From  this  brief  review  it  appears  clearly  that  the  men
who,  after  June  ist,  1862,  followed  Lee's  banner  and  were
under  his  immediate  command  were,  even  before  that  time
and  from  the  very  outset,  in  a  large  and  true  sense  his
soldiers  and  under  his  control ;  so  that,  while  strictly  speak-
ing no  soldier  followed  Lee  for  four  years,  yet  we  who
served  in  Virginia  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the
war  are  entitled,  in  the  customary  and  popular  sense,  to
speak  of  our  term  of  service  as  "Four  years  under  Lee,"

But  our  claim  is,  "Four  years  under  MARSE  ROBERT."
Why  "Marse  Robert?"

So,  in  Innes  Randolph's  inimitable  song,  "A  Good  Old
Rebel,"  the  hero  thus  vaunts  his  brief  but  glorious  annals :

"I  followed  old  Mars'  Robert
For  four  year,  near  about;
Got  wounded  in  three  places
And  starved  at  Pint  Lookout"

Again,  why  "Mars'  Robert?"

The  passion  of  soldiers  for  nicknaming  their  favorite
leaders,  re-christening  them  according  to  their  unfettered
fancy  and  their  own  sweet  will,  is  well  known.  "The  Little
Corporal,"  "The  Iron  Duke,"  "Marshall  Forwards,"
"Bobs,"  "Bobs  Bahadur,"  "Little  Mac,"  "Little  Phil,"
"Fighting  Joe,"  "Stonewall,"  "Old  Jack,"  "Old  Pete,"
"Old  Jube,"  "Jubilee,"  "Rooney,"  "Fitz,"  "Marse  Robert"
— all  these  and  many  more  are  familiar.  There  is  something
grotesque  about  most  of  them  and  in  many,  seemingly,  rank
disrespect.  Yet  the  habit  has  never  been  regarded  as  a  vio-


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  TITLE  19

lation  of  military  law,  and  the  commanding  general  of  an
army,  if  a  staunch  fighter,  and  particularly  if  victory  often
perches  on  his  banner,  is  very  apt  to  win  the  noways  doubt-
ful compliment  of  this  rough  and  ready  knighthood  from
his  devoted  troops.  But  however  this  may  be,  "Marse  Rob-
ert" is  far  away  above  the  rest  of  these  soldier  nicknames  in
pathos  and  in  power.
