Said Charles Francis Adams, of Massachusetts:  “I doubt if a hostile force ever advanced into an enemy’s country, or fell back from it in retreat, leaving behind it less cause of hate and bitterness than did the Army of Northern Virginia in that memorable campaign.”

After the war, Colonel Taylor and his wife settled in Norfolk, where, within a very short time, a United States grand jury indicted Jefferson Davis and General Lee for treason—­this, in the case of Lee, being in direct violation of the terms of surrender.  When Grant learned of the shameful action of the grand jury he complained to Washington and caused the proceedings against Lee to be dropped.

In Colonel Taylor’s scrap-book I found a letter written by Lee before the indictment had been quashed, referring to the subject: 

            Richmond, Va. 
                June 17, 1865.

My dear Colonel: 

I am very much obliged to you for your letter of the 13th.  I had heard of the indictment by the grand jury at Norfolk, and made up my mind to let the authorities take their course.  I have no wish to avoid any trial the government may order, and cannot flee.  I hope others may be unmolested, and that you at least may be undisturbed.

I am sorry to hear that our returned soldiers cannot obtain employment.  Tell them they must all set to work, and if they cannot do what they prefer, do what they can.  Virginia wants all their aid, all their support, and the presence of all her sons to sustain and recuperate her.  They must therefore put themselves in a position to take part in her government, and not be deterred by obstacles in their way.  There is much to be done which they only can do.

Very truly yours,
R.E.  Lee.

As time went on, and the more gaping wounds began to heal, Colonel Taylor’s letters from the general took in many cases a lighter and happier tone.  After some years, when four daughters had been born to Colonel and Mrs. Taylor, while yet they had no son, the general chaffed them gently on the subject:  “Give my congratulations to Mrs. Taylor,” he wrote.  “Tell her I hope that when her fancy for girls is satisfied (mine is exorbitant) she will begin upon the boys.  We must have somebody to work for them.”

One of the colonel’s sons was present when I came upon this letter.

“And you see,” he smiled, “my father obeyed his old commander to the last, for the next baby was a boy, and the next, and the next, and the next, until there were as many boys as girls in our family.”

* * * * *

Colonel Taylor died at his home in Norfolk, March 1, 1916, and on the subsequent June 15, was followed by his wife.

His death leaves but three members of Lee’s staff surviving, namely, Rev. Giles B. Cooke, of Portsmouth, Virginia, Inspector General; Major Henry E. Young, of Charleston, South Carolina, Judge Advocate General; and Colonel T.M.R.  Talcott, of Richmond, Virginia, Aide-de-Camp.  Of these officers only the first two surrendered with General Lee, Colonel Talcott having left the staff by promotion in 1863.