead, 
 God bless him, was mortally wounded at the 
 head of his command after planting the flag 
 of Virginia within the enemy's lines. Seven 
 of my colonels were killed, and one was mor- 
 tally wounded. Nine of my lieutenant 
 colonels were wounded, and three lieutenant 
 colonels were killed. Only one field officer 
 of my whole command, Colonel Cabell, was 
 unhurt, and the loss of my company officers 
 was In proportion. 
 
 I wonder, my dear, if in the light of the 
 Great Eternity we shall any of us feel this was 
 for the best and shall have learned to say, 
 "Thy will be done." 
 
 No castles to-day, sweetheart. No, the 
 lo^ 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 bricks of happiness and the mortar of love 
 must lie untouched in this lowering gloom. 
 Pray, dear, for the sorrowing ones. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, July 12, 1863. 
 
 Headquarters, A. N. Va., 
 July 9th, 1863. 
 General: 
 
 Your letter of the 8th has been received. It was with 
 reluctance that I imposed upon your gallant division the 
 duty of carrying prisoners to Staunton. I regretted to 
 assign them to such a service, as well as to separate them 
 from .the Army, though temporarily, with which they 
 have been so long and efficiently associated. Though 
 small in numbers, their worth is not diminished, and I 
 had supposed that the division itself would be loth to 
 part from its comrades, at a time when the presence of 
 every man is so essential. 
 
 No one grieves more than I do at the loss suffered by 
 your noble division in the recent conflict, or honors it 
 more for its bravery and gallantry. It will afford me 
 hereafter satisfaction, when an opportunity occurs, to do 
 all in my power to recruit its diminished ranks, and to 
 recognize it in the most efficient manner. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 R. E. Lee, General. 
 
 Major Gen. G. E. Pickett, commanding, 
 
 Forwarded through Lieut. Gen. Longstreet. 
 C. Marshall, Major and A. D. C. 
 
 108 
 
XXII 
 
 On the Way to Richmond — Guarding 
 Prisoners 
 
 IT would be impossible, my darling, to de- 
 scribe to you even the half of the horrors 
 and hardships of these last days, from the first 
 night's long march to the present hour; not 
 only for ourselves but for the prisoners v^hom, 
 w^ith shattered hopes and heartbreak v\^e, the 
 little remnant of my division, have been as- 
 signed to guard. "One prisoner is too many 
 for us, who haven't a crust to go around 
 among ourselves," as Old Jack said. 
 
 Oh, the pity of it, guarding these prisoners 
 through their own country, depleted and suf- 
 fering mentally and physically as we are, and 
 being forced to march forward with a speed 
 beyond their own and our endurance. It may 
 be some consolation to both that we suffer 
 alike from fatigue, hunger, exhaustion and 
 wet, for the excessive rains which set in on the 
 fourth have continued unabated. 
 109 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 The long wagon-trains, the artillery, the as- 
 sortment of vehicles of all kinds impressed 
 from the farmers and loaded to their utmost 
 capacity with our wounded and, anon, room 
 made for the crowding in of yet another, fall- 
 ing from illness or exhaustion all along our 
 way, have added their quota to the discom- 
 forts of the march. Our commissariat, too, 
 has been as wretched here in this land of 
 plenty as it was in the barren, war- ridden land 
 we left behind. Our banquets, we, the guard 
 of honor, and our guests, the prisoners, have 
 shared like-and-like, and none was ever more 
 enjoyed by either than the flour made into 
 paste and baked on the stones in front of the 
 fire and the good Pennsylvania beef roasted 
 on the end of a stick. By the way, my Sally, 
 when you are my little housekeeper you must 
 remember that this stick-end roasting is a 
 mighty toothsome recipe for cooking beef. 
 
 The prisoners have been far more cheerful 
 than we have been, for they have not only had 
 strong hope of being retaken by their own 
 arms within a few days but their army has 
 gained a great victory, and though dearly 
 bought, it has, I fear, decided the fate of our 
 
 JIO 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 new-born nation. The cannonading on the 
 second morning, the shells from which we 
 could clearly see bursting somewhere in the 
 vicinity of the Monterey House and which we 
 learned were from Kilpatrick's artillery, en- 
 deavoring to cut off our trains and prevent 
 our retreat, gave the prisoners double assur- 
 ance of release. Their hope of rescue being 
 deferred at Monterey Springs, I instructed my 
 Inspector-General to parole the officers and 
 give them safeguard to return, binding them 
 to render themselves prisoners of war at Rich- 
 mond if they were not duly recognized by their 
 government. Unfortunately, I was not per- 
 mitted to release them at this point and they 
 were required to march with the rest of the 
 prisoners. 
 
 A Colonel of a Maine regiment. Colonel 
 Tilden, a splendid, gallant fellow, so appre- 
 ciative, too, of the very few small courtesies 
 which it has been possible to show him, asked 
 that I cancel their paroles, the main object of 
 which had been to avoid the terrors of the 
 march, which I, in honor, did of course. 
 
 Late in the evening after another trying 
 day's march we passed Waynesboro and, with 
 
 III 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 a rest of only an hour or so, marched all 
 night. At nine o'clock the following morn- 
 ing we reached Hagerstown but hurried on 
 through to Williamsport. All along the road 
 from Hagerstown to Williamsport were grue- 
 some evidences of Kilpatrick's dash into 
 Hagerstown — here a dead cavalryman, there 
 a broken caisson, a dead horse. I ought not 
 to let your beautiful eyes see through mine all 
 these horrors, but some day, my darling, some 
 day we'll strew roses and violets and lilies 
 over them all, even over the memories of 
 them. We'll listen to the resurrection that 
 hope and faith and love voice in all the songs 
 of nature. It will not be long, darling, for 
 to-day the official news of the surrender of 
 Vicksburg reached us. The tidings brought 
 cheers from the prisoners and increased the 
 sullen gloom of their guard. 
 
 I am directed to turn the prisoners over to 
 General Imboden's command, who is to es- 
 cort them to Staunton. Their final destina- 
 tion will, I suppose, be the old nine-room 
 brick warehouse on Carey Street in Rich- 
 mond, **Libby & Sons — Ship Chandlers and 
 Grocers" — a sign which I remember as a boy 
 
 112 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 and associate with ''Cat" and "Truant" and 
 other boyish games. Always I shall like to 
 remember it as a place to play, and not think 
 of it as a living tomb. There will not, I fear, 
 be many of my fellow-sufferers of the last few 
 days who enter these awesome walls who will 
 ever come forth alive. 
 
 The Potomac was so swollen by the rains 
 which began on the fourth and still continue, 
 that it was impossible to cross it at any of the 
 neighboring fords. A rope ferry, the only 
 means of crossing, made it slow and tedious, 
 and every minute's delay, my darling, seems 
 centuries when I am on my way to you — to 
 you. 
 
 Jackerie has waited so long for my post- 
 script that he has gone to sleep and I have 
 now not time to write it, but you will know 
 that the most important thing is in the P. S. 
 and this is love, — the love of 
 
 Your adoring 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 On the March, July I2, 1863. 
 
 113 
 
PART THREE 
 
 Wedding Bells that 
 Rang in the Wilderness 
 
 115 
 
TJTITH the return of the army to Vir- 
 yy ginia, after the tragic defeat at 
 Gettysburg, began the slow ebb of the 
 tide that had carried the hopes of the 
 Confederacy so high. It was in this crisis 
 nvhen he ivas back in his ivar-ivasted 
 state, fighting despondency and needing, 
 as never before, the love and devotion of 
 a ivife that General Pickett determined to 
 ivait no longer but to marry his sweet- 
 heart at once. As he could not go to her 
 she crossed the enemy's lines and joined 
 him at Petersburg, where they were made 
 one. 
 
 Soon after their marriage came the in- 
 evitable orders to march and the General 
 and his bride were separated for wieeks 
 at a time. But his letters brought to her 
 constant cheer and the promise, oft re- 
 peated, to come back to her in spite of 
 the dangers besetting him. That he did 
 so, ivas due certainly to some kind for- 
 tune that guarded him, since the deeds of 
 daring which he performed at the head 
 of his division became a tradition in the 
 Army. 
 
XXIII 
 In Which the General Issues An Order 
 
 OLD Peter is to go to Tennessee to reen- 
 force Bragg. He has placed his plans 
 before the Secretary of War. 
 
 Now, my darling, I have just had a long 
 powwow with him (Old Peter) who, "old 
 war-horse" as he is, has been in love himself, 
 is still in love, will always be in love, and 
 knows of our love — of our plighted troth — 
 and knowing it, tells me it is his purpose to 
 take me with him on this proposed expedi- 
 tion. 
 
 Now, my Sally, your Soldier is a soldier, 
 and never, even to himself, questions an order. 
 "His not to reason why." Darling, do you 
 know what this means? Why, my little one, 
 it means that you haven't one moment's res- 
 pite. It means that you are to be Mrs. Gen- 
 eral George Pickett, my precious wife, right 
 away. It means that you are to fulfill your 
 117 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 promise to "come to me at a moment's notice." 
 Yours, too, now, "not to reason why," but to 
 obey and come at once. We cannot brook 
 any delay, my darling; so pack up your knap- 
 sack — never mind the rations and the ammu- 
 nition, but come. My Aunt Olivia, with 
 Uncle Andrew, one of my staff and one of my 
 couriers will meet you and your dear parents 
 on this side of the Black Water and will escort 
 you to Petersburg, where I shall be waiting 
 at the train to meet you. I shall see you all 
 to the hotel, where you will wait while your 
 father, Bright and I get the license and make 
 other necessary arrangements for our imme- 
 diate marriage, which I have planned to take 
 place sine die at St. Paul's Church. Our 
 old friend, Doctor Piatt, will pronounce 
 the words that make us one in the sight of the 
 world. From the church, we will go to the 
 depot, where a special train, having been ar- 
 ranged for us by our friend, Mr. Reuben 
 Raglan, God bless him, will take us over to 
 Richmond, where my little sister is waiting 
 longingly to love and welcome my wife — her 
 new sister. 
 
 My darling will realize how impossible it 
 
 ii8 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 is for her Soldier to consult with her and 
 will forgive his bungling and awkwardness. 
 Never mind, after this she shall do all the 
 planning. Oh, what a heaven on earth is be- 
 fore us — if only this cruel war were over! A 
 Dios. Forgive this business letter. Courier 
 awaits. You will come; I have no fear. 
 
 Forever your 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, Sept. ij, i86j. 
 
 119 
 
XXIV 
 
 Written After Their Marriage, on an Expe- 
 dition Into North Carolina 
 
 IT seems an age, my darling, since we rode 
 away, leaving you and Mrs. Ransom ^ 
 standing in that wonderful grove of maiden 
 trees. I veil the annoying, disappointing 
 scenes since then and see again the beautiful 
 picture of my own bride, clothed in white, in 
 the greenery with the "grandfather squirrels" 
 playing all around her, climbing over her and 
 eating from her dainty, graceful hands. 
 "Mine — mine — all my own!" I said, invoking 
 our Father's care of you. Oh, my love, all 
 my happiness is in your hands, and as you love 
 me, guard your precious self from all harm. 
 I have you on my heart all the day. 
 
 Ransom sent on our letters from Kingston, 
 yia the Ugr.^ I hope they reached you safely. 
 
 1 Wife of General Ransom. 
 
 2 Underground railway. 
 
 J20 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Old Floyd ^ sent a most mysterious looking 
 package to you and Mrs. Ransom, which he 
 said you must both thank St. Paul for. In 
 Floyd's opinion, St. Paul has as much to an- 
 swer for as the great Apostle for whom he is 
 named. Certainly in appearance he is as in- 
 significant looking as a horse as St. Paul has 
 been described as a man, and while he has not 
 had one, much less five, shipwrecks, he has 
 had all manner of hairbreadth escapes, hard- 
 ships, indignities and a million times more 
 stripes, all of which he has borne with Chris- 
 tian resignation and endurance. 
 
