Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-10-15
Death Of Robe RI E. Lee.

brain, at the age of ~ years
The distinguished deceased was the son
Of Gen. Harry Lee Of Revolutionary fame
and was born at the family scat in Virgin
ia, in 1906. in the same chamber where
Richard Henry and Francis L.h.foot
Lee first saw the light lie entered the
military academy at West Point in 1925,
where he remained for four years. q" Dur
ing the whole of this period Lee never
once received reprimanl, nor hal any
mark Of 'lcmcrit against him, and when at
the end of his term, he graduated at the
head of his class, he was Immediately Sc
lcctcd for service in the corps of top graph
zeal engineers, receiving his appointment
as brevct second lieutcnt in July, 1929"
In 1882 he married a daughter of George
Washington Parkc Gusts, and through her
became the proprietor of the Arlington
House and the White House on the banks
Of the Pamunkcy, afterwards so noted in
the Pennsular campaign. In 1886 he was
made first lieutenant, and in 1888 cap
tain. In 1916 he was attached to the CEN
trail army of Mexico as chief engineer I'M
der General Wool, and retained that post
throughout the whole campaign under
General Scott. When the latter general
landed in Mexico, Capt. Lee was of the
first selected to be of his personal staff and
council, and the high opinion Scott enter
tanned of him is well known During the
war in Mexico he was twice promoted for
gallant and mcritorious conduct, and nom
mated for still higher rank In 1852 he
was appointed superintendent of the mill
tary academy at West Point In 1865 he
was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the
Second United States Cavalry, its Colonel
being Albert Sydney Johnson. In the
beginning of 1861, Lee was with his rcsi-
ment in Texas and was recommended to
President Lincoln by General Scott for
the vacancy caused by the death of Major
General Jcssup, but his views of duty to
his native State constrained him to decline
the promotion and to resign his commission
in the army. In letter to his sister.
dated April 90, 1861, he explains his po-
sition: "The whole South is in q state of
revolution, into which Virginia, after n
long struggle has been drawn, and though
| recognize no necessity for this state of
| things, and would have forbornc and plcad-
ed to the end for redress of grievances,
real or supposed, yet in my own person I
had to meet the question whether I should
take part against my native State. With
all my devotion to the Union, and the feel
ing of loyalty and duty of an American
citizen, 1 have not been able to make up
my mind to raise MY hand against my rel
atives, my children, my home. / have,
therefore, resigned my commission in the
army, and save in defence of my native
State, with the sincere hope that my poor
services will never he needed, I hope
may never be cal!cl upon to draw my
sword"
The subsequent career of General Lee is
too we'll known to require further notice.
Whatever may be thought of the cause to
which he pledged life, fortune and position
no liberal minded man will question the
purity and sincerity of his motives As a
military man he had no peer; in his pri-
vatc character lie had no superior.
|
PoRT TowNsEND.-If it is true that
first impressions are the most indellibly
fixed upon the mind, it is unfortunate that
the travellers first glance should fall upon
the weathcr-beaten and unsi ghtly rear ends
of the chaotic mass Of old buildings OH the
beach of Port Townsend. The one street
upon which the business portion of town
is built, relieves this impression but little,
flanked as it is by the aboriginal residences
at either end, and the rickety, tumble
down Custom. House in tho center. The
scene changes, however, upon ascending
the bluffs overhanging the business street.
Here are built many tasty residences, some
of them really elegant in their construc-
ton and adornments. Tho ground has
just enough slope towards the bluff to
heighten the effect, and a more lovely
and homelike place cannot bcfound in the