The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1870-10-15
DEAYH OF GEN. ROBERT f.. LEE

mighty Cesar dost thou lie SO lowa.
If you have tears to shed prepare to shed
them now. Mark Aa,tony.
The great, the good, the patient, the
brave, large souled ROBERT E. LEE has
crossed over the River of Death, and
with his illustrious warrior comrade,
SToNEwALL JACKSON, is "resting un-
der the shade of the trees!' On theI
morning of the 18th instant, at 30 min
utes past 9 o'clock, his great spirit took
its fight heavenward, and all that was
earthly of the Christian Hero and
Southern Patriot became cold and in
animate clay. Filled with honors, his|
great mission on earth ended, and
with a record bearing no blemish what
ever, the Great Captain of the Confed-
acy, at the zenith of his glory, and,
like Moses of old, his eye not dim, nor
his natural force abated, set forward
on the long march through Eternlty,I
leaving nation in tears and a world
sorrowing at his departure. Our peo-
pies tears and lamentations are hisI
eulogiums; ours be the task briefly toI
recount some of the historical facts in
this great mans life.
ROBERT EDMUND LEE was born inI
Westmoreland County, Virginia, JAN
uary 10, 1907, and was the son of the|
famous Light Horse Harry Lee Of the
Revolution. In 1925 he entered the
Military Academy at West Point,
where he remained four years, gradu
ating in 1929, where he never received
a demerit, and, under the severest dis7
cipline never received even repri7 i
mand.
On the 4th of July, 1929, he received
the appointment of brevet End Lieu
tenant in the corps of Typographical
Engineers.
In 1882, Lieut.. Lee married Mary,
daughter of George Washington Parke
GUSTS and grand of the wife
of Geo. Washington, who still survives
her lamented husband. BY this mar
riage, Lieut.. Lee became the proprie-
tor Of Arlington Heights u Ma
tional Cemetery and of the White
House, on the Pamunkey River, where
Geo. Washington and the Widow Gusts
were married. Three sons and four
daughters were the issue of this mar
rage. OF the sons, Geo. Washington
Lee were Major Generals in the Con-
federate army.
On the 21st of September, following,
Robert Lee was made LIST Lieutenant,
and in July, 1888, Captain, of Engi-
neers. In 1916, he was appointed a
member of the Board of Engineers.
During the Mexican War, Captain
Lee was on duty with the Central
Army of Mexico, as Chief Engineer
under Gen. Wool. During the seige
of Vera Cruz, Capt. Lee displayed great
engineering talent, and was placed
upon the staff of Gen. Scott. This of
ficer said of Capt. Lee, in his report OF
the siege Of Vera Cruz: 81 am COM
PEELED to make special mention OF
Capt. r. E. Lee, Engineer. This Off
Ger greatly distinguished himself" In
his report of the battle of Cerro Gordo,
Gen. Scott mentioned Capt. Lee, rs
"indefatigable during the operations,
as daring as he was laborious, and of
the utmost value. Nor was he less
conspicuous in placing batteries, and
in conducting columns to their stations,
under the heavy fire of the enemy"
Gen. Scott in his report of the en-
gagements had with the enemy, in his
progress from Vera Cruz to the City of
Mexico, including the hard-fought bat
ties of Contreras, Cherubusco, Moline
del Rey and Chapultepec, repeatedly
mentions Capt. