4
Wesley Street
Shieldfield
Newcastle on Tyro
England
March 14th 1866
Sir
I have intended writing to you for some time, and have only delayed
thinking that perhaps your correspondence would never reach you, and now there
is a chance I take the earliest opportunity of addressing you and paying my
respects to the great chief of the Confederate cause – I may begin by saying
that since the war with Russia in 1855, (which you will remember, being in the
Crimea with General McClellan) nothing has attracted the attention of Englishmen
so much as the late struggle in America, Austrians, Prussians and Danes might
burn and destroy each other, that was nothing, they were only feigners, but the
Americans, (and especially the South) were of English stock, spoke the same
language, and every one in England felt the deepest sympathy of the Combatants,
- of course both North and South had their supporters, but in Newcastle, the
center of the coal district, the majority were decidedly in favour of the South,
and many were the disputes, crying nearly to quarreling that I have witnessed
– I am happy to say I was a strong Southerner, in fact so strong were my
opinions in your favour that by many of my friends I was called the G. C. (i.e.
Great Confederate) and I am glad to say that I made more than one convert to the
Southern cause – I had the Southern flag floating form the flagstaff in the
garden, and each morning, if the news was bad, I had it half mast, but if the
contrary, I had it floating triumphantly in the breeze, and so it continued
higher or lower as the case might be till that fatal time in April last, when I
lowered it, and in the words of the last Confederate song “The Vanquished
Banner,” “Furled it gently, for its peoples hopes were fled”
_ Until that time I had no fear of the final result the news came, the
Surrender of Richmond, clearly followed by that of your own, which as ill luck
would have it happened on my birth day – Then when you were gone I must say I
lost heart, for I had the fullest confidence in you, it may sound like flattery,
but I have always held that truth is not flattery – The soldiers led by you
seemed to be invincible – Any disasters happening the cause in the South but I
did not think much, so long as you were unbroken, I did not perhaps attach the
full value to the operations in other quarters, and fully endorsed the
opinions of a writer in a Monthly magazine, called the British Army and
Navy Review – as follows
Grant will hurl a thunderbolt at the heart of the revolt
We shall see
Other men have tried and failed, other men have blanched and quailed
Facing Lee
Oh when Grant, we seek the pay, kill your myriads, that you may
Crush the brave
But there are great deeds to be done, ere your mercenary crew
Passes Lee etc
During the whole time I read the papers carefully, and the alarming
statements made by the pro-Federal papers never troubled me, & I knew that
you were between the Northern hosts and Richmond, and I had no fear of the
result – I felt in my heart so long as you stood, the Confederacy would stand
– how often have the mighty hosts advanced to the undoubted capture of
Richmond, and how often have they been driven back vigorously – Now that
people can calmly think of it, the final result of the struggle is not to be
wondered at, the North getting thousands of Emigrants daily can fill up the
places of those who fell, while the South, hardly getting a single outside
recruit, to them the loss of a single man, an irreparable misfortune, so that
Grant could well afford to give 4 or 5 Mercenaries for one good Southerner
fighting for his country, his home, and all he held dear – Peace to the memory
of the fallen heroes, they could do no more, like Harold of
England they gave their all, their lives for their country, and the names
of Stuart and Stonewall Jackson, and many more heroes will live in the pages of
history – Side by side with the
names of the fallen, will be the names of Lee, Longstreet,
Davis and Hood, who fought till all hope was gone, and when resistance
would have been perhaps criminal, gave up the contest, and saved the lives of
their fellow creatures, an act which gained for them the praise of all true
Christians - As a strong contrast
to this, what will be the opinion of posterity upon Lincoln, Butler the Beast,
Grant the Butcher, Sherman the Merciless,
and many men of similar caliber that I could name, what Northern General is
there excepting perhaps McClellan, but who will be held up to execration by
impartial historians – Compare the March of Sherman through Georgia, or that
of Sheridan up the Shenandoah Valley, with your invasion of Pennsylvania, and
great praise will be given to the “lawless Southern Rebels” By land and sea the glory has mainly been with the South, on
land their armies have all at times suffered defeat, till by mere force of numbers, the South may be said to have
been strangled – By sea what ship of the North has gained the renown of the
Merrimac, Alabama, Florida, or Shenandoah, the Arkansas, Manassas, is the
Tennessee will the deeds of the names filled the world with amazement, while the
three cruisers roamed over the ocean at pleasure – The capture of the Florida
was certainly not an act to be proud of, and the “accident” by which she was
sunk would have been disowned by any nation but the Yankees – Farragut is the
only seaman they can be proud of, and he I understand is a Southerner by birth,
but the defense of the “Tennessee” at Mobile will rival any deed
he committed, I could enumerate hundreds of actions which excited my
admiration, but of course you know them much better than I do – I see they are
now prosecuting poor Semmes, and the way they keep Mr. Davis in prison, shews
anything but a generous spirit, but what better can be expected from the
countryman of Butler, Parser Browton, Beecher etc
I think if the Conservative, had been in office in England the South
would have had a much better chance, as there would not have been many
restrictions placed upon the efforts of the South to obtain ships, etc, the two
famous rams of Lairds would have got to sea safely – The miserable Whig
government of Lord Russell threw every obstacle possible in the way of the South
whilst it allowed the North to nearly openly enlist men, in fact a more partial
government I have never heard of – however this is now idle talk, the past is
gone, and cannot be recalled, and the result of all can only be lamented, one
thing is certain, that if valor, courage and skill, united with patient
endurance such as perhaps the world never seen, could have availed, the South
would now be free; and the flag which was first raised at Charleston would still
be waving over a free land-
I have only now to express my sorrow that such has not been the case, and
also hope you will try to be spared to your country, and that Providence will be
kinder to you for the rest of your honoured life, than what it has been lately
– I see by the papers you have gone back to Virginia from Washington, and I
can assure you I read with great pain the account the correspondent of the
London Standard gave your melancholy visit to the house of Arlington – Nary a
one in England has read that with sorrow, for the English who have so many
stately ancestral mansions can fully sympathize with you in gazing upon the
ruined home, and that line is well known “Dear even to a savage is the land of
his birth.”
I am afraid I will have troubled you in writing this ill connected
letter, but I am one where literary efforts are not large or numerous, so I
trust you will pardon me, and accept this as a true feeling of regard I have for
you and your noble deeds - I have a
small request to make, which, if you could oblige now will make me very happy,
your portrait, a Photograph I would treasure highly – I have seen some of
yours here, but do not know whether they are authentic or not, so they bear no
proof - Hoping you will grant this request, I remain, with many
wishes for your welfare, and that of your country
Yours obediently
George William Green
To
General Robt E. Lee
Lexington
Notation
on the reverse in General Lee’s handwriting:
England
14 March ‘66
George
W. Green
Sends
regards etc