22 THE WAR AND ITS HHif famous regiment of cavalry of which Albert Sydney Johnston was colonel, and as- such highly distinguishing hi issr If in the desperata tight with the Indians on the prairies of Texas, which create! so much exoitomenl at the time. Nor do we know how he came to he at Washington at the time of John Urown's ■tleafi at insurrection ; bat we do hmn that he wm scut bj President Buchanan, with a body of mtifaatSi to osptare that outlaw, and that he did it. Bstth is a brief outline of the services rendered to the old United Stat Robert K. Lee during the long period ol thirty years. In the old army he was believed by all officers, almost without exception to many de g r e e s, the most accomplished soldier in the whole army. His superiority, indeed, was bo incontestable, that it excited no jealousy whatever in any quarter. When his reputation had Itch somewhat impaired tor the time, by bis campaign in Western Virginia) a distinguished officer, now in the of Virginia, but heretofore for many years an officer in the old army of the United States, observed that injustice was done to General Lee — . . D the old army, each officer perfectly understood the calibre of every other — that Lee was, by t lie acknowledgment of all, the tir.-t man in the ser- vice — and that, if an opportunity were afforded him, he would prove what he wjs, in a way that would .-ileuee scepticism forever. The opinion entertained of him by General Scott is well known. "Lee," said that vain and self-suffi- cient old coxcomb, '• is the greatest military genius in America, myself not excepted." He might reiy well say so, if it be true, as has often been said, that to the genius of Lee he owed the laurels he had reaped in Mexico. Whether this anecdote, however, lie true or false, it is well kuown that he regretted the Joss of Lee mure than that of all the other officers, when Lee determined to stand by the land that gave him birth, and that be made the most strenuous efforts to retain him. lie might Sfl well have attempted U) roll back the earth i.'i its daily revolution upon it axis. General Lee is the most thorough of si] ians. Virginian in sentiment and feeling, hia father's boh could Boarcely being; but he u more thoroughly Virginian than could be expected even from a person born and connected like himself. So intense is this feeling, that i been heard to say, even since his wonderful successes have placed him 3': the very head Oi his Age, that he had but one ambition, and that was to be mor of Virginia. It was, therefore, as certain as any future event could it as soon as Virginia seceded, he would go along with her. She did in April, lsr,] ? and, a few days after, her Convention appointed him Oawnundat in-Chief of her forces. He arrived in Richmond about the 25th of April, having sent in his resignation of his commission in the old army some time before. General Lee immediately entered upon the duties of his office. It may be presumed that they were of the most arduous character ; but difficulties disap- I beneath his fingers, as though they had been dissolved by magic. He Lad an army to organize and drill, the materials of war to create almost out of nothing, the troops to arm, clothe and feed, after they had been collected, aud
