Smyrna times., 1870-10-19
General Robert E. Lee.

Robert Edmund Lee. whose death on We'd |
ncsday morning is announced was the son of
General Henry Lee e. Light Horse Harry |
by his second marriage. Light Horse Har-
rvs" father was first cousin of Richard Hen
ry, Francis LighttOot and Arthur Lee, the
three brothers who rose to such distinction IN
the war of the Revolution. Richard Henry
and Francis LightfoOt Lee were signers OF the
Declaration of Independence, and Arthur Lee
was appointed Commissioner to France with
Slas Deane and DR.. Franklin, by the Cont
mental Congress. Robert Edmund Lee was
born in January 1907, entered West Point in
1926, and graduated In 1929, the second in
scholarship in his class. He was at once COM
mSsioned Second Lieutenant OF Engineers,
and in 1885 acted as assistant astronomer in
drawing the boundary line between the States
of Michigan aud Ohio. In the following year
he was promoted to the grade of First Lieu
tenant, and in 1888 received Captains COM
mission. On the breaking out of the war with
Mexico he was made Chief Engineer of the
army under the command Of General Wool.
After his return from Mexico in 1852 he was
appointed Superintendent of the Military
Academy at West Point, and he was also ad
vanced to the commando of the First Cavalry
At the uuti reak OF the civil war he gave in his
resignation, and received his commission from
Governor Letcher as Governor of the Virgin
ian forces, and W rs made Military Gsve nor of
Richmond. At first he was employed on duty
i'll the State and in the organization of the
army, but III the campaign of 1862 he was at
Yorktown with johnson aud Magruder when
the Confede ates evacuated that place. When
General Joseph f. Johnston was wounded at
Seven Pines, i'll June Lee was appointed to sue
ceed him, and undertook the defence of Rich
mond. On the 9th OF June, after rallying Jack,
son 5 troops, he fought the battle OF Gaines
| Mill The two ganpraiS then harasSeH fhe
Army of the Potomac under Gen. Mcclellan
during the seven days, and at last encountered
D Pope on the Rappahannock, and, after thre,
e desperate days, 2Oth-23d August, forced hin
S back on Washington. Gene al Lee next cross
a ed the Potomac and invaded Maryland. Nc
e Clellan, who had been displaced, was agail
i put in command, and with new army he as
II sailed Lee at HagerstOwn and drove HIM back
v after two days fighting. Jackson came to hi
d aid, and the fight OF Sharpsburg and the grea
Is battle OF Aute am (l6lh aud 18th OF Septem
Y ber) took place, in which General Lee wa
Y slightly wounded. Lee now fell back benin
e the Rappahannock. Burnside next assaile
u him, but was repulsed at Fredericksburg. LIE
u now entrenched himself, and defed Hooker t
:, dislodge him at Charlottesville (23 and 24t
a May, 1862 He now undertook a second il
d vasiOn OF the North, and advanced throug
is Pennsylvania, but was completely beaten
IN Meade, at Gettysburg list Sd July, 1869, an
u, driven back into Virginia. Richmond in tt
n new campaign was threatened by Gen. Gran
a and surrounded by circle of fire. Lee vi
u, now made Commandcr-in-Ch Chief of the Sout
ay = At last he evacuated Richmond. His arm
e. was over;aken at Appomattox Court House
a Grant and Sheridan, to whom he surrender'
ry April 9, 1865. Since the war he received tt
,e. presidentship of Washington College at LIE
on ington. He was m able man engaged in b.
it, cause, and will lie remembered as such.