Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-05-11

only surviving child of Mrs. Washing
ton, the daughter having died some
years before. He was deeply affected,
and weeping, said to the mother: II
adopt the two younger children as my
own" These were Eleanor Custis,
then two and half years Of age, who
died at seventeen of consumption, and
George Washington Parke Gusts,
then six months old. General Wash
ington took unwearied pains in train
ing this son of his adoption, desiring
to give him solid and liberal educa-
ton but his efforts failed. The son
was averse to study, though possessed
of good abilities, and at twenty-three
years of age married, and devoted his
life and very large fortune inherited
from his father and mother; to agricul-
ture and pleasant literary pursuits.
He was possessed of much natural ell
oquence, and wrote with a ready and
cultivated pen, as the columns of the
Intelligencer, to which he has often
contributed, bear testimony. He was
one of the first persons in this country
to embark in the raising of Merino
sheep.
The mansion is now occupied by the
officer in command of the post and his
subordinates. The dining hall is used
as an office. In this room are three
old fashioned bookcases, containing
some four hundred volumes, principal
ly old books broken sets, and of very
small value. The parlor adjoining the
hall is unoccupied, the only article in
it being a mahogany side-board, which
came from Mount Vernon. In the par
lor beyond are two sofas and six stuff:
ed mahogany chairs, covered with
scarlet velvet two marble-top tables,
sidc-board, and piano stool match
ing the chairs. On the wall are sew
eral coarse, large portraits, and one or
two fine oil paintings. There are also
two engravings, of classical, mytho-
logical character, hanging with the
rest. The room in the southerly
wing, and used by Gen. Lee for his of
flee, is now used as a bed room and
all the upper part of the mansion is
used for like purpose. The building
is uninjured. The flower garden has
been enclosed by new fence, and is
laid out and tastefully adorned this
spring.
The grave Of each soldier is neatly
marked by a wooden slab at the head
and the foot, painted white, inscribed
with the name of the soldier and his
company and regiment, and at little
distance these slabs have the appear
ance of marble. These mounds are to
be neatly covered with sod.
General Robert Edmund Lee is the
son of General Harry Lee, of Revolu-
tionary memory, and known as " Light
Horse Harry" whose mother was the
beautiful Miss Grimes, General Wash
ington's first love, and whom he cele-
brated as the lowland beauty" Gen
eral Harry Lee was twice married.
By the first marriage he had two chill
dren, Henry, (an officer in the war of
1922 and Lucy. By the second wife
"a Miss Carter, of Shirley-he had
five children, two daughters, Anne and
Mildred, and three sons. The sons
were Charles Carter, Robert Edmund,
(the General, and Sidney Smith, the
last named an officer in our navy and
now in the rebel navy.
General Robert L. Lee was born in
1908, and is, consequently, fifty seven
years of age. He graduated second
in his class, in 1929, and was assign
cd to the Engineer Corps, as second
Lieutenant in 1885 assistant Astron-
omer, fixing the boundary between
Ohio and Michigan in 1885 promoted
first Lieutenant /; Captain in 1888 !;
chief engineer under Scott, in Mexico,
and greatly distinguished, being pro-
NOTED successfully, by merit, Major,
Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, for his
gallantry in 1852 superintendent
Military Academy; in 1855 transfer
red as Lieutenant Colonel of the new
regiment of cavalry March 10th, 1861,
promoted Colonel of the first cavalry ;
resigned April 25th, following, and re-
luctantly embarked in the rebellion.
The following are the children OF
General Lee George Washington
Custis Lee, about thirty-three years OF
age Mary Custis Lee, about thirty
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, about
twenty-seven Anne Lee died at Berke-
ley Springs, in 1868, and would have
been now about twenty-five Agnes
Lee, about twenty-three Robert Il.
Lee, about twenty Mildred Lee, about
eighteen. None of them have mar
ried except William Henry Fitzhugh,
whose wife, Miss Charlotte Wickham,
died at Richmond in 1868. The eldest
son, George, graduated at the head OF
his class at West Point, in 1884, and
was a First Lieutenant in the corps oI
engineers when he followed his father
into the southern service. William
Henry was farming upon the White
House estate, which belonged to the
Custis inheritance, when the war open
ed. He was commissioned second
lieutenant III the 9th infantry i'll 1857
but resigned in 1859. Robert was al
military school in Virginia. Tn,
sons, it is well known, are all officers
in the rebellion. The three surviving
daughters are with their mother, who
it is believed, has latterly been al
Lynchburg.
Mr.. GUSTS, at the time of his death
owned some two hundred slaves, who
by his will, were to be free at the ter
mination of five years from his death
which period expired October 10th
. l2EJ f,ha naSt af 4basa Slayae, xpar,