Act 3 — SCENE II
Reading edition
Battlefield, the Southern Lines. Shells falling all around.
Characters
General Lee General Gordon General Gracie General Stuart Northern Prisoners Soldiers
(Enter squad of Soldiers with three Northern prisoners. One without a cap.)
LEE—(Addressing prisoner without cap.) Where is your cap? Did the Rebels shoot it off?
PRISONER—(Saluting.) No, General, but one of them took it off.
LEE—(Noticing a blue cap on one of the Confederate soldiers.) Give him back his cap, even if your own is ragged.
Men, you had better go farther to the rear, they are firing up here, and you are exposing yourselves. (Exeunt soldiers and prisoners.)
(Enter General Gracie who places himself directly in front of General Lee in the direction of the firing.)
LEE—Why General Gracie, you will certainly be killed.
GRACIE—It is better, General, that I should be killed than you. When you go to the rear, I will.
(Enter General Gordon with company of men.)
GORDON—General Lee, this is no place for you. Do go to the rear. These are Virginians and Georgians, sir—men who have never failed—and they will not fail now—Will you boys? Is it necessary for General Lee to lead this charge.
SOLDIERS—No! no! General Lee to the rear. General Lee to the rear! We will drive them back, if General Lee will only go to the rear.
GORDON—Forward! Charge! and remember your promise to General Lee. (Exeunt.)
GEN. STUART—General, this is no place for you, do go away at once to a safe place.
LEE—I wish I knew where my place is on the battlefield: wherever I go some one tells me it is not the place for me to be.
LEE—(To soldiers.) Soldiers, I am more than satisfied with you. Your country will thank you for the heroic conduct you have displayed,—conduct worthy of men engaged in a cause so just and sacred, and deserving a nation's gratitude and praise. Now you must go farther back, you are exposing yourselves unnecessarily. (As they pass back a little, slowly and unwillingly, Lee goes farther forward, stoops down and picks up something.)
FIRST SOLDIER—What is he doing?
SECOND SOLDIER—Why he's picking up a little bird that had fallen from its nest.
FIRST SOLDIER—"He who heeds the sparrow's fall."
SECOND SOLDIER—I've heard of God, but here is General Lee!