General Lee's Offensive Policy in the Campaign of 1864.

It is a very popular error to speak of General Lee as acting on the defensive in the campaign of 1864, and of his "retreating" before General Grant. The truth is that from the day Grant crossed the Rapidan until (after losing nearly twice as many men as Lee had) he sat down to the siege of Petersburg-a position which he could have occupied at first without firing a gun or losing a man-Lee never made a move except to meet and fight the enemy, and that on the whole campaign he craved nothing so much as "an open field and a fair fight." He again and again expressed himself to that effect, and always said that if the enemy were allowed to besiege Richmond the result would be a mere question of time.

The following letter to one of his corps commanders brings out clearly his views and purposes. If General Grant had not crossed the James and advanced on Petersburg, Lee would have attacked him in his works, and have tried on him the same tactics which proved so successful against McClellan in 1862. Of course no one can now tell certainly what the result would have been, but General Lee and his ragged veterans were confident of a splendid victory. The letter, however, speaks for itself:

HEAD-QUARTERS 12:30 P. M., June, 1864.

General,-I have received your note of 11 A. M. I am glad that you are able to make the disposition of the troops you propose, as it meets my views as expressed in a former note to you. Now that you have your troops in a line I hope you will strengthen it as much as possible, and hold it. I have little fear of your ability to maintain your position if our men do as they generally do. The time has arrived, in my opinion, when something more is necessary than adhering to lines and defensive positions. We shall be obliged to go out and prevent the enemy from selecting such positions as he chooses. If he is allowed to continue that course we shall at last be obliged to take refuge behind the works of Richmond and stand a siege, which would be but a work of time.

We must be prepared to fight him in the field; to prevent his taking positions such as he desires, and I expect the co-operation of all the corps commanders in the course which necessity now will oblige us to pursue.

It is for this purpose that I desire the corps to be kept together, and

as strong as possible, and that our absentees may be brought forward and every attention given to refreshing and preparing the men for battle.

Their arms and ammunition should be looked to and cooked provisions provided ahead.

(Signed)

R. E. LEE, General.

P. S.-I am anxious to get recommendations to fill the vacancies in the different commands in your corps.

(Signed)

R. E. L.

Stuart's Last Dispatch.

The following is, so far as we have been able to learn, the last dispatch every sent by the great Confederate cavalryman, J. E. B. Stuart.

Remembering that he was confronting overwhelming odds, and was about to lay down that very evening his noble life, this dispatch, which has never before been in print, will have a sad interest and will be recognized by those who knew him, as having the clarion ring which always characterized the dispatches of this glorious cavalryman; of whom it has been truly said that he never believed he could be whipped, and could never bring himself to acknowledge that he had been defeated: No. 4. HEAD-QUARTERS NEAR HALF SINK BRIDGE, May 11th, 3 o'clock P. M., 1864.

To General Bragg:

General,-The enemy now has the Yellow Tavern and hold the Old Mountain road for some distance above, having formed his column between Fredericksburg railroad and that road. General Gordon is oneand-a-half miles south of Chiles's Tavern, on that road, and informs me that all the enemy's cavalry are massed here, none having gone towards James river. Now, General, if we can make a combined attack on them with Hunton's brigade I cannot see how they can escape. I have attacked once and feel confident of success. They drove our extreme left back a little, but we have been driving their rear and left. As soon as Gordon joins my right I will try them again, and expect to get so as to command the intersection. There is a road, however, coming in just by Delaplaine's, in sight of Yellow Tavern, from which the enemy can move

towards "Meadow bridge," which, however, I hear is burned. I keep my artillery bearing on a dust near Yellow Tavern. The enemy fights entirely as infantry to-day-though yesterday we got in with sabres with good execution. I am glad to report enemy's killed large in proportion. Most respectfully,

J. E. B. STUART, Major-General.

The enemy may yet turn toward James river.

Notes and Queries.

J. E. B. S.

We have determined to open this Department in our Papers, where brief comments, notes or queries, concerning men or events, may find a receptacle. We invite contributions from any who may have a question to ask, a brief note, or a pertinent comment, concerning any person or event in Colonial, Revolutionary, Civil, or Confederate History. We do not, of course, promise that we shall be able to answer all queries, or endorse or refute all notes that may be presented; but we will at least give others a chance at them, and will endeavor to make this Department one of interest and historic value.