 Well, dearest, my name is George and my 
 patience and temper accord with the name. 
 Our well-formed plans for the capture of 
 Newbern miscarried. Hoke's, Clingman's and 
 Corse's Brigades and Reid's Artillery under 
 my command were to make a feint — to 
 threaten on the south side of the Neuse River. 
 Dearing's Cavalry and three regiments of in- 
 fantry under Dearing were to make a demon- 
 stration on the north side of the Neuse. Ran- 
 som, Barton, and Terry under Barton were to 
 make the real attack, while we created a diver- 
 
 3 Headquarters Sutler. 
 121 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 sion and drew off the enemy. Simultaneously 
 with our movements Colonel R. Taylor Wood 
 was to take a naval force in small boats, make 
 a night excursion down the Neuse and attack 
 the gunboats. The soldiers were all jubilant, 
 buoyant and hopeful. Everything was propi- 
 tious ; victory seemed sure. General Bearing's 
 feint was successful. Hoke and Corse and 
 Clingman crossed over, taking all the defenses 
 and outworks in front. Wood's attack was a 
 complete surprise, capturing a gunboat right 
 under the guns of the fort; but, alas, the real 
 attack by Barton was not made. We waited 
 in deathlike suspense. Hour after hour of 
 restless anxiety and impatience went by and 
 yet no sound of a gun — and no message came 
 to tell me why. The torture and suspense 
 were unbearable. Newbern was ours — ours 
 if — Well — hope died out and the dejection 
 and despair of the men with their hopes 
 dashed cannot be told. 
 
 As ever, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 J22 
 
XXV 
 
 From the Lines Near Petersburg, Va. 
 
 YOUR Soldier breathes easier this morn- 
 ing, my darling. A great load is lifted. 
 Haygood's brave South Carolina Brigade 
 came in yesterday, thank God, and I stationed 
 them at Port Walthall Junction. This will 
 keep the connection between Petersburg and 
 Richmond open. Wise's Brigade got in to- 
 day and was sent out toward City Point. 
 
 For nights I have not closed my eyes. 
 How could I, with a whole city full of help- 
 less, defenseless women and children at the 
 mercy of an oncoming army? Butler's whole 
 force, in transports protected by his gunboats, 
 landed at City Point and Bermuda Hundred, 
 and no army here to meet them ! Not enough 
 soldiers, boys and old men all put together, 
 even for picket duty! 
 
 Come to think of it, my prettice, you must 
 have been up all night to have made up and 
 123 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 sent out such a basket of goodies, and baked 
 and buttered such a lot of biscuits, and made 
 so many jugs of coffee as came this morning. 
 My, I tell you it all tasted good, and the 
 coffee — well, no Mocha or Java ever tasted 
 half so good as this rye-sweet-potato blend! 
 And think of your thoughtfulness in wrapping 
 blankets around the jugs to keep the coffee 
 hot. Bless your thoughtful heart! You are, 
 without doubt, the dearest, most indefatigable 
 little piece of perfection that ever rode a 
 horse or buttered a biscuit or plucked a flower 
 or ever did anything else, as to that. Then 
 those hyacinths and geranium leaves! Who 
 else in all this nerve-racking, starving, perilous 
 time would have thought of gathering flowers? 
 My nigger. Bob, the loyal but unappreciative 
 scamp, apologetically took out the baskets, 
 which were apparently filled with the yet dew- 
 kissed fragrant flowers, and said: 
 
 ''Miss Sallie, Marse George, de Mistis, 
 done en sont you all dese yer endoubled 
 hyacinfs. En I axed her huccome she sont 
 'em; but she didn't say. So ef you all don't 
 lak 'em you-all mus' 'scuse her fer it en put 
 all de blame 'pon me. En anyhow, Marse 
 
 124 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 George, ef you cyan't eat dese hyacinfses ner 
 w'ar 'em ner shoot de Yankees wid' em, dey 
 suttinly does smell good and dey she' is 
 pretty." 
 
 Mrs. Stratton and Mrs. Johnson sent out 
 large hampers, too, to us. They came just 
 after we had finished with your baskets, and 
 we passed them on to others. 
 
 And now, my darling, what on earth did you 
 mean by saying, ''Never mind," as you said 
 good-by and rode away yesterday. It troubled 
 me all night. I wanted to follow after you and 
 ask you what you meant, but couldn't. I 
 would have jumped on Lucy and ridden in to 
 Petersburg and found out if it had been pos- 
 sible for me to leave. I was so troubled about 
 it that I was almost tempted to come in any- 
 how. For the life of me, little one, I couldn't 
 think of any reason why you should say, 
 "Never mind," to me. Were you aggrieved 
 because your blundering old Soldier told you 
 there was no necessity for your coming out to 
 bring the dispatches, any longer; that, thank 
 heaven, the recruits and reenforcements were 
 coming in now, and that we could manage 
 all right? I did not mean to hurl you, dear. 
 125 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 I hoped you'd send a line by Bob telling me 
 what you meant and why you had said it, but 
 when I asked him if you had written, he said: 
 
 "Yes, Suh, Marse George, 'course de mistis 
 is done en writ a letter er a answer er sumpin' ; 
 but ef she did done it, den I mus' er forgot 
 ter fotch it, bein' ez I wuz in sich a hurry ter 
 git yere in time dis mornin' wid de baskets, en 
 startin' befo' daybre'k. En den dis ebenin' a 
 gettin' de basket en papers en milk en things 
 ready in sich a hurry agin, I mus' er forgot de 
 letter agin." 
 
 Now, please, my darling, send Bob back 
 right away with a nice letter and tell your 
 Soldier that you did not mean anything by say- 
 ing, "Never mind," to him, for he loves you 
 with all his heart and would not wound or dis- 
 appoint or offend you for anything in the 
 world. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 On the Linesj May y, 1864. 
 
 126 
 
XXVI 
 In the Wilderness Before Cold Harbor 
 
 BAIRD has just come in from the lines, 
 my darling wife, and reports that all is 
 well. I came in about eleven and was lying 
 in my tent all alone, thinking of you, and 
 while I builded wonderful castles I was sere- 
 nading you with the songs I love. 
 
 I think I had finished all the songs I had 
 ever sung to you, and when Baird came in my 
 thoughts had wandered to the Salmon-IUahie 
 and I was singing Anne Boleyn's song, "Oh 
 Death, Rock Me Asleep," which was taught 
 me by my friend. Captain G. P. Hornby, of 
 Her Majesty's ship Tribune, away out in San 
 Juan Island on the Pacific Coast in 1859. I 
 do not know why I was singing this song, ex- 
 cept that it is beautiful and one of the finest 
 and sweetest of melodies. Both the air and 
 words were written by poor, unfortunate 
 Anne Boleyn. I know but one verse— if 
 J27 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Hornby ever knew other verses he had for- 
 gotten them — but the one I know is appeal- 
 ing. I will write it for you, if I may: 
 
 "Oh, Death, rock me asleep ! Bring me to quiet and rest ; 
 Let pass my weary, guiltless life out of my careful breast ; 
 Toll on the passing bell, ring out my doleful knell; 
 Let thy sound my death tell. Death doth draw me. 
 Death doth draw me. There is no remedy." 
 
 Baird stopped outside and listened and then 
 came in, asking permission to order Bob to 
 light the dips, and saying, "Please, Sir, Marse 
 George, when you sing that song I haven't got 
 a friend in the world. I'm lonesome and feel 
 creeps and see spooks and, what's worse, I 
 don't know whether I am Anne Boleyn her- 
 self, or am myself responsible for all poor 
 Anne's sorrows and death." 
 
 So I stopped singing and am writing to tell 
 you a great secret, which is — I love you. 
 Some day when we are happy — so happy that 
 nothing could make us any happier — I'll sing 
 this song to you. 
 
 Last night there was a night attack. Sev- 
 eral of the men were wounded slightly; but 
 the face of one — perhaps seriously wounded — 
 
 128 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 haunts me. He is a boy with golden brown 
 curls — somebody's darling. To-night, we 
 made a capture of the Federal pickets, sweep- 
 ing their rifle-pits for more than a hundred 
 yards and taking a hundred and thirty-six 
 prisoners. You know our lines are so close 
 together in many places that we, the Yankees 
 and my men, can with voices raised carry on 
 a conversation. 
 
 War and its horrors, and yet I sing and 
 whistle. Oh, my sweetheart, if only this 
 wicked war were over so that we could in 
 peace and quiet tranquilly finish the book of 
 Love which we have but just begun. 
 
 Adios now. I see old Jackerie in the flap 
 with his pack and bag, his wonted grace and 
 patience, his dolce-far-niente eyes and soft, 
 southern Italian voice, saying, "No huUa-non- 
 enty." But I must hurry, for he starts at day- 
 break and it is now past midnight. 
 
 Lovingly now and forever, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 In Camp, June, 1864. 
 
 tSQ 
 
XXVII 
 Recalling a Visit from '^Old Jack" 
 
 HERE we are still, my darling. My 
 division is stationed with the rest of the 
 First Corps between new and old Cold Har- 
 bor. Old Peter, having been wounded in the 
 Wilderness, Anderson has been put in com- 
 mand of the First Corps. Grant has been ap- 
 pointed Lieutenant General and has arrived 
 at nearly the same point in his march down 
 the river that McClellan reached in his up- 
 ward progress in '62. Over a crimson road 
 both armies have returned to Cold Harbor. 
 The Wilderness, alas, is one vast graveyard 
 where sleep thousands of Grant's soldiers; but 
 Grant, like our Stonewall, is "fighting not to 
 save lives, but country." 1 
 
 For the second time now Cold Harbor has 
 become a battle-ground. Two years ago it 
 furnished the field for the battle of Gaines's 
 Mill (which the Yankees called Cold Har- 
 bor) where your Soldier was wounded. Does 
 
 130 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 it seem to you as long ago as two years, my 
 darling? To me, it seems but yesterday that 
 I lay in Richmond at my little sister's and you 
 came to see me, blessing and cheering me. I 
 can feel now the soft touch of your little white 
 hands, as you gently stroked and soothed my 
 wounded shoulder and swollen arm and hand. 
 Do you remember one afternoon while you 
 were reading from Moore's melodies (not that 
 I heard or took in the meaning of a single word 
 of them, for I only heard the music of your 
 wonderful voice and saw the long, dark lashes 
 caressing the words which those cupid-shaped 
 cherry lips were uttering) that our dear old 
 Stonewall was announced? Of course I knew 
 his calling was out of the usual, and I was 
 honored and gratified by his coming; but any 
 guest was unwelcome if I had to share with 
 him my darling. I remember that you 
 marked the place you were reading with your 
 dainty, scented handkerchief, which I stole 
 and still have. You and my sister were about 
 to withdraw; but both the General and I 
 urged you to remain. I shall always hold 
 sacred "Old Jack's" visit and remember its 
 every detail. 
 
 131 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Do you recall how indignant our maid- 
 servant was at what she supposed a reflection 
 upon the mint-juleps she was serving? You 
 remember the uncompromising, stern old 
 Puritan declined, saying, "Take that liquor 
 away. I never touch strong drink. I like it 
 too well to fool with it, and no man's strength 
 is strong enough to touch that stuff with im- 
 punity." You remember how, though she 
 politely curtsied, poor Julie, humbly but 
 vigorously defending her juleps, replied, 
 " 'Scuse me, Marse Gen'ul Jackson, but dese 
 yer drams ain't got no impunities in 'em, Suh. 
 Nor, Suh. Braxton done en mek 'em out'n 
 we-all's ve'y bes' old London Dock brandy 
 out'n one of we-all's cobweb bottles." 
 
 Old Jackerie brought me your letter on the 
 first, just after the Yankees' attack on Hoke 
 and Kershaw, breaking their outer lines. 
 That night Grant transferred his right to a 
 point beyond Cold Harbor. On the afternoon 
 of the second Marse Robert ordered an assault 
 on Grant's right; but old Jubal found it in- 
 vincible and went to work erecting defenses. 
 I believe it was old Jube who gave Marse 
 Robert the title of "Old-Spades-Lee," or "Old 
 
 132 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Ace of Spades," because of his incessant activ- 
 ity in throwing up defenses, trenches, breast- 
 works, etc. This morning Grant made an as- 
 sault along the entire six miles of our line, and 
 our guns opened a counter attack, followed by 
 advance skirmishes of my division. The 
 whole Confederate line poured a stream of 
 fire, and thousands of Grant's soldiers have 
 gone to reenforce the army of the dead. 
 
 Oh, this is all a weary, long mistake. May 
 the merciful and true God wield power to end 
 it ere another day passes! 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. 
 
 133 
 
XXVIII 
 
 After General Lee Had Congratulated His 
 Division for Gallantry 
 
 OUTSIDE, my darling, the band has been 
 playing the songs that we love, and in- 
 side I have been softly singing them all to 
 you, to your spirit far away. Now they have 
 wound up with ''Alice, Where Art Thou?" 
 which might have set me wondering if it had 
 not been the hour we each seek to be alone that 
 we may bring our souls in touch. So I knew 
 that thou wert with me. 
 
