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! SCENE III _Outside Appomatox Courthouse during Lee's conference with Grant._ _Ragged Confederate soldiers on one side. Northern troops on the other._ 1ST CONFEDERATE--Their uniforms don't look much like ours, do they? 2ND CONFEDERATE--No, nor their General doesn't look much like ours either. 3RD CONFEDERATE--Didn't Marse Robert look wonderful when he went through that door? Just naturally hating to go in, but going just the same, because he knew it was right. 1ST CONFEDERATE--Of course he had to go in, we couldn't have stood another day without any rations. 2ND CONFEDERATE--You mean you couldn't. I could have gone till I dropped without rations, if Marse Robert had said so. 3RD CONFEDERATE--But he wouldn't let his men suffer any longer when he saw it was no use. Sh! Here he comes now. (_Soldiers stand at attention. The door slowly opens and LEE steps out. He looks up to the hills and sky. Silently clasps his hands together, then slowly and almost bent, walks down the steps. For a moment the men are silent. Then the sight of GEN. LEE is too much for them and they crowd around him cheering him._) LEE--(_Lifting his hand for silence._) Men, we have fought through the war together. I have done my best for you. My heart is too full to say more. ACT IV _Scene--Lee's Parlor at Richmond._ Characters Gen. Lee Mrs. Jackson, a family friend Jack Sharpe, a former Confederate soldier Sam, an old negro servant G. W. Custis Lee, Gen. Lee's son Mr. Brown, representative of an Insurance Company Judge Brockenborough, Trustee of Washington College PAT--(_Bursting through door with a huge basket of provisions, salutes._) Sure, sir, you're a great soldier and it's I that knows it. I've been fighting against you all these years, and many a hard knock we've had. But, General, I honor you for it, and now they tell me you are poor and in want, and I've brought you this basket. Please take it from a soldier.