A day or two later. The verandah of The Mess, the house in Richmond, Virginia rented by Robert E. Lee, General in Chief of the Confederate forces. Lee, a handsome, impeccably turned out, white-bearded man of fifty-eight, is talking to his wife, Mary Custis Lee, fifty-six, who sits in the wheelchair to which her rheumatoid arthritis has now largely confined her. In attendance, discreetly hovering at the far end of the verandah, is Lee’s aide, Brigadier General Edward P. Alexander, twenty-nine, a tall man with a dark beard, supervisor of the Richmond defences.
Lee To avoid being surrounded, I shall have to abandon our positions here in Richmond, which means the city will be wholly undefended. I don’t understand, Molly, why I cannot prevail on you to leave.
Mary Lee We did so last year; turned ourselves into refugees and drifted helplessly around for months on end. I’ll never do that again: I’d rather stay in my house and trust to Providence.
Lee As you wish.
Mary Lee As it is, our home in Arlington is overrun with Federal troops. I’m told our own slaves are not even allowed to tend my parents’ graves. You said we should show Christian resignation. Very well, then: I will do that by staying where I am.
Lee I’m very much afraid there may be anarchy and looting.
Pause. Mary Lee looks up at him.
Mary Lee So is this the end?
Lee If we can break through Grant’s lines and rendezvous with Johnston, we’ll be able to regroup and fight on. I see no reason why we can’t recruit three hundred thousand slaves.
Mary Lee You know I can’t approve of this idea.
Lee I have to use whatever means I may, if I’m to keep our cause alive. And now you must excuse me, my dear, my visitor is approaching. General Alexander, would you be so good as to take Mrs Lee into the house and see her settled? Then return and join us.
Alexander Yes, sir.
Lee I shall come in, Molly, and make my farewells by and by.
Alexander takes hold of Mary Lee’s wheelchair and rolls her into the house. As they disappear, Howell Cobb arrives. He’s a stout fifty-year-old with an authoritative manner, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the Treasury. Lee shakes hands with him warily.
Ah, General Cobb. I understand you’ve been paying a visit to the Congress. What did you find there?
Cobb Rather a shortage of brains, I’m sorry to say.
Lee I’ve given up expecting much from them. All they seem to be able to do is eat peanuts and chew tobacco, while my army starves.
Cobb Nevertheless, my business with you does concern Congress: I hope you don’t mind my taking up your time.
Lee I’m aware you were designated by President Buchanan as his successor; whatever you have to say is certain to be worth my attention. Though I’m sure you’ll understand if I ask you to be brief.
Cobb As you know, three weeks ago, the Congress authorised the use of slaves as combat soldiers in the state of Virginia.
Lee Yes.
Cobb And they’re not even to be segregated, as is the enemy’s practice, but will be fighting shoulder to shoulder with our troops.
Cobb Will you not ask them to repeal this bill?
Lee Why do you ask me to do this?
Cobb The Congress will not venture to deny you anything you may ask.
Lee But why should I ask this?
Cobb Well, because this is the most pernicious bill ever passed by our Congress. It makes a mockery of our Revolution.
Lee If this bill had been passed last year when it was first mooted, after winter training, I could have had twenty more divisions in the field.
Cobb If you can make good soldiers out of slaves, where does that leave our theory of slavery? Do you say it’s wrong?
Lee My business is war, not theorising. I don’t want to read on the Confederacy’s tomb, ‘Died of a theory.’
Alexander steps back on to the verandah. Lee turns to him.
Would you make sure Traveller is saddled and bring him round? The General is just leaving.
Alexander Yes, sir.
He steps down from the verandah and moves away from the house. Lee turns courteously back to Cobb.
Lee No doubt you are heading back to Georgia. I was sorry to hear your property had been levelled by Sherman.
Cobb Is it true, then, sir, what is rumoured of you in the newspapers: that you are an emancipationist?
Lee Ah, the newspapers. Have you noticed how they are run by all our best generals? Whenever I find defects in the planning of my battles, as I sometimes do while I am fighting them through, I invariably discover these gentlemen foresaw every mistake, even if, sadly, they forgot to warn me in time.
He smiles frostily at Cobb, who has risen to his feet.
Cobb I fail to understand how a good Southerner could contemplate the use of Negro soldiers. I would sooner recruit from the jails.
Lee Let me try to make my position clear to you, General Cobb. My task is to win the war. Striking romantic poses does not tempt me. The fact that I view slavery as a moral and political evil is neither here nor there. Please don’t let me keep you.
Cobb jams his hat on his head and disappears into the night.