 This morning Tom Friend brought me a 
 weesome package of tea, which he wishes sent 
 to you. ''One of the men," he said, "swapped 
 his tobacco for it." If the whole universe 
 were mine, I'd lay it at your feet, for love has 
 builded in my heart three altars for thy wor- 
 ship — one to Faith, one to Hope, one to Serv- 
 ice — and you, my Goddess whom I worship, 
 must feed my faith, illumine my hope and 
 command my service. 
 
 134 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 This morning, for reasons which you will 
 presently note, I was thinking of our ever 
 memorable ride from Petersburg. Its anxie- 
 ties and pleasures, your indomitable pluck and 
 merry laughter on that day pass before me, 
 making me shudder with fear or thrill with 
 happiness. It was on your birthday, you re- 
 member, and Beauregard had been forced' to 
 leave his intrenchments at early daylight, and 
 Butler had walked into them and had suc- 
 ceeded in reaching the Richmond and Peters- 
 burg Railroad and was destroying the track 
 when the advance guard of my division ran 
 him ofif. I had left you in the rear and had 
 gone on about a quarter of a mile in advance 
 of my division and was riding quietly along 
 with the members of my stafif and General R. 
 H. Anderson, who was then commanding the 
 corps. We were some ten miles or so from 
 Petersburg when we were ambushed and fired 
 into by a portion of Butler's troops. Hun- 
 ton's Brigade was followed up by my other 
 brigades, and we drove the enemy back to- 
 ward Bermuda Hundred, where they were 
 stopped by my men who retook the whole line. 
 
 This gallant and unexpected action so 
 135 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 pleased Marse Robert that he yesterday had 
 published the inclosed notice, which I send 
 you that you may be reminded of my glorious, 
 fearless men who yet survived that awful third 
 of July where so many of their comrades were 
 left to sleep. The line of breastworks which 
 they took and to which Marse Robert refers in 
 the notice inclosed is most important, as the 
 main line of defense between Richmond and 
 Petersburg and opposing any advance of the 
 enemy upon the peninsula of Bermuda Hun- 
 dred. 
 
 Now my darling sees why I am thinking of 
 that 1 6th of May. It was because she, though 
 Marse Robert doesn't know it, comes in for 
 a share of his praise. I am thinking of you 
 every minute and wish that I could ride in, if 
 only for an hour between sundown and mid- 
 night, to see you; but, to use Mr. Lincoln's 
 expressive words, Grant is so "infernally 
 interruptious" that I am afraid to take the 
 risk. 
 
 Now, my strayed angel of the skies, don't 
 be disappointed. I love you. Good night. 
 May all blessings bless you, all sunshine shine 
 for you, all angels guard you, all that is good 
 
 136 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 take care of you and all heaven help me to be 
 worthy of you. 
 
 Forever and ever 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, June i8, 1864. 
 
 Clay^s House, 5:30 P. M., June ij, 1864. 
 Lieutenant-General R. H. Anderson, 
 
 Commanding Longstreet's Corps. 
 General : 
 
 I take great pleasure in presenting to you my congratu- 
 lations upon the conduct of the men of your corps. I be- 
 lieve they will carry anything they are put against. We 
 tried very hard to stop Pickett's men from capturing the 
 breastworks of the enemy, but could not do it. I hope 
 his loss has been small. 
 
 I am, with respect, your obedient servant, 
 
 R. E. Lee, General. 
 
 137 
 
XXIX 
 
 When Butler Burned the General's Old Home 
 
 WAS my letter of yesterday strenuous? 
 Well, it was a strenuous day, full of 
 rumors and contradictions. And yet in spite 
 of it I managed to sandwich in between the 
 shelling and the movement of the fleet and 
 the distinguished visitors the ever new and 
 true story of my love. But I had only time 
 to make the bare announcement at the close of 
 that letter that Butler had burned our home 
 the day before. If it had been burned in line 
 of battle, it would have been all right; but it 
 was not. It was burned by Butler at a great 
 expense to the Government and in revenge 
 for having been outgeneraled by a little hand- 
 ful of my men at Petersburg and for Grant's 
 telegram to Mr. Lincoln, saying, "Pickett has 
 bottled up Butler at Petersburg." 
 
 Mr. Sims, who has been our overseer ever 
 since I can remember, came up from Turkey 
 
 13S 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Island this morning to tell me all about it. 
 The poor old fellow loved the old place and is 
 heartbroken over its destruction. He says 
 they first looted the house and then shelled and 
 burned it, together with the barn and stables. 
 He is very bitter and vindictive and vows all, 
 manner of eternal vengeance. The poor old 
 chap is sensitive because I did not rave and 
 rage with him, and resents what he considers 
 my indifference. He gave me the benefit of 
 all the swear words in his vocabulary when I 
 tried to make him understand that there are 
 weightier things and subjects of greater mo- 
 ment than the mere loss of personal property. 
 "'Personal property!'" he quoted indig- 
 nantly. "Why, Turkey Island was your ma's 
 and pa's and their ma's and pa's before 'em. 
 Think of them big oaks, them maiden trees, 
 the river and everything! Think of all the 
 big men that's set 'round that old mahogany 
 table and jingled their glasses at that big old 
 sideboard! 'Personal property!' Why, when 
 you was just a turning six your pa and me 
 showed you the very halting place whar in 
 January, 1781, that traitor, Benedict Arnold, 
 stopped on his march to Richmond after he 
 139 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 had come up with the fleet at Jamestown and 
 then went on to Westover. 'Personal prop- 
 erty!' Why, I remember the very day we sot 
 you up in the crotch of that great old oak 
 tree under which Governor Jefferson and Mr. 
 Edmund Randolph 'lighted from their fillies 
 and tied them to one of the limbs till they 
 could walk a piece and see for themselves that 
 old monument put up in 171 1, eleven years be- 
 fore that time, to show how much devilment 
 a river could do if it had the elements to help 
 it. 'Personal property I' Why, Sir, there 
 wan't a picture or a piece of furniture or a 
 statuary in that old home that wan't only sea- 
 soned with age, but had a store of valuableness 
 to it besides, and you passive and peaceable, 
 taking the news all quiet as if it had been noth- 
 ing but a fence rail burnt up, and telling me 
 to my face, and me a-bustin' out with damna- 
 tion from every pore, that you had heard of 
 the fire, that Mr. Enroughty had reported the 
 burning of Turkey Island yesterday! 'Re- 
 ported!' 'Personal property!' I wonder if a 
 man's soul is personal property. Well, if it is 
 and Mr. Satan should ever report to me that 
 he wanted any help to keep up his fire to burn 
 
 J40 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Mr. Butler's, or any of his kind of personal 
 property, he would know where to get it!" 
 
 Poor Mr. Sims I I've sent him with one of 
 my couriers to find some of his friends in the 
 trenches, where I hope he will work off some 
 of his wrath over Butler and his kind and my 
 unfortunate phrase "personal property." Of 
 course you know, my darling, that I am not un- 
 mindful of the sacredness of the old home and 
 that I grieve that it has been destroyed, but we 
 will build us another home, won't we? The 
 river is there, and some of the old trees are left. 
 And if God should bless us with a son I shall, 
 when he is as old as I was then, take him under 
 this same old historic tree that Mr. Sims speaks 
 of and tell him in the very language of my 
 father some of the old stories he used to tell 
 me, and introduce him to the great men of 
 those days as my father made me acquainted 
 with them. I can hear him now say: 
 
 "My son, there was Madison, a very, very 
 small man with introverted eyes and ample 
 forehead. He dressed always in a surtout of 
 brown, which was generally dusty and oftener 
 than otherwise faded and shabby. Judge 
 Marshall was very tall and commanding and 
 141 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 revolutionary and patriarchal in appearance. 
 He had fine expressive eyes and dressed al- 
 ways in a well-fitting surtout of blue. Mr. 
 John Randolph was puny and frail and most 
 uncommon looking. He was swarthy and 
 wrinkled, with eyes as brilliant as stars of the 
 first magnitude. Watkins Leigh was un- 
 usually distinguished in appearance. Taze- 
 well was tall and fine looking; but Mr. Mon- 
 roe was very wrinkled and weather-beaten and 
 so exceedingly awkward that he stumbled 
 over his own feet and walked on everyone 
 else's. Governor Giles used a crutch always 
 and talked like molasses in July." 
 
 My father never used made-up words or a 
 children's vocabulary in describing to me men 
 and events. He would say, "Words are 
 things, my son. I want you to know them and 
 not be like the British officer who, when he 
 and some of his command were taken pris- 
 oners and were told by their captors that they 
 were to be paroled, demanded in great terror 
 and consternation, "Pray, what kind of death 
 is that?' " 
 
 Oh, my Sally, I dream of the happy days 
 when you will be the fair mistress of Turkey 
 
 142 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Island, under those old trees, with the James 
 River always before us and love always with 
 us. As the sun in the firmament, so is love 
 in the world — love, the life of the spirit, the 
 root of every virtuous action. It enhanceth 
 prosperity, easeth adversity and maketh of 
 the slightest twist a Gordian knot. It gives 
 vigor to the atmosphere, fragrance to the 
 flower, color to the rainbow, zest to life, music 
 to laughter, and oh, such laughter as yours, 
 my own, my beautiful. I love you with all 
 my heart and soul and mind and being. 
 A Dios. Keep this love close. 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, June — , 1864. 
 
 143 
 
PART FOUR 
 
 In the Shadow of 
 the End 
 
^T^HE long struggle between the states 
 J- laas noiv drawing to a close. The 
 South, depleted in men and resources, 
 awaited in grim despair the failure of its 
 hopes. Gloom and disappointment settled 
 down upon all, men and officers alike, but 
 to General Pickett there came a gleam of 
 happiness in the birth of his son. The 
 event was one that was hailed with re- 
 joicing on both sides of the battle lines — 
 for the contending armies luere but paces 
 apart. Grant and his staff sent a birth- 
 day greeting to the "Little General," as 
 the boy was dubbed immediately, and 
 though the armies met again in conflict 
 the incident served to lessen the feeling 
 that had existed between them. A brief 
 nine months later, Pickett wrote: "Peace 
 is born." 
 
XXX 
 
 upon Hearing of the Birth of the '^Little 
 General" 
 
 GOD bless you, little Mother of our boy — 
 bless and keep you. Heaven in all its 
 glory shine upon you; Eden's flowers bloom 
 eternal for you. Almost with every breath 
 since the message came, relieving my anxiety 
 and telling me that my darling lived and that 
 a little baby had been born to us, I have been 
 a baby myself. Though I have known all 
 these months that from across Love's en- 
 chanted land this little child was on its way 
 to our twin souls, now that God's promise is 
 fulfilled and it has come, I can't believe it. 
 As I think of it I feel the stir of Paradise in 
 my senses, and my spirit goes up in thankful- 
 ness to God for this, His highest and best — 
 the one perfect flower in the garden of life — 
 Love. 
 
 Blinding tears rolled down my cheeks, my 
 147 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 sweetheart, as I read the glad tidings. And 
 a feeling so new, so strange, came over me 
 that I asked of the angels what it could be 
 and whence came the strains of celestial music 
 which filled my soul, and what were the great, 
 grand, stirring hosannas and the soft, tender, 
 sweet adagios that circled round and round, 
 warmed my every vein, beat in my every pulse. 
 And — oh, little Mother of my boy — the echo- 
 ing answer came — "A little baby has been 
 born to you, and he and the new-born Mother 
 live." 
 
 I wanted to fly to you both, kneel by your 
 bedside, take your hand and his little hand 
 in mine and lift our hearts in thankfulness to 
 the Heavenly Throne. But when I applied 
 to the great Tyee for a pass to Richmond, say- 
 ing, *'My son was born this morning," he 
 replied, "Your country was born almost a hun- 
 dred years ago." It was the first word of 
 reproach Marse Robert ever spoke to me; but 
 he was right and I was reckless to ask. 
 
 Things may be quieter to-morrow, sweet- 
 heart, perhaps even to-night, and I may be 
 able to come in for an hour. I must not write 
 another word, though I want to write on and 
 
 148 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 on and send messages and kisses to the little 
 baby and to caution its Mother to be careful 
 and to tell her she is ten thousand times more 
 precious than ever, but I must not. 
 
 Lovingly and forever and ever 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 July ly, 1864 — Our boy's birthday. 
 Blessed Day. 
 
 149 
 
XXXI 
 
 A Second Letter on His Son's Birthday. 
 
