One day in 1865, while riding along the lines with his staff, General Lee met the Rev. J. William Jones, who was giving tracts to the men in the trenches. He at once reined in his horse and spoke to this “man of God,” while the officers crowded around.
General Lee asked if he ever had calls for prayer-books, and said that if he would come to his headquarters he would give him some—that a friend in Richmond had given him a new book; and upon his saying to his friend that he would give his old book, that he had used ever since the Mexican war, to some soldier, the friend offered him a dozen new books for the old one. He had, of course, taken so grand an offer, and now had twelve, in place of one, to give away.
When the Rev. Mr. Jones called, General Lee was out, but had left the books for Mr. Jones with one of his staff. He had written on the fly-leaf of each book, “Presented by R. E. Lee.”
We are sure that if any of these books were saved amid the din and stress of war, they are now much prized by those who own them.
These are some of the words which General Lee would use when his army had gained the day: “Thanks be to God.” “God has again crowned the valor of our troops with success.” Again, upon a fast-day, he said in an order, “Soldiers! let us humble ourselves before the Lord our God, asking, through Christ, the forgiveness of our sins.”
With the close of the war, the piety of this great man seemed to increase. His seat at church was always filled, unless he was kept away by sickness, and he was ever ready for good works. He did not find fault with preachers, as so many do, but was most fond of those who were simple and true to the teachings of the Bible.
Once he said to a friend: “Do you think that it would be any harm for me to hint to Mr. —— that we should be glad if he made his _morning prayers_ a little short? You know our friend makes this prayer too long. He prays for the Jews, the Turks, and the heathen, and runs into the hour for our College recitations. Would it be wrong for me to hint to Mr. —— that he confine his morning prayers to us _poor sinners at the College_, and pray for the Turks, the Jews, the Chinese, and other heathen some other time?”
General Lee was a constant reader of the Bible. One of his friends relates that, as he watched beside his body the day after death, he picked up from the table a well-worn pocket Bible, in which was written in his own hand, “R. E. Lee, Lieutenant-Colonel of U. S. Army.” This little book had been the light of his pathway through many trials.