"DID GRANT RETURN LEE'S SWORD AT APPOMATTOX COURT-HOUSE?" Poetry, Art, and Romance have combined to paint the "historic scene" of Lee tendering, and Grant magnanimously declining to receive, his sword at Appomattox Court-house; but nothing of the kind occurred.

We published in 1875 (in "Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of General R. E. Lee") General Lee's own account of the surrender, in which he said, with emphasis, that as he had determined from the beginning of negotiations that officers should retain their side-arms, he did not violate the terms by tendering General Grant his own sword. This, of course, settled the question, for the world long since learned to receive implicitly the lightest word of R. E. Lee.

But it has also been recently set at rest by the following correspondence which explains itself:

BUFFALO LITHIA SPRINGS, VIRGINIA,

General U. S. Grant, New York:

March 11, 1881.

Sir,-In a friendly discussion between several gentlemen of North

ern and Southern proclivities as to the "truth of history," a question arose whether General Lee at the surrender actually tendered, and you received, his sword.

It was mutually agreed that you should be written to for a decision. There is no idle curiosity or desire for notoriety in regard to this request, and a reply from you would be highly appreciated.

Very respectfully,

T. D. JEFFRESS.

General Grant replied as follows on the bottom of the same sheet of paper:

General Badeau's book, now in the hands of the printer, will give the exact truth of the matter referred to in this letter. There was no demand made for General Lee's sword, and no tender of it offered.

U. S. GRANT.

We should be glad of an answer, by some one who can give the information, to the following courteous letter:

CAMBRIDGEPORT, MASS., March 16, 1881.

Rev. J. William Jones, Secretary Southern Historical Society:

My Dear Sir,-During the night of the 23d, and morning of the 24th of May, 1864, Hancock's Second corps, Army of the Potomac, was crossing the trestle bridge over the North Anna at Chesterfield, and during that time, more especially after dawn, whenever any considerable number of troops appeared on the bridge, they were the object of immediate attention from a Confederate battery a few hundred yards up the river, in position on the right bank. At times the fire of three Union batteries was concentrated upon it, at a distance, I should judge, of not more than six hundred yards, but it, nevertheless, held its ground, being well protected by earthworks. There must have been several hundred rounds of ammunition expended upon it. It was in a portion of the Confederate line then held by Longstreet's corps, at that time commanded by the late General R. H. Anderson.

The object of this communication, Mr. Editor, is to ask its insertion in your valuable Historical Magazine, in the hope that it will meet the eye of some one who can tell me the name of the battery, the kind and

numbers of guns (I think there were but two), the nature of the position, the casualties, and any other facts that may be of interest, which I should like to incorporate in the history of my company soon to be published.

Hoping to hear something authentic touching this matter in your next issue,

I am, sir,

Yours, very truly,

JOHN D. BILLINGS,

Historian, and former member of Tenth Massachusetts Battery, Second Army corps, Army of Potomac.

The failure of General Hooker to cut Jackson's column when moving to his rear at Chancellorsville has been much discussed. The following letter will throw some light on an interesting episode of that great movement:

General Fitzhugh Lee:

SAN FRANCISCO, 26th January, 1881,

439 California Street.

Dear General,-Accident some time ago placed me in poseession of a copy of your address of October 29th, 1879, which you ought to have sent me. I take the liberty of calling your attention to the part acted by Captain Moore, of the Fourteenth Tennessee, which I think you would have mentioned, had you known, or not forgotten it.

When the ordnance train of Hill's division was approaching Catherine Furnace (where the road turns abruptly to the left and down hill) the confusion ahead carried me forward, where I found bullets whistling through the wagons. Passing the crest of the hill and riding up to some cavalry, formed some fifty yards off and partially sheltered, I asked the commander (Lieutenant-Colonel Carter, of the Fourth Virginia, if my memory is correct) "why he did not protect the wagons." He told me that the infantry had run out, and that he could do nothing with the force at his command. I told him that there was artillery in the train just back of my ordnance, and that I would run my wagons through the fire, if he would stop the artillery and check the enemy's advance. This was done, two guns placed in position, two shots fired and the men driven from the guns by the minnies of the enemy. At this moment Captain Stanard, A. P. Hill's ordnance officer, rode towards me, calling me, and told me that some infantry refused to "go in" for him, but said that they would accept orders from me. I