 GOD has heard our prayers, my beloved 
 wife. Oh, the ecstatic pleasure I felt 
 when Charles brought the Doctor's letter. 
 Precious one, you must obey every injunction 
 of our dear Aunt. Do not think of writing or 
 exerting yourself in any way. She knows all 
 about what should be done. I am coming to 
 you this evening, should General Lee say so, 
 and he will, for I have sent Bright post haste 
 to him, telling him of the glory of the Star in 
 the East. 
 
 Oh, my pretty wife! I long to see you and 
 your little son — Our son! Little new-born 
 mother, I have humbly thanked God for His 
 great and bounteous goodness ; every breath I 
 breathe is one of gratitude to Him for spar- 
 ing you to me and giving us a son — thou Life 
 of my soul. Ever and forever 
 
 Your Devoted Soldier. 
 
 Sunday, jyth July, 
 Blessed Day! 
 
 ISO 
 
XXXII 
 
 On the Occasion of His First Visit to His Boy 
 
 MY men had all heard of the arrival of the 
 "Little General," as they call him, and 
 when I was riding out of camp last night to 
 surrender to him, I noticed the bonfires which 
 were being kindled all along my lines and 
 knew that my loyal, loving men were light- 
 ing them in honor of my baby. But I did not 
 know till this morning that dear old Ingalls, 
 at Grant's suggestion, had kindled a light on 
 the other side of the lines, too, and I was over- 
 come with emotion when I learned of it. To- 
 day their note of congratulation, marked un- 
 official, which I inclose, came to me through 
 the lines. You must keep it for the baby, with 
 the pass and note of Marse Robert which I 
 put into its little clenched hand. 
 
 ''Babyl" Can it be true, my darling? 
 Heaven knows no deeper devotion, no deeper 
 gratitude, than that which filled my heart 
 when I realized that the golden dream of life 
 151 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 had come to pass — was true; when I looked 
 upon the sweet, shy face of my girl bride 
 and saw it transformed into the sacred tender- 
 ness of motherhood, saw the grace and charm, 
 the soul-born protecting look in the mother 
 eyes, the lilied sweetness of her face, the smile 
 of unlanguaged mystery, with a gentleness and 
 patience as sweet and meek as Mother Mary 
 wore. I knew it was the Alpha and Omega 
 of Heaven. 
 
 I see still the moss rose bud left by the 
 Blumen-Engel as a bescheidenen Schmuck of 
 his love nestling in your snow-white arms and 
 the long, dark lashes kissing your cheeks as 
 you look down upon it. I still feel the mystic 
 power of the grasp of its tiny rose leaf fingers 
 clutched around my own. 
 
 But I must not write another word — not 
 one. Lovingly, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 In Camp, July ig, 1864. 
 
 To George Pickett: 
 
 We are sending congratulations to you, to the young 
 mother and the young recruit. 
 
 Grant, Ingalls, Suckley. 
 July l8j 1864. 
 
 152 
 
XXXIII 
 
 upon Returning from a Ride With Marse 
 Robert 
 
 I HAVE but a few moments since, my 
 pretty one, returned from a ride with the 
 Tyee up one hill and down the other. The 
 enemy occupied Dutch Gap last evening. 
 This is higher up the river than I am and I 
 had expected the Navy to take care of our rear 
 but they have allowed them to come in, and 
 now I have to stretch out my India rubber 
 division. 
 
 Well, my pet, I have to do it. The General 
 did not seem in a remarkably good humor — 
 with the news from Mobile and Bradley, 
 Johnson in the valley, and this impudence of 
 the Yankees in crawling up behind us. 
 
 I am so glad, my own, that you are better — 
 thank the good God for it. Blair says you 
 must not keep the baby in your arms so much, 
 that you are acting mother and nurse both. 
 153 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Please listen to the doctor this time, and to 
 your husband's pleading. Blair says that his 
 indisposition is nothing but the colic, and that 
 you must not make yourself uneasy about the 
 little fellow. You must make Lucinda nurse 
 him more. 
 
 I send you a chicken, a cup of salt, likewise 
 an apple — one single one. Your friend, Miss 
 Gamble, radiant with a white frock and smiles, 
 sent it to me {didn't give it) with her compli- 
 ments last night. 
 
 Bye-bye, Sweet One. 
 
 Ever your own 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, August — , 1S64. 
 
 J54 
 
XXXIV 
 
 Concerning the Gossip of His Servant, George 
 
 I LEFT you yesterday, my darling, "with 
 many a pause and longing glance be- 
 hind"; but out in the midst of this terrible 
 conflict to which I have come, your love is 
 with me, shielding and blessing me. 
 
 I reached camp just before daybreak. 
 George hustled around and made me a pot 
 of "sho'nough cofifee wid no debultrement in 
 it." And while I drank my coffee he kept off 
 the flies — which, early as it was, had begun 
 to be very sociable — entertaining me the while 
 with news of the camp and his own views on 
 current events. 
 
 "You know, Marse George," he began, "po' 
 Robert, Marse Jefferson Davis' mos' betrusted 
 servant, is done en bruck out thick all ober wid 
 de smallpox, en dar ain' no tellin' how many 
 er de President's friends en 'quaintances po' 
 Robert is done en kernockulated wid it, kaze 
 155 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 po' Robert wuz moughty sociable and 
 familious wid all de President's friends. I 
 suttinly hopes dat you en Gen'l Lee en Gen'l 
 Heth is gwine ter 'scape. I wuz so upsot, 
 Marse George, by dis news 'bout po' Robert 
 dat I couldn't sleep, en I got out behime de 
 tent en listened ter de officers a talkin' wid 
 dar moufs en gesticulatin' 'bout de way t'ings 
 wuz gwine. 
 
 '^Some er 'em said how ef Marse Albert 
 Sydney Johnston hadn't been kilt at Shiloh, 
 en ef Marse Joe Johnston hadn't been 
 wounded at Seben Pines, en ef you had been 
 s'ported at Gettysburg, dat t'ings wouldn't be 
 lak dey wuz now. Den one er de officers say, 
 'Yes — yes, en ef all er dem folks down dar in 
 New 'Leans dat commit suicide wid darse'fs, 
 'count er ole Butler's pusecution en hangin's 
 en yuther devilments, had er kilt him fust fo' 
 dey kilt deyse'fs dey'd er had sumpin ter die 
 fer, en de ole rascal wouldn't be down here 
 now adiggin' dis Dutch-Gap-Canal en givin 
 ev'body ague en fever turnin' up de earfl' 
 Den one er de preacher officers say, Well, my 
 frien's, de trouble is, we all don' pray enough!' 
 Marse Charley spuck up en say, 'Didn't Gen'l 
 
 156 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Jackson pray enough fer us all, Colonel?' 
 Nur one say, *Yes, Charley, but he didn't dust 
 his knees off when he wuz through. He for- 
 got dat bein' clean wuz nex' ter being Godli- 
 some.' Den a nur one say, 'Well, but dar's 
 ole Gen'l Pemberton en Gen'l Kershaw. 
 Dey wuz particular wid dar clothes en dey 
 prayed all right.' Den Gen'l Corse he spuck 
 up en say, 'Yes, but dey bofe think too much 
 'bout dar 'pearance. Dey'd begin to dus' en 
 dus' dar knees fo' dey said, "Amen." En dat 
 showed dar hearts wan't in dar prayers.' 
 
 "En gwine back, Marse George, ter dat 
 Dutch-Gap-Canal, you know Colonel Mayo's 
 nigger, Big Joe, en sebenteen mo' er de camp 
 niggers is done en gone 'cross de river ter 
 jine de Yankee Army en he'p de res' er dem 
 Yankee-nigger soldiers ter dig dat canal ditch 
 dey's diggin' er 'count er all dat extra 
 money en extra drams en coffee en yuther 
 extras Gen'l Butler promise ter give 'em. 
 Now, Marse George, you know dat dat's 
 projickin' wid de Lord's handy works, en 
 sumpin mousterious en terrible is gwine ter 
 happen ter dem niggers. Diggin' dat canal 
 sho'ly is gwine ag'inst de judgment er de 
 157 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Lord, fer ef de Lord had er wanted de Jeemes 
 River ter a jined on ter itse'f He'd a jined it. 
 He wouldn't a put a little slice er land in be- 
 twixt. En sho's you're bawn projickin' wid 
 de Lord's work en unj'inin' whut He's j'ined 
 tergedder ain' a gwine ter bring dem niggers 
 no proskerity." 
 
 Having finished my breakfast George went 
 out to get breakfast for the mess, and before 
 they had assembled I had cleared ofif my desk 
 and written several letters. All made affec- 
 tionate inquiries for you and our little son, 
 though some of them did not know that I had 
 ridden in last night until I told them. 
 
 I must go now, my darling, and ride around 
 the lines and make my report, but will add a 
 few more words later on. So adios till then. 
 
 Well, my darling, we have had a most ex- 
 citing day. Marse Robert came out. He 
 was restive and very, very silent. We had 
 just paid our respects to Butler's diggers when 
 he arrived. The device we used in so doing 
 was a new one or rather a very old one newly 
 revived. It was a mortar battery hidden in 
 
 158 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 the bushes. It is invisible to the enemy and 
 easily shifted from one hiding place to the 
 other. It used to be the only way in which 
 shells could be thrown. It throws these shells 
 high in the air, and they fall by their own 
 weight without the least warning of their 
 coming. There is no screaming or squealing 
 sound like that made by our modern shells. 
 They fall almost as silently as a snowflake 
 falls, and it seems to me almost barbarous to 
 drop these silent, ghostly missiles down upon 
 those light-hearted, happy-go-lucky negroes, 
 for I learn that it is they that are doing the 
 digging. Butler, with promise of extra pay 
 for extra work and extra danger, has induced 
 four hundred of the colored soldiers to vol- 
 unteer to sheathe their swords and take up 
 the shovel and go to digging. 
 
 The bank to be cut through is only about 
 five feet at the highest point. The canal is 
 to be where the James makes a great bend just 
 above Dutch Gap, inclosing a point of land 
 perhaps half a mile wide and about three 
 miles in length and which at the neck is only 
 five hundred yards across from river to river. 
 Their canal would thus save them six miles 
 159 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 and would allow their gunboats to go up the 
 James without running the gauntlet of our 
 Howlett guns, our sunken torpedoes et cetera. 
 And as our left is all at the turn of the bend, 
 they would not have to traverse the open river 
 in search of an exposed water channel. It is 
 strange that some of our brilliant engineers 
 haven't made this near cut years ago. As for 
 me, I should encourage Butler and his River 
 Improvement Company, and cease throwing 
 these stealthy shells whose silent fall heralds a 
 sudden roar of explosion that strikes terror 
 to my soul. The canal will be an advantage 
 to us, and Butler, in digging it for us, may in 
 part atone for the many homes he has de- 
 stroyed, mine among them. 
 
 Well, my darling, if you were not the best 
 of all good women, as well as the most beauti- 
 ful of all beautiful women and the most pa- 
 tient of all patient ones, you would weary of 
 so tiresome a soldier, who takes away the 
 fragrance of flowers and the glory of love 
 and sends back the echo of war and its sorrows 
 and the babble of a loyal old cook who 
 wouldn't be sold and wouldn't run away and 
 whom I was obliged to permit to be credited 
 
 i6o 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 to me in order to save him — the only negro I 
 own — but, come to think of it, he owns me. 
 Forever and ever 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 In Camp, August — ^ 1864. 
 
 161 
 
XXXV 
 
 'After an Evening Spent at the "White House'* 
 of the Confederacy 
 
 YOU will be glad, my darling wife, that 
 the "powwow" with "the Powers that 
 be" was most satisfactory. 
 
 After the evening consultation I called on 
 the ladies at the "White House" and at the 
 most earnest entreaty and solicitation of Mrs. 
 Davis and her sister, Miss Howell, dined with 
 them. Poor Mr. Davis looks tired and anx- 
 ious, but he spoke so hopefully of our success 
 that, knowing, as he must know, our status, 
 the condition of our army, etc., I should have 
 thought that he was aware of something hope- 
 ful of which we are ignorant if he had not 
 said later, when foreign intervention was 
 being discussed, that he believed that England 
 and, in fact, all the foreign powers were like 
 the woman who saw her husband fighting a 
 bear — she didn't care a continental which was 
 
 j62 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 whipped, but she'd be the best pleased if both 
 were. ''And my only hope of recognition," 
 he said, "is that, being separated, we shall not 
 be so formidable a power." 
 
