,
began again:

"Men," he said, and his voice changed at the word, and sounded like
a father's or a brother's, "My men, I cannot let you go so. We were
neighbors when the war began--many of us, and some not here to-night; we
have been more since then--comrades, brothers in arms; we have all
stood for one thing--for Virginia and the South; we have all done our
duty--tried to do our duty; we have fought a good fight, and now
it seems to be over, and we have been overwhelmed by numbers, not
whipped--and we are going home. We have the future before us--we don't
know just what it will bring, but we can stand a good deal. We have
proved it. Upon us depends the South in the future as in the past. You
have done your duty in the past, you will not fail in the future. Go
home and be honest, brave, self-sacrificing, God-fearing citizens,
as you have been soldiers, and you need not fear for Virginia and the
South. The war may be over; but you will ever be ready to serve your
country. The end may not be as we wanted it, prayed for it, fought for
it; but we can trust God; the end in the end will be the best that could
be; even if the South is not free she will be better and stronger that
she fought as she did. Go home and bring up your children to love her,
and though you may have nothing else to leave them, you can leave them
the heritage that they are sons of men who were in Lee's army."

He stopped, looked up and down the ranks again, which had instinctively
crowded together and drawn around him in a half-circle; made a sign to
the lieutenant to take charge, and turned abruptly on his heel to walk
away. But as he did so, the long pent-up emotion burst forth. With a
wild cheer the men seized him, crowding around and hugging him, as
with protestations, prayers, sobs, oaths--broken, incoherent,
inarticulate--they swore to be faithful, to live loyal forever to the
South, to him, to Lee. Many of them cried like children; others offered
to go down and have one more battle on the plain. The old Colonel
soothed them, and quieted their excitement, and then gave a command
about the preparations to be made. This called them to order at once;
and in a few minutes the camp was as orderly and quiet as usual: the
fires were replenished; the scanty stores were being overhauled; the
place was selected, and being got ready to roll the guns over the cliff;
the camp was being ransacked for such articles as could be carried, and
all preparations wer