The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1870-10-21
ROBERT E. LEE.

lie HOlcHuOHu Dtspoe", Va '"S A
inst, contained the following biograph.
ical sketch of Cur immortal Lee:
Robert 4. Lee was born at Stratford,
in 1906. His family has been distin.
guished in Virginia for two hundred
years. Two of his grand,uncles we're
>signers of the Declaration of Indepcnd-
.encc. His father was the famous
"Light Horse Harry" of revolutionary
fame, who served terms in the Federal
Congress aud as Governor ofVirginia,
and whose first wife was also Lee.
Robert Z. Lee was of the issue off
second marriage-the second son OF
Henry Lee and his wife Anne, daugh.
ter of Charles Carter, Of Shirley. AS,
however, he borrows no greatness from
his ancestry, but was himself the "great-
est of great liue," We shall say no more
as to his family.
Robert E. Lee entered West Point
Academy in 1925, and graduated at the
end of the usual term without having
had demerit mark. In 1929 he was
appointed brevet second lieutenant, and
assigned to the corps of typographical
engineers He served for several years
in this corps. In 1882 he was married
to Miss Gusts, the daughter of George
Washington Parke Gusts, the adopted
son of General Washington. In 1886
he was made first lieutenant, and in
1888 captain. During the Mexican
war ne was on the staff of General
Wool, and General Scoot as chief en-.
giueer. At the battle of Cerro Gordo,
April 1S, lS47, he was brcvcttcd ma
jor for gallantry. At Chapultepcc he
was wounded September 13, 1917, and
was brevetted lieutenant colonel. Gen
eral Scott repeatedly spoke of him in
his dispatches as remarkable for his
gallantry. Colone! Lee was next ap-
ipointed q member of the Board of En-
.gineers. In 1852 he became superin-
tendcnt of West Point Academy. In
1855 he was assigned to service iu a
cavalry regiment, which took him to the
West. In 1859 he was sent to Harpcr's
Ferry to put down the John Brown
raid. March IL, 1861, he was made
colonel of cavalry in the United States
army. His resignation of his Office in
that army was dated April 20, 1861.
Early in 1861 the 'ConTention of
Virginia selected Gen. Lee as COM
manderin chief of the forces of this
State, her fortunes not having been
formally united with those of her south.
ern. sisters. When the State joined
the Confedcracy he became Confed-
crate officer. Alter the defeat of Gen.
'Garnc,t by Mcclellan and his subse>
quent death, Gen. Lee was sent TO
Northwest Virginia, where he did not
distinguish himself. He was recalled
by Mr.. Davis, and, on account of his
great skill as an engineer he was sent
to examine the dcfences on the Allan &.
tic coast. In May. 1862, Mcclellan
marched up the peninsula. The battle
of Seven Pines took place, in which
Gen. Joseph johnson was wounded,
and General Lee was put in Lis stead
in command Of the Confederate forces.
Soon followed the great battles before
Richmond from Mechauicsville to Nal
vcru Hill, in which General Lees name
became famous the world over. In these
battles more tina. ten thousand prise
ners were takcu, So pieces of artillery,
and upwards Of $4,000 stands of small
arms. From this time forth the hopes
of the South were centred in Gen. Lee.
The whole army was placed IN bis
hands. He it was that ordered all the
movements and was entitled to the
credit for the strategy employed. lie
ordered the movements which resulted
in the famous battles of the following
Aucus.-Cedar Mountain, Second Ma
nassas, &c. On the Sd of September
his army crossed the Potomac, and on
the 18th was fought the grand battle
of Sharpsburg. General Lee always
claimed this as victory. His army,
however, returned to Virginia at once.
On the 18th of December, 1862, oc-
Cured the battle Of Fredericksburg,
one ofthe most complete successe of thes
war. In 1868, May I'd, the battle Of
the Wilderness was fought. The sue
cess here, too, was complete, but Jack
son fell. Here, too, Lee showed the
greatness of his heart in that cclebra-
ted letter to the dying chieftaiu in
which lie said for his country's sake
he could wish it had been himself in
stead of Jackson that had been wound
ed. On the 18th Of May the battle was
renewed, and resulted in the defeat of
the Federal army and its retreat, with
loss of 1900 killed, wounded and
prisoners, fourteen pieces Of artillery,
and $4,000 stand Of arms. This was
called the battle of Charlottesville.
General Lee again marched north
wards. lie went into Pennsylvania
with his army, and there on the End
and Sd of July, 1868, fought the bloody
battles which, though rather drawn
battles than victories for either side,
much more seriously damaged that
army whose losses could not be repair.
cd.
NJ 1904 l A. L..,i,,