 The dinner, my dearest, was beautiful, and 
 so abundant were its luxuries that I marveled 
 greatly, knowing, as I do, how difficult it is 
 with most of us to get even a little tea or coffee 
 or salt. As usual, Mrs. Davis was vivacious 
 and entertaining. She amusingly described 
 her rescue of a little orphan negro from a 
 "great black brute" who had constituted him- 
 self the boy's guardian. She told how she 
 had him washed and combed and dressed in a 
 suit of little Joe's clothes, and how, while he 
 was proud of the clothes, he was a thousand 
 times prouder of, and more grateful for, the 
 cuts and bruises which his self-appointed 
 guardian had given him and which, upon all 
 occasions, he triumphantly exhibited as 
 medals of honor. She said that the little 
 rascal was greatly troubled when the cuts were 
 finally healed and tried to reopen them with a 
 dog knife which was taken away. He was 
 then reproved and forbidden to make over his 
 wounds. 
 163 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 "Oh, Lordy," he howled, "ef you-all teks 
 my sores 'way fum me I won't hah nuttin' 'tall 
 ter show ter all de comp'ny, en I won't hab a 
 single thing ter mek 'em all sorry 'bout, en 
 nuttin' ter mek 'em gib me no mo' things. 
 Oh, Lordy, I'd ruther you'd all whop me dan 
 notter let me hab my sores no mo.' " 
 
 With her keen sense of humor Mrs. Davis 
 told us how, when learning that one after an- 
 other of her maids was being bribed by the 
 Yankees with money and promises to betray the 
 family and come over to the other side, she 
 would pretend ignorance of the intention, give 
 them food for imagination, reciting for their 
 repetition the most impossible, outlandish 
 stories, some of which she told us and which I 
 will tell my darling when I come. Bless her! 
 Mrs. Davis said that Betty, the last one of her 
 maids to go, was such an excellent maid and 
 so hard to replace that as soon as she began 
 to show her prosperity, appearing with silks 
 and jewels and then with gold and notes, she 
 had tried, without letting Betty suspect her in- 
 tention, to offer her inducements to remain, 
 but had failed. Betty, she said, was superior 
 to her class, however, and showed her con- 
 
 164 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 sideration by offering Miss Howell part of 
 the as yet unearned bribe, and assuring her 
 that '^Ef eber I did git a chance ter tell dem 
 dar Yankees 'bout dey-all I suttinly aren't 
 gwine tell 'em none er de awful scand'lus 
 things I en Mrs. Davis was all de time a doin' 
 en dat dey all does. No, I am gwine ter mek 
 de best er hit en leave outn de worse." 
 
 Mrs. Davis said she was so depressed after 
 [Betty's departure and in such dire need of 
 mental soothing syrup that she went into re- 
 tirement with "Adam Bede," "A Country 
 Gentleman in Town" and "Elective Affini- 
 ties." Did you ever, my darling! 
 
 Mr. Judah P. Benjamin and Dr. Minne- 
 gerode were the only other guests. Mr. Ben- 
 jamin's usually wonderful, judicial mind and 
 depressing dignity were not in evidence. He 
 did rather reproachfully express his astonish- 
 ment that Mr. Davis should be bowed down 
 with grief at the adverse criticisms of those he 
 was trying to serve, and that he should care a 
 bauble for their accusations of nepotism and 
 the more absurd charge of leaving his cotton 
 to be bought by the Yankees. He ended by 
 saying that he continually had to remind Mr. 
 i6s 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Davis of that exceedingly good man, Mr. 
 Christ. You know Benjamin was born at St. 
 Croix in the West Indies, of Jewish parents. 
 What a gossip your husband is, my Sally, 
 but I promised to write my beautiful tyrant 
 every day, everything I said or did or that 
 anyone else said or did, and I have, haven't I? 
 Forever and ever and ever 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Richmond, Jan. 2$, 1S65. . 
 
 166 
 
XXXVI 
 
 In the Dark Days Before the End 
 
 THIS morning at breakfast, my darling 
 Sally, when you suggested having an 
 oyster roast for my officers after our confer- 
 ence to-night, I said that I feared we should 
 not have enough oysters. Our old hunter, 
 Gossett, has just brought in a fine large wild 
 turkey, and with that and the three bushels of 
 oysters which your uncle sent I think we can 
 get up a fine supper. Don't you, my marvel 
 of a housekeeper? I hope you can, and hope, 
 too, that the good cheer it will provide will 
 help us to new and encouraging suggestions, 
 for, as hopeful as I always am, even my heart 
 is in my boots. 
 
 On every side gloom, dissatisfaction and 
 disappointment seem to have settled over all, 
 men and officers alike, because of the unsuc- 
 cessful termination of the Peace Conference 
 on board the River Queen on the fatal third. 
 167 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 The anxious, despairing faces I see every- 
 where bespeak heavy hearts. Our commis- 
 sioners knew that we were gasping our last 
 gasp and that the Peace Conference was a for- 
 lorn hope. Because of the informality of the 
 conference and my knowledge of Mr. Lincoln, 
 his humanity, his broad nature, his warm 
 heart, I did believe he would take advantage 
 of this very informality and spring some wise, 
 superhuman surprise vvhich would, somehow, 
 restore peace and in time insure unity. Now, 
 heaven help us, it will be war to the knife, 
 with a knife no longer keen, the thrust of an 
 arm no longer strong, the certainty that when 
 peace comes it will follow the tread of the 
 conqueror. 
 
 I fear that you may need more help ; so am 
 sending over Bob. The mess-cook will come 
 later. 
 
 Meantime, a Dios, and love, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Headquarters, January 28, 1865. 
 
 168 
 
XXXVII 
 
 Written in Defeat, After the Battle of Five 
 Forks 
 
 IT is long past the midnight hour and, like 
 a boy, I have been reading over your dear, 
 cheery letter, caressing the written page be- 
 cause it has been touched by your hand. 
 
 All is quiet now, but soon all will be bustle, 
 for we march at daylight. Oh, my darling, 
 were there ever such men as those of my divi- 
 sion? This morning after the review I thanked 
 them for their valiant services yesterday on the 
 first of April, never to be forgotten by any of 
 us, when, to my mind, they fought one of the 
 most desperate battles of the whole war. 
 Their answer to me was cheer after cheer, one 
 after another calling out, "That's all right, 
 Marse George, we only followed you." Then 
 in the midst of these calls and silencing them, 
 rose loud and clear dear old Gentry's voice, 
 singing the old hymn which they all knew I 
 loved : 
 169 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 "Guide me, oh, thou great Jehovah, 
 Pilgrim through this barren land." 
 
 Voice after voice joined in till from all 
 along the line the plea rang forth: 
 
 "Be my sword and shield and banner, 
 Be the Lord my righteousness." 
 
 I don't think, my Sally, the tears sounded 
 in my voice as it mingled with theirs ; but they 
 were in my eyes and there was something new 
 in my heart. 
 
 When the last line had been sung, I gave 
 the order to march, proceeding to this point 
 where I had expected to cross the Appomattox 
 and rejoin the main army. While we were 
 at a halt here orders came from General R. H. 
 Anderson to report to him at Sutherland's 
 Tavern. 
 
 Just after mailing my letter to you at Five 
 Forks, telling you of our long, conrinuous 
 march of eighteen hours and of the strenuous 
 hours following those, where I had, because of 
 exigent circumstances, been induced to fall 
 back at daylight, I received a dispatch from 
 the great Tyee telling me to "hold Five 
 Forks at all hazards to prevent the enemy 
 
 170 
 
You must lia-ve been up all 
 ni^Iit, my Prettice, to have made 
 up and sent out such a basket 
 of noodiei and baked and but- 
 tered such a lot of biscuit and 
 made so many juf^s of coffee. 
 My. I tell you, it all tasted 
 good! — Page 12^ 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 from striking the south side railroad." This 
 dispatch was in reply to one I had sent to him 
 reporting the state of affairs and that the 
 enemy were trying to get in between the army 
 and my command, and asking that diversion 
 be made at once or I should be isolated. 
 
 I had had all trains parked in the rear of 
 Hatcher's Run and much preferred that posi- 
 tion, but, from the General's dispatch, sup- 
 posed that he intended sending reenforcements. 
 I immediately formed line of battle upon the 
 White Oak Road and set my men to throw- 
 ing up temporary breastworks. Pine trees 
 were felled, a ditch dug and the earth thrown 
 up behind the logs. The men, God bless 
 them, though weary and hungry, sang as they 
 felled and dug. Three times in the three 
 hours their labors were suspended because of 
 attack from the front; but they as cheerily re- 
 turned to their digging and to their "Annie 
 Laurie" and "Dixie" as if they were banking 
 roses for a festival. 
 
 Five Forks is situated in a flat, thickly 
 wooded country and is simply a crossing at 
 right angles of two country roads and a de- 
 flection of a third bisecting one of these an- 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 gles. Our line of battle, short as four small 
 brigades front must be, could readily be 
 turned on either flank by a larger attacking 
 force. Do you understand, my dear? If not, 
 you will some day, and you can keep this letter 
 and show it to someone who will understand. 
 Well, I made the best arrangements of 
 which the nature of the ground admitted, 
 placing W. H. F. Lee's Cavalry on the right. 
 Ransom's and Wallace's Brigades, acting as 
 one and numbering about nine hundred, on 
 the left; then Corse, Terry and Stuart, num- 
 bering about three thousand. Six rifled pieces 
 of artillery were placed at wide intervals. 
 Fitz Lee's Cavalry was ordered to take posi- 
 tion on the left flank. About two o'clock in 
 the afternoon Sheridan made a heavy demon- 
 stration with his cavalry, threatening also the 
 right flank. Meantime Warren's Corps 
 swept around the left flank and rear of the 
 infantry line, attacking Ransom and Stuart be- 
 hind their breastworks. Ransom sent word 
 that the cavalry was not in position, and Fitz 
 Lee was again ordered to cover the ground 
 at once. I supposed it had been done, when 
 suddenly the enemy in heavy infantry column 
 
 IT2 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 appeared on our left and the attack became 
 general. Ransom's horse was killed, falling 
 with his rider under him. His Assistant Ad- 
 jutant, General Gee, was killed. My dear, 
 brave old friend, Willie Pegram was mor- 
 tally wounded, falling within a few yards of 
 me just after we had exchanged "Kla-how- 
 ya, Tik-egh" (how are you, love to you) "and 
 good luck." The captain of his — Pegram's 
 — battery was killed. 
 
 I succeeded in getting a sergeant and 
 enough men to man one piece; but after firing 
 eight rounds the axle broke. Floweree's regi- 
 ment fought hand to hand after all their car- 
 tridges had been used. The small cavalry 
 force which had gotten into place gave way, 
 and the enemy poured in on Wallace's left. 
 Charge after charge was made and repulsed, 
 and division after division of the enemy ad- 
 vanced upon us. Our left was turned; we 
 were completely entrapped. Their cavalry, 
 charging at a signal of musketry from the in- 
 fantry, enveloped us front and right and, 
 sweeping down upon our rear, held us as in 
 a vise. 
 
 "Take this, Marse George," said one of my 
 173 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 boys earlier in the action, hastily thrusting a 
 battle-flag into my hand. I took the flag, 
 stained with his blood, sacred to the cause for 
 which he fell, and, cheering as I waved it, 
 called on my men to get into line to meet the 
 next charge. Seeing this, a part of the famous 
 old Glee Club, our dear old Gentry leading, 
 began singing, ''Rally round the flag, boys; 
 rally once again." I rode straight up to 
 where they were and joined in singing, "Rally 
 Once Again," as I waved the blood-stained 
 flag. And, my darling, overpowered, de- 
 feated, cut to pieces, starving, captured, as we 
 were, those that were left of us formed front 
 and north and south and met with sullen des- 
 peration their double onset. With the mem- 
 bers of my own staff and the general officers 
 and their stafif officers we compelled a rally 
 and stand of Corse's Brigade and W. H. F. 
 Lee's Cavalry, who made one of the most bril- 
 liant cavalry fights of the war, enabling many 
 of us to escape capture. Our loss in killed and 
 wounded was heavy, and yet, my darling, with 
 all the odds against us we might possibly have 
 held out till night, which was fast approach- 
 ing, but that our ammunition was exhausted. 
 
 J74 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 We yielded to an overwhelming force, Sher- 
 idan's Cavalry alone numbering more than 
 double my whole command, with Warren's 
 Infantry Corps to back them. 
 
 Ah, my Sally, the triumphs of might are 
 transient; but the sufferings and crucifixions 
 for the right can never be forgotten. The 
 sorrow and song of my glory-crowned division 
 nears its doxology. May God pity those who 
 wait at home for the soldier who has reported 
 to the Great Commander! God pity them as 
 the days go by and the sad nights follow. 
 
