SCENE I

_General Lee's Tent._

Characters

General Lee Major W. H. Fitzhugh Lee, his son Hon. B. H. Hill General Starke An Orderly

HILL--I have come to ask your advice. Do you think it would be wise to move the Southern capital farther South?

LEE--That is a political question and you politicians must answer it. I am only a soldier.

HILL--That is the proudest name today.

LEE--Yes, there never were such men in an army before. They will go anywhere and do anything if properly led.

HILL--They could have no commander equal to General Lee.

LEE--No, we made a great mistake Mr. Hill in the beginning of our struggle, and I fear in spite of all we can do, it will prove to be a fatal mistake.

HILL--What mistake is that General?

LEE--Why sir, in the beginning we appointed all our worst generals to command the armies, and all our best generals to edit the newspapers. As you know, I have planned some campaigns and quite a number of battles. I have given the work all the care and thought I could, and sometimes when my plans were completed, so far as I could see they seemed perfect. But when I have fought them through I have discovered defects, and occasionally wondered I did not see some of the defects in advance. When it was all over I found by reading a newspaper that these best editor-generals saw all the defects plainly from the start. Unfortunately, they did not communicate this knowledge to me until it was too late.

I have no ambition but to serve the Confederacy and do all I can to win our independence. I am willing to serve in any capacity to which the authorities may assign me. I have done the best I could in the field, and have not succeeded as I should wish. I am willing to yield my place to the best generals, and will do my best for the cause in editing a newspaper.

Even as poor a soldier as I am can generally discover mistakes _after it is all over_. But if I could only induce these wise gentlemen, who see them so clearly _beforehand_, to communicate with me in advance, instead of waiting till the evil has come upon us--to let me know what _they knew all the time_--it would be far better for my reputation, and, what is of more consequence, far better for the cause.

HILL--Don't let those waspish editors annoy you. The South is behind you to a man. They know what General Lee cannot accomplish, no man can.

(_ORDERLY enters and salutes._)

LEE--What is it?

ORDERLY--General Starke wishes to see you.

HILL--I must leave you General, I am grateful for the audience.

LEE--I am always glad to talk to those interested in our common cause. Good day, Mr. Hill.

HILL--Good day, General. (_Exit._)

LEE--Show General Starke in.

(_Enter GEN. STARKE. He salutes._)

LEE--(_Saluting._) Good morning, General, what can I do for you.

STARKE--Nothing for me sir, but a good deal for yourself.

LEE--This is no time to think of private benefits.

STARKE--But General your reputation is suffering, the press is denouncing you, your own State is losing confidence in you, and the army needs a victory to add to its enthusiasm.

LEE--I cannot afford to sacrifice five or six hundred of my people to silence public clamor. When it is time to strike, we will strike with a will.

STARKE--I wish those Northerners were all dead.

LEE--How can you say so?

Now I wish they were all at home attending to their own business, and leaving us to do the same. They also are my countrymen. General, there is a good old book which says, "Love your enemies." What a cruel thing is war; to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors and to devastate the fair face of the beautiful world.

STARKE--But think of our men who have laid down their lives so bravely.

LEE--The loss of our gallant officers and men throughout the army causes me to weep tears of blood and to wish that I might never hear the sound of a gun again.

STARKE--I am sorry to have worried you General, you are right, good day!

(_Salutes and exit. Enter MAJOR W. H. FITZHUGH LEE._)

W. H. F. LEE--Father!

LEE--Fitzhugh, how good it is to see you. You don't know how much I have missed you and your mother and your brothers and sisters.

W. H. F. LEE--Won't it be wonderful when the war will be over and we can all be together again.

LEE--God grant that it may be so!

W. H. F. LEE--I can't stay any longer, Father. I just came in to see you a moment before starting. I must be about my duty.

LEE--I know that wherever you may be placed, you will do your duty. That is all the pleasure, all the comfort, all the glory we can enjoy in this world.

Duty is the sublimest word in the language. There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity of principles.

(_They salute._)