Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 8.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

These three incidents are all well authenticated; but Miss Emily Mason, in her biography, gives a correspondence between Hon. John Thompson Mason and General Lee, in which the fomer details the incident as it occurred with Gregg's Texas brigade, and asks the General about it. The reply is characteristic, and is as follows:

Lexington, Va., December 7, 1865.
Hon. John Thompson Mason:

My Dear Sir — I regret that my occupations are such as to prevent me from writing at present a narrative of the event which you request in your letter of the 4th instant.

The account you give is substantially correct. General Gordon was the officer. It occurred in the battles around Spotsylvania Courthouse.

With great respect, your friend and servant,

R. E. Lee.

The world's history can produce no more splendid battle pictures than these, and yet so unconscious was General Lee of their bearing that he mingles two into one, and seems to have forgotten the other altogether.