 The birds were hushed in the woods when 
 I started to write, and now one calls to its 
 mate "Cheer up — cheer up." Let's listen and 
 obey the birds, my darling. Let's try to cheer 
 up — cheer up. I remember that Milton said : 
 "Those who best bear His mild yoke, they 
 serve Him best." Let's bear and serve Him 
 best, my darling wife. 
 
 Faithfully your 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 Exeter Mills, April 2, 1865. 
 
 175 
 
XXXVIII 
 
 Three Hours Before Lee's Surrender at 
 Appomattox 
 
 TO-MORROW, my darling, may see our 
 flag furled forever. Jackerie, our 
 faithful old mail-carrier, sobs behind me as 
 I write. He bears to-night this — his last — 
 message from me as "Our Cupid." First he 
 is commissioned with three orders, which I 
 know you will obey as fearlessly as the bravest 
 of your brother soldiers. Keep up a stout 
 heart. Believe that I shall come back to you 
 and know that God reigns. After to-night 
 you will be my whole command — staff, field 
 officers, men — all. The second commission is 
 only given as a precaution — lest I should not 
 return or lest for some time I should not be 
 with you. 
 
 Lee's surrender is imminent. It is finished. 
 Through the suggestion of their commanding 
 officers as many of the men as desire are per- 
 
 176 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 mitted to cut through and join Johnston's 
 army. The cloud of despair settled over all 
 on the third, when the tidings came to us of 
 the evacuation of Richmond and its partial 
 loss by fire. The homes and families of many 
 of my men were there, and all knew too well 
 that with the fall of our Capital the last hope 
 of success was over. And yet, my beloved, 
 these men as resolutely obeyed the orders of 
 their commanding officers as if we had cap- 
 tured and burned the Federal Capital. 
 
 The horrors of the march from Five Forks 
 to Amelia Court House and thence to Sailor's 
 Creek beggars all description. For forty- 
 eight hours the man or officer who had a hand- 
 ful of parched corn in his pocket was most 
 fortunate. We reached Sailor's Creek on the 
 morning of the sixth, weary, starving, despair- 
 ing. 
 
 Sheridan was in our front, delaying us with 
 his cavalry (as was his custom) until the in- 
 fantry should come up. Mahone was on our 
 right, Ewell on our left. Mahone was or- 
 dered to move on, and we were ordered to 
 stand still. The movement of Mahone left a 
 gap which increased as he went on. Huger's 
 117 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 battalion of artillery, in attempting to cross 
 the gap, was being swept away when I pushed 
 on with two of my brigades across Sailor's 
 Creek. 
 
 We formed line of battle across an open 
 field, holding it against repeated charges of 
 Sheridan's dismounted cavalry. At about 
 three o'clock the infantry which Sheridan had 
 been looking for came up, completely hem- 
 ming us in. Anderson ordered me to draw off 
 my brigades to the rear and to cut our way 
 out in any possible manner that we could. 
 Wise's Brigade was deployed in the rear to 
 assist us, but was charged upon on all sides 
 by the enemy and, though fighting manfully 
 to the last, was forced to yield. Two of my 
 brigadiers, Corse and Hunton,* were taken 
 prisoners. The other two barely escaped, and 
 my life, by some miracle, was spared. And 
 by another miracle, greater still, I escaped 
 capture. A squadron of the enemy's cavalry 
 was riding down upon us, two of my staff and 
 myself, when a small squad of my men recog- 
 nized me and, risking their own lives, rallied 
 to our assistance and suddenly delivered a last 
 volley into the faces of the pursuing horse- 
 
 178 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 men, checking them but for a moment. But 
 in that one moment we, by the speed of our 
 horses, made our escape. Ah, my darling, the 
 sacrifice of this little band of men is like unto 
 that which was made at Calvary. 
 
 It is finished! Ah, my beloved division! 
 Thousands of them have gone to their eternal 
 home, having given up their lives for the cause 
 they knew to be just. The others, alas, heart- 
 broken, crushed in spirit, are left to mourn its 
 loss. Well, it is practically all over now. 
 We have poured out our blood and suffered 
 untold hardships and privations all in vain. 
 And now, well, / must not forget, either, that 
 God reigns. Life is given us for the perform- 
 ance of duty, and duty performed is happi- 
 ness. 
 
 It is finished — the suffering, the horrors, the 
 anguish of these last hours of struggle. The 
 glorious gift of your love will help me to bear 
 the memory of them. In this midnight hour 
 I feel the caressing blessing of your pure 
 spirit as it mingles with mine. Peace is born. 
 From now forever only 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 Appomattox, Aprilj, i86S' 
 179 
 
A FTER the ivar had passed, and luith 
 -^^ It the necessity for separation from 
 his dear one, the General's letters greiu 
 less frequent. He ivas seldom far from 
 her side. A year they spent together in 
 Canada during the exile nvhich luas en- 
 forced upon many of the leaders of the 
 Lost Cause. Then, lohen the ban ivas 
 finally lifted, the General returned ivith 
 his pretty civife to face the problem that 
 pressed heamly upon all Southerners— 
 the disheartening task of rearing a new 
 home on the ruins of the old. Their at- 
 tempt -was not altogether successful, but 
 amid the surroundings of peace they found 
 time to work out in practical form the 
 dream of happiness which had come to 
 them in darker days. 
 
 The letters in this part are written on 
 occasional absences. They cover a period 
 of ten years or more, extending almost to 
 the time of the General's death, and to 
 the end they breathe in every line his 
 loyalty and devotion to the noble woman 
 whose love had crowned his life. 
 
XXXIX 
 
 In Which the General Tells of a Trip to 
 
 Washington and a Visit With His 
 
 Old Friend, Grant 
 
 SUCKLEY^ and I arrived safely after an 
 interesting but, to me, sad trip, because 
 of the many sorrowful memories that it 
 brought back. Ingalls,^ bless his old loyal 
 heart, met us at the train and took us up in the 
 Quartermaster's carriage. It is the first time 
 that I have ridden in one of Uncle Sam's 
 vehicles since I changed colors and donned 
 the gray, and now I ride, not as an owner but 
 as a guest! Again, my darling, there came to 
 me memories of the ''has been" and "might 
 have been." 
 
 "Well, George," said Rufus, "this looks 
 kind of natural, doesn't it, old man?" but be- 
 fore I could reply, intuitively sensing what I 
 
 1 Grant's surgeon. 
 
 2 Grant's quartermaster. 
 
 1S3 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 was feeling, he continued hurriedly "and this 
 rig is at your service all the time you are 
 here." 
 
 The three of us had dinner together. 
 Pitcher,^ whom you've heard me speak of as 
 *'01d Jug," came over from his table and 
 joined us at dessert. After dinner all four of 
 us w^ent to the theater to hear Billy Florence. 
 We sent a line in to him from our box and 
 w^hen he came out he strode across the stage 
 and, looking directly at us, said in his most 
 tragic tone and manner: "The Lamb and the 
 Lion shall lie down together," and then went 
 on with his part. He knew and we knew, 
 but the audience didn't. He played to us, too, 
 all evening and never played better. After 
 the play we went behind the scenes and had a 
 charming visit with Mrs. Florence, who gra- 
 ciously gave her consent to Billy's going out 
 to supper with us. 
 
 "And, by the way. General Pickett," said 
 Mrs. Florence, "how is that beautiful Mrs. 
 Edwards * with whom I saw you in Montreal 
 and with whom you were so much in love and 
 
 s General T. Pitcher, U. S. A. 
 
 ■* Edwards was the assumed name of General Pickett and his 
 wife during their exile in Canada. 
 
 184 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 who, come to think of it, won all our hearts? 
 Poor Ellen Tree was talking about her the 
 last time I saw her, — And how is that laugh- 
 ing, bright-eyed baby who made a drum of 
 himself and a prancing steed of everybody 
 else's cane? I can see him now, with his mass 
 of ringlets and his sparkling, laughing eyes. 
 He had just learned to walk and yet was 
 charging the enemy on his fiery steed, beating 
 an imaginary drum and blowing an imaginary 
 fife. It was the funniest thing I ever saw." 
 
 I told Mrs. Florence that we had returned 
 to the States, that little George could ride a 
 real horse now and beat a real drum, and that 
 I was just as much as ever in love with Mrs. 
 Edwards, who had become so attached to her 
 assumed name that she hated to give it up and 
 insisted that we should now and then call each 
 other ''Mr. and Mrs. Edwards," to keep in 
 memory the sweet, all-belonging life we spent 
 with each other in Canada. 
 
 We had a fine steamed-oyster supper at 
 Harvey's and told stories and talked of old 
 times till after two o'clock. 
 
 I got up this morning just in time to go to 
 twelve o'clock breakfast at the Club with 
 i8s 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Ruf us. After breakfast we went, as arranged, 
 to see Grant. I just can't tell you, my darling, 
 about that visit. You'll have to wait till I 
 see you to tell you how the warm-hearted mod- 
 est old warrior and loyal old friend met me 
 — how he took in his the hand of your heart- 
 sore soldier — poor, broken, defeated — profes- 
 sion gone — and looking at him for a moment 
 without speaking, said slowly: "Pickett, if 
 there is anything on the top of God's green 
 earth that I can do for you, say so." Just then 
 his orderly apologetically brought in a card to 
 
 him. "Tell Sheridan to go to !" "Yis, 
 
 surh, I'll till him, surh." "And go there your- 
 self !" "Yis, surh, I'll go, surh." Ruf us, who 
 was whistling over at the window, reiterated 
 Grant's order, receiving from the orderly the 
 same assurance, "Yis, surh, I'll till him, surh." 
 While Sheridan was obeying Grant's order 
 and going to his new station we three sat down 
 and had a heart-to-heart conference. One lis- 
 tening would never have known that we had 
 been on opposite sides of any question. 
 
 When I started to go Grant pulled down a 
 cheque-book and said, "Pickett, it seems funny, 
 doesn't it, that I should have any money to 
 
 i86 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 offer, but how much do you need?" "Not 
 any, old fellow, not a cent, thank you," I said. 
 "I have plenty." "But Rufus tells me that 
 you have begun to build a house to take the 
 place of the one old Butler burned and how 
 can you build it without money; you do need 
 some." "I have sold some timber to pay for 
 it," I told him, and to show my appreciation 
 and gratitude unobserved I affectionately 
 squeezed his leg, when he called out, "Rufus, 
 it's the same old George Pickett; instead of 
 pulling my leg he's squeezing it." 
 
 Grant is going to take Rufus, Suckley and 
 myself to ride this afternoon to show me the 
 changes since I was last here, years ago. 
 
 To-morrow, if all goes well, I'll start back 
 to what is worth more to me than all I've lost 
 — my precious wife, who was as queenly and 
 gracious and glorious as Mrs. Edwards in one 
 room in a boarding house In exile as she was 
 in Petersburg in a palatial home when her 
 husband was the Department Commander and 
 she had not only "vassals and slaves at her 
 side," but the General Commanding and all 
 his soldiers and our world at her feet. 
 
 Your Devoted Soldier. 
 1S7 
 
XL 
 
 From New York After Refusing the Com- 
 mand of the Egyptian Army 
 
 SO, you would "leave it all to my better 
 judgment," most wise Little One, and 
 would not advise me, but after I had decided 
 fully I was to read the mysterious sealed note 
 — "not to be opened till after you have de- 
 cided." 
 
 At the banquet last night I opened and read 
 the letter and then passed it over to General 
 E. P. Alexander, General Ingalls and Doctor 
 Suckley. They all shook their heads disap- 
 provingly. I pointed to the instructions, 
 "Not to be opened till after you have de- 
 cided," and said that I had already decided 
 and the note only showed that we are "two 
 souls with but a single thought." 
 
 Now, don't you know, my darling, that I 
 knew your opinion before just as well as after 
 I had read your sealed letter? Of course I 
 knew that you did not want me to go and that, 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 as you prettily put it, "We've had glory 
 enough, and war enough, with its hardships 
 and separations and dangers, and now we just 
 want each other forever and forevermore." 
 Yes, my darling, we want each other and a 
 home, with a spiked fence around it and a key; 
 to the road gate, for us alone, — just us, for- 
 ever and forevermore. 
 
