"About that time, General Lee, entirely alone, rode up and remained with me for a long time. He then probably first appreciated the full extent of the disaster as the disorganized stragglers made their way back past us. It was certainly a momentous thing to him to see that superb attack end in such a bloody repulse. But, whatever his emotions, there was no trace of them in his calm and self-possessed bearing. I thought at the time his coming there very imprudent, and the absence of his staff officers and couriers strange. I have since thought it possible that he came, thinking the enemy might follow in pursuit of Pickett, personally to rally stragglers about our guns and make a desperate defense. He had the instincts of a soldier within him as strongly as any man. No soldier could have looked on at Pickett's Charge and not burned to be in it. We were joined by Colonel Fremantle of Her Majesty's Coldstream Guards, who... afterward... described many little incidents that took place here, such as General Lee encouraging the retreating stragglers to rally as soon as they got back to cover, and saying that the failure was his fault, not theirs. That was the end of the battle."