Lee Robert E. Lee in tears... A touching tribute

[Barrycdog]

"Lee of course, is primus inter pares [1st among equals]. His beautiful character, which has no parallel in history... wins for him universal love and admiration. A delegation of his old soldiers. some armless and wounded, called on him Saturday, and the tears rolled down the old chief's face and fell upon the floor. Ah! that tender heart, why didn't it let him burn Fredericksburg and Burnside and his army in 1862, and end the war then?"

SEPTEMBER 3, 1868

THE NEW YORK TIMES, September 3, 1868.

 

[kevikens]

Why would it have been an advantage to Lee to have burned down Fredericksburg? If he had done it while the Union forces were still on Stafford Heights overlooking the city Burnside would have looked for a different crossing. If during the battle, how would his troops have done that with the place occupied by a larger Union Army. If after the battle what sense would that have made with the Yankees having retreated to the other side. I don't think Lee subscribed in the maxim that it was necessary to destroy the place to save it. Sounds like sentimental bathos by someone who didn't like how Reconstruction was going.

 

[Barrycdog]

I think it was comment made by the Newspaper. Note this is the New York Times and I am sure they were no fan of Lee