 My friends all think that I am making a 
 great mistake in refusing this magnanimous 
 offer of the Khedive. They hold that I am 
 sacrificing my future and signing the death- 
 warrant to ambition and success. General 
 Alexander has accepted and will take com- 
 mand of the Egyptian armies ; Egypt could not 
 have a finer officer. Last night at the farewell 
 dinner the Khedive's last telegram was handed 
 to the Commissioner — "Forward Pickett at 
 any cost." It was a most flattering compli- 
 ment and I have asked permission to keep it 
 for our boy. "The boy might think you were 
 a brand of powder or a keg of nails," said 
 Ingalls, who, by the way, is disgusted at my 
 refusal. But, my beautiful wife, he has not 
 you; and love such as yours is worth all the 
 gold and glory of the universe. 
 189 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 To-morrow I shall take the steamer for 
 home without one regret for having decided 
 as I have, — just you and I — just ourselves 
 "forever and forever" — 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 igo 
 
XLI 
 
 A Letter From Turkey Island,^ During a 
 Short Absence of His Wife 
 
 IT Is Thursday and the cottage is so empty — 
 so desolate without my darling. Even 
 Rufus feels the absence of its beautiful mis- 
 tress and a few minutes ago, to show his sym- 
 pathy for his lonesome master, brought and 
 laid on my knee a little slipper which, if I 
 did not know it belonged, to my own fairy 
 princess, would make me think that another 
 Cinderella with a tinier foot had also forgot- 
 ten the midnight hour. I gave no evidence 
 of my appreciation of his effort to comfort me 
 and Rufus trotted off and brought me the 
 other slipper. "Good dog," I said, "good 
 dog," patting him on the head. Then fon- 
 dling the little slippers and putting them be- 
 
 1 The old ancestral home called by the Federal soldiers Tur- 
 key Bend, is in Henrico Co., which is one of the original shires 
 into which Virginia was divided in 1634. 
 191 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 side me I took up my pencil and pad to tell 
 you all about it. 
 
 Presently, looking around, I saw Rufus 
 planning to bring me everything in the room 
 belonging to you. He has a lot of dog sense 
 and I tried to make him understand that the 
 slippers had been sufficiently effective in con- 
 soling me, but he would not be convinced until 
 I whistled our song, "Believe me, if all those 
 endearing young charms." Then trying to 
 howl an accompaniment and failing, he 
 wagged his tail, lay down at my feet and went 
 to sleep. 
 
 Every day when I come in to dinner he 
 trots up in front of your picture and barks 
 till I take it down, then looking down at it 
 barks again, while I encourage him, saying, 
 "Tell her all about it, old man; tell her all 
 about it." When he has told you about it he 
 lies down beside it, his paw on the frame, 
 wagging his tail and looking up at me till he 
 thinks I have shown sufficient appreciation of 
 his admiration and devotion to you, and then 
 he jumps up and points and barks at the place 
 on the rack from which it was taken until it is 
 duly kissed and replaced. Oh, he's a great 
 
 ig2 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 dog, little one, and great company for me, 
 but both he and I and everything else are lone- 
 some for you and we have promised our souls 
 that when you come back we will vie with 
 each other in our efforts to make you happy. 
 
 Already the hens have commenced laying 
 again, the butter is piling up to be made into 
 cakes and good things. Your new little calf 
 is a beauty, but I shall send him ofif and sell 
 him before you get back, for you would never 
 allow him to be separated from his mother and 
 would let him go on extracting her milk till he 
 was a man — you great tender-hearted darling! 
 The corn and wheat are beautiful, the vege- 
 tables fine and the flowers we planted all 
 breathe of your purity and sweetness. The 
 cutting from the Poe rosebush which Mrs. 
 Allen gave us is full of buds ; so you see every- 
 thing above the ground and in the ground at 
 our Turkey Island home is waiting for your 
 blessing. 
 
 This morning I took my gun and Rufus and 
 killed five partridges and two rabbits. I gave 
 one rabbit to Mr. Sims and one to Uncle Tom. 
 The birds I sent to Lizzie. As I was coming 
 on home I stopped and rested in the cool and 
 193 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 calm of the forest beside the old gray broken 
 monument where we have so often made love 
 and told each other fairy tales and wandered 
 about and made thought pictures of our Wil- 
 liam and Mary Randolph, who erected it away 
 back in 1771. I wonder, little one, if from 
 their celestial home they can see the pictur- 
 esque beauty which I see and which I wish I 
 could put into words. Do you remember the 
 inscription on one of the sides of the monu- 
 ment? — "The foundation of this pillar was 
 laid in 1771, when all the great rivers of this 
 country were swept by inundations never be- 
 fore experienced, which changed the face of 
 nature and left traces of their violence that 
 will remain for ages!" As I read over this 
 inscription I feel sorry that the thought to erect 
 a monument to commemorate any kind of dis- 
 aster should ever have been born. Time's 
 soothing wings bless always, and not only have 
 the ravages of the flood which this monument 
 was erected to commemorate been long ago 
 forgotten, but the memories of ravages and 
 horrors of a yesterday far, far more terrible 
 are, thank God, being effaced. 
 
 J94 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 The birds are nesting and songs are being 
 born just where Butler's vandals mutilated and 
 broke off the top of this monument, hunting 
 for hidden treasure. Some of the seeds which 
 the mother birds carried to their young have 
 fallen by the wayside and taken root and now 
 out of the jagged, broken top grow a greenery 
 of unknown vines and plants and flowers. 
 The old colonial home of my forefathers, with 
 its rare old mahoganies and paintings, which 
 Butler sacked and desecrated and then 
 burned, has been replaced by a sweet little 
 cottage home built by ourselves, all our very 
 own, and consecrated to love and contentment, 
 with furnishings so simple and plain that we 
 are not afraid of using them. 
 
 No, my sweetheart, we don't want any 
 monuments to mark any of the woes and hor- 
 rors of the past. We must build one of hope 
 and faith and peace and mercy and joy, the 
 foundation of which is already laid in our 
 hearts. 
 
 Listen — I hear old Sims' step on the porch. 
 I hear him knocking his pipe against the pil- 
 lars — so, a Dios. He will tell me the same 
 195 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 old stories over again and I shall listen and 
 laugh as though I heard them for the first 
 time — dear old Sims. 
 
 Good night — sweet dreams. Angels guard 
 you while I hear of Lafayette and Nelson and 
 Marshall, through the clouds of old Sims' 
 tobacco smoke for the hundredth, yes, thou- 
 sandth time. 
 
 Your lonesome 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 196 
 
XLII 
 
 Concerning a Slight Illness and the Business 
 Troubles of a Soldier 
 
 YOU are always right, my darling Sally, 
 and your husband is only right when he 
 is guided by you. Pretty generally he listens 
 to his oracle and when he doesn't he wishes to 
 the Lord he had. The morning I left, when 
 you urged that I wear the suit I had been 
 wearing and I claimed that I hadn't time to 
 change — "Then please take it with you and 
 change on the boat," you plead. Well, dear- 
 est, I was mean. I wouldn't and I didn't and 
 your obstinate soldier was not out of sight of 
 the sweet lone figure standing on the wharf 
 waving to him the love signals and the God- 
 speed of our code before he was abusing him- 
 self as an ingrate in refusing anything that 
 the sweetest, most beautiful woman and the 
 best wife in the world could ask of him — 
 "Well, dem dat dances is 'bleeged ter pay de 
 J97 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 fiddler," and your husband is paying — he is 
 being punished, for he caught cold on the 
 boat, had a chill, followed by sore throat and 
 pain in limbs and back. 
 
 I stopped only a day in Petersburg to see 
 our agent there, then came over here, went 
 to the Exchange and went directly to bed and 
 sent for Dr. Beal. He has been very atten- 
 tive, coming twice a day. Julia and Wash 
 took me in charge at once and, as usual, are 
 as good as gold, and so is everyone, as to that, 
 but each and all in turn prescribe a sure 
 remedy and urge my taking it. Wash in- 
 sists upon rubbing me with "turkentime en den 
 puttin' on a hot ingun poultice, en 'pon top er 
 dat drinkin' a good hot scotch," declaring 
 "dey'U sho' en mingulate up wid one-an- 
 nudder en do de business en bre'k up dis 
 'fluenza dat's got 'session er you, Marse 
 George. Don't you go projickin' wid doc- 
 tor's medicines; pills is dang'us en dey ain't 
 gwine ter oust no 'fluenzas, dey jes' gwine ter 
 upset en sturbulate de balance er yo' body dat 
 ain' got de 'fluenza in it en mek dat part sick, 
 too. Ef Miss Sally wuz here she'd say, 
 'Wash, you suttinly is right — g'long fetch up 
 
 198 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 a nice hot scotch en git one fer yo'se'f while 
 youse down dar gittin' yo Marse George's. 
 Lord, I knows Miss Sally." 
 
 That settled it and I compromised on the 
 hot scotch — but I was firm and would not 
 yield to Julia's entreaties to be permitted to 
 bring me Mrs. Marshall's flannel petticoat to 
 wrap around my throat. "What would the 
 judge say?" I asked. "De Jedge, Marse 
 George? — De Jedge ain' 'bleeged ter know 
 nuttin' 't all bout it. Needer him ner needer 
 Miss Sally, nuther. Dem whar's robbed, en 
 don' know dey's robbed, ain' robbed, Marse 
 George, en ain' no wusser off ef dey had dan ef 
 dey hadn't," she argued — but I was adamant; 
 her arguments were of no avail. She 
 **curchied" her thanks for the silver piece I 
 gave her and left me with the compliment that 
 I "sho' was one bridegroom-husband — alius 
 honeymoonin' wid my own queen bee, wedder 
 wid her er widout her, en dat Miss Sally ought 
 ter be one proud white lady" — Is she? — bless 
 her! 
 
 Yesterday when I wrote I did not tell you 
 how sick I had been or was, nor how lonesome, 
 nor how I longed for your soothing, gentle 
 199 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 touch, your ministering care. I should only 
 have made you anxious. You could not have 
 come to me. Oh, my sweetheart, I think of 
 you all the time, and I swear every time I 
 leave you, that I'll never leave you again, that 
 if business calls I must take my darling with 
 me. If I could only lay the treasures of the 
 universe at your tiny little feet. 
 
 But this business, I'm afraid, will not earn 
 my cough drops or your violets and, oh dar- 
 ling, it is such a crucifixion. You don't know 
 how abhorrent it is to me. I spur myself on 
 all the time with this thought, that it is for 
 my darling. The day I came up on the boat, 
 I took out two policies, one for $7,000 and one 
 for $10,000. The men were both old soldiers 
 belonging to my dear old division and one 
 of them said they had to run me down and 
 almost tie me to make me insure their lives. 
 You know, dear, I can't do it. I'd sooner 
 face a cannon than ask a man to take out a 
 policy with me. Your soldier is nothing but 
 a soldier; the war is over and he is no more 
 account. The company tells me that my 
 agents must do the soliciting, but I'll feel 
 
 200 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 like a thief to take a commission on what they 
 have worked for and earned. 
 
 Yesterday when I came through Petersburg 
 I went, as I told you, to our office. J. B. B., 
 our company's agent, was sitting with his 
 chair tilted back — foot on the table, smoking 
 a bad smelling pipe and reading *'Macaria." 
 "Hello, General, hello," he said, not rising. 
 "Sent in six policies this week, old man." 
 "On your familiarity or courtly manners — 
 which?" "Neither, old man, on gall, gall, 
 old man, gall and grub. Come, have a drink 
 — ever read ^Macaria'?" With the most 
 studied politeness and coldness I declined his 
 offer and in my most dignified manner asked 
 permission to look over the company's books. 
 "Come, what's eating you, old man?" he 
 asked, bringing his chair down with a bang 
 and slapping me on the back. Then he pro- 
 fanely informed me that I'd have to unbuckle 
 a few holes and thaw out if I wanted to paint 
 the monkey's tail sky-blue. 
 
 Alas, little one, I am afraid your Soldier 
 isn't much of an artist. He longs to give his 
 precious wife all the luxuries and comforts 
 
 201 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 and everything that is beautiful — but he can't 
 thaw out, my darling, and he can't paint that 
 monkey's tail sky-blue, and, sweetheart, it 
 makes me crawl and creep to be associated 
 with artists who can. I was wondering as I 
 came over whether it would be better to send 
 our boy to West Point or get him a paint- 
 brush. We have time to decide that, how- 
 ever, for he is just a little over eleven. 
 
 Here comes the Colonel and "old Mistiss," 
 and by the way, everybody sends love and 
 messages to you and our boy. 
 
 Now, my own beautiful wife, don't be anx- 
 ious about me, and forgive this long, rambling 
 letter. 
 
 It's snowing hard — I mean, easy. The 
 snow is "beautiful" but I'm so homesick for 
 you. 
 
 Your loving, good-for-nothing 
 
 Soldier. 
 
 202 
 
xLiir 
 
 On the Occasion of the Memorial Services in 
 Honor of Those who died at Gettysburg 
 
 ALL the way to the station, my darling, I 
 was asking myself whether I was right 
 in yielding to your solicitations and leaving 
 our sick child, with all the resulting care 
 and responsibility resting on your ever-brave 
 shoulders. And once, sweetheart, after think- 
 ing very seriously over it I was almost tempted 
 to turn and go back, when the appealing words 
 of your voice echoed through my soul. "Even 
 if I knew our child would die while you were 
 gone, I would not have you neglect this call 
 to honor your boys whom you led to their 
 death." And, instead of turning back I said: 
 ^'Drive faster, please, John David; I wouldn't 
 miss my train for anything. "^ — You blessed 
 little sermon ! 
 
 I made the train in plenty of time and your 
 mother, to whom I had telegraphed at Ivor, 
 203 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 came to the station, bringing the good tidings 
 that your brother was out of danger. I did 
 not tell her that our little George was ill, 
 lest it might make her anxious, and I knew 
 that her duty was beside her sick boy, your 
 brother. 
 
 I would have been so thankful if you, my 
 sweet, beautiful bride, and our precious little 
 *'war-baby" could have come with me. 
 Everybody asks about you and the boy and 
 sends love and expresses sorrow that you could 
 not come. A delegation of my old soldiers 
 met me at the station and, though some of our 
 relatives had prepared to have us with them, 
 I agreed to the arrangement of the Committee 
 and the demand of the Governor and was 
 taken to the Executive Mansion as the guest 
 of the State. 
 
 All the evening and the next morning until 
 it was time to form, old comrades came in, in 
 groups and single file. They told of their ex- 
 periences, officers and privates alike, discussed 
 the Pennsylvania campaign and the three days' 
 fight, their voices falling to a whisper as they 
 spoke of those whose memory we had come to 
 honor — our gallant dead at Gettysburg — our 
 
 204 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 brave boys who gave "their last full measure 
 of devotion" to duty. 
 
 I had been made Chief Marshal — a sad, 
 solemn, sacred office for me — of all the Army. 
 Such love, such reverence was Christ-born. 
 You cannot conceive of it. From the old 
 Market to the Cemetery of Hollywood the 
 streets, sidewalks, windows and housetops were 
 crowded. There must have been twelve thou- 
 sand people at Hollywood. Such a demon- 
 stration of devotion and sympathy was, I 
 think, never before witnessed on earth. 
 Think of it, my darling, so penetrating, so uni- 
 versal a oneness of love and respect and rever- 
 ence existed that there was a stillness, an awe- 
 someness, save for those necessary sounds — the 
 clanking of swords, the tramp of horses and 
 the martial tread of men keeping time with 
 funeral marches — the solemn requiem. No 
 cheers, no applause, only loving greetings from 
 tear-stained faces, heads bent in reverence, 
 clasped hands held out to us as we passed 
 along. As I saw once more the courage-lit 
 faces of my brave Virginians, again I heard 
 their cry — "We'll follow you, Marse George!" 
 From their eternal silence those who marched 
 205 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 heroically to death looked down upon us yes- 
 terday and were sad. My darling, you can- 
 not know — no, you cannot know! 
 
 As I clasped the hand of one after another 
 of those who crowded around me I was 
 greeted with the words — "My husband was 
 killed at Gettysburg." "My son is lying 
 there among the dead" — "My brother was 
 with you there and he has just come back to 
 me" — so many crushed hearts filling my heart 
 with grief. Oh, my Sally, if the cry of my 
 soul had been voiced it would have been the 
 echo of that at Gethsemane. 
 
 After the services General Joseph R. An- 
 derson had a number of us old fellows come 
 to his house and as we stood around his 
 sumptuous board the solemnity of the scene 
 was almost like that of the Lord's Supper. 
 Though we were old soldiers, neither the 
 march nor the battle was mentioned. The 
 only war-time reference was that some of my 
 men called me by the old war-time title, 
 *'Marse George." Among the guests were 
 some of our West Point comrades whose only 
 vocation, like mine, was war. Our tents are 
 folded now and we parted, going off, each to 
 
 206 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 his work ; one to the farm, another to the trade ; 
 one to seek some position; one to one place, 
 one to another; and I to return to my beautiful 
 wife and my sick baby, my only joy and my 
 life, knowing that what is best will come. 
 
 Your Loving Soldier. 
 
 207 
 
XLIV 
 
 Written while Away from Home after the 
 Death of his Youngest Boy 
 
 POOR broken lily, I hated so to leave you. 
 The haunted look on your sweet, tired 
 face haunts my heart and I was almost tempted 
 to disobey the company's orders and not go. 
 The doctor said you were not strong enough 
 to come with your Soldier, that you were all 
 run down by your long watch, sleepless nights 
 and nursing, and then the transplanting of the 
 precious flower into the Father's garden at last 
 — having to give the boy back — was more 
 than you could bear. Ah, sweetheart, try to 
 be generous, too, and give him to the Heavenly 
 Father, being thankful for His having lent 
 him to you for so long. Dear, beautiful 
 mother of an angel, come, say "Thy will be 
 done" and try to recognize the wisdom of our 
 Lord. See, my lily, how well your Soldier 
 has learned his lesson. It was you who taught 
 
 208 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 him to believe — to look up and trust. Come, 
 now — take your spelling book and let him 
 teach you the Word. 
 
 How tenderly, loyally, reverently I do love 
 you, my wife, and how I want to spare you 
 every hurt. I'll be starting back when you get 
 this. Love to our boy and tell him to look 
 after his "dear mother" for his "dear father," 
 that he is our little man and has got double 
 duty to do from now on. Ask him to think 
 about what he wants for his birthday. Any- 
 thing but a gun he can have. 
 
 Think, my darling, nearly eleven years of 
 perfect bliss — such happiness as man never 
 had. God show me how to be worthy of such 
 a wife. 
 
 The horses are at the door, my little one — 
 I must say a Dios. 
 
 Lovingly and forever and ever, 
 
 Your Soldier. 
 
 THE END 
 
 209 
 
PICKETT'S CHARGE AT GETTYSBURG 
 
 [Editorial Note] 
 
 PICKETT'S charge was the culminating point in the 
 three days' struggle at Gettysburg. Directed 
 against a force strongly entrenched and superior in 
 numbers it failed ; but in failing it made immortal the fame 
 of all those who took part in it. 
 
 For two days and a half the battle had raged between 
 the armies of Lee and Meade, the advantage being with 
 neither side, when at one o'clock in the afternoon of the 
 third day Lee massed his forces on Seminary Ridge and 
 prepared for a final assault upon the Union position. 
 The attack was begun with a tremendous artillery duel 
 which shook the surrounding hills. It lasted two hours. 
 The Federal guns then ceased their fire, and Lee ordered 
 the advance of the attacking columns. 
 
 This force consisted of Pickett's and Pettigrew's divi- 
 sions, the brunt of the assault falling upon Pickett. At 
 the order, the columns moved forward as on dress parade, 
 their ranks unbroken, their arms glistening in the July 
 sun. As they advanced, however, the Union artillery 
 which had appeared to be silenced opened upon them with 
 shot and shell, tearing great holes in the lines, and as 
 they came nearer the men were met with a rain of canis- 
 ter and shrapnel. In the face of this terrific fire they did 
 
 211 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 not falter. It was not until they came within striking 
 distance of the Union line, when a flame of musketry burst 
 forth before which nothing could live, that their ranks 
 broke and, although a handful of men led by Armistead 
 crossed the Union works, the remainder of the glory- 
 crowned division were forced to retire. 
 
 Some idea of the decimating character of this assault 
 may be gained from the fact that out of more than 5000 
 men in Pickett's division who started on the mile long 
 march across the field of death but 1500 returned. In 
 the two divisions that made up the attacking column over 
 5000 men were lost. Two of Pickett's brigadiers were 
 killed, the other wounded ; and but one field officer in 
 his command came out of the battle unhurt. In one of 
 his letters in this volume the general gives a more de- 
 tailed account of the losses among his officers. 
 
 The charge of Pickett and his men has been made the 
 basis of much unfavorable criticism, directed chiefly 
 against the commanding general of the Southern forces 
 and his chief lieutenants at Gettysburg. In this crit- 
 icism Pickett has taken no part, although he states re- 
 peatedly in the letters to his wife that if promised sup- 
 ports had materialized the attack would have been suc- 
 cessful. It is generally admitted that the brigades of 
 Wilcox and Perry which should have supported Pickett 
 were slow in starting and became separated from the main 
 attacking body, rendering it no assistance. 
 
 In his first official report to General Lee after the 
 battle, Pickett pointed out without reserve the circum- 
 stances that were responsible for the disastrous result. 
 
 212 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Lee, however, requested him to withdraw this report. 
 His letter so doing is to be found in War Records (Vol- 
 ume 27, Part 3, Page 1075). It reads as follows: 
 
 General George E. Pickett, Commanding, &c. You 
 and youT men have crowned themselves with glory; but 
 we have the enemy to fight, and must carefully, at this 
 critical moment, guard against dissensions which the re- 
 flections in your report would create. I will, therefore, 
 suggest that you destroy both copy and original, substitu- 
 ting one confined to casualties merely. I hope all will 
 yet be well. 
 
 I am, with respect, your obedient servant, 
 
 R. E. Lee, General. 
 
 In accordance with Lee's wish, General Pickett with- 
 drew and destroyed his report of the engagement. Fur- 
 thermore, he looked upon Lee's suggestion as a command 
 that was binding upon him for all time and he has never 
 divulged the contents of this report, except in the letter 
 to his wife (written before Lee's request was made) 
 which appears in this volume on page 97. In view, how- 
 ever, of the General's sense of obligation in this matter, 
 Mrs. Pickett feels that the details of the battle as re- 
 ported therein should be withheld from publication and 
 accordingly this section of the letter is omitted, as stated 
 in footnote on page lOO. 
 
 General Lee has been criticized for ordering the attack 
 on Cemetery Ridge with an inadequate force and under 
 conditions that made its failure probable. In explana- 
 tion of his action, Lee said in his report (War Records, 
 213 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 Volume 27, Part 2, page 321) that his batteries "having 
 nearly exhausted their ammunition in the protracted can- 
 nonade that preceded the advance of the infantry, were 
 unable to reply, or render the necessary support to the 
 attacking party. Owing to this fact, which was un- 
 known to me when the assault took place, the enemy were 
 enabled to throw a strong force of infantry against our 
 left, already wavering under a concentrated fire of artil- 
 lery from the ridge in front, and from Cemetery Hill on 
 the left." 
 
 Elsewhere he describes the formation which took place 
 in Pickett's charge, as follows: 
 
 "General Longstreet ordered forward the column of 
 attack, consisting of Pickett's and Heth's divisions, in 
 two lines, Pickett on the right. Wilcox's brigade marched 
 in rear of Pickett's right, to guard that flank, and Heth's 
 was supported by Lane's and Scales' brigades, under 
 General Trimble." 
 
 General Longstreet has described the charge as seen 
 under his own eyes in these words: 
 
 "I dismounted to relieve my horse and was sitting on 
 a rail fence watching very closely the movements of the 
 troops. . . . Pickett had reached a point near the Federal 
 lines. A pause was made to close ranks and mass for the 
 final plunge. The troops on Pickett's left, although ad- 
 vancing, were evidently a little shaky. I was watching 
 the troops supporting Pickett and saw plainly they could 
 not hold together ten minutes longer. I called his (Col- 
 onel Freemantle's) attention to the wavering condition of 
 the two divisions of the Third Corps and said they would 
 
 214 
 
THE HEART OF A SOLDIER 
 
 not hold, that Pickett would strike and be crushed, and 
 the attack would be a failure. As the division threw it- 
 self against the Federal line Garnett fell and expired. 
 The Confederate flag was planted in the Federal line, 
 and immediately Armistead fell mortally wounded at the 
 feet of the Federal soldiers. The wavering division then 
 seemed appalled, broke their ranks and retired. 
 
 "The only thing Pickett said of his charge was that he 
 was distressed at the loss of his command. He thought 
 he should have had two of his brigades that had been left 
 in Virginia; with them he felt that he would have broken 
 the lines." 
 
 215 
 
APR 12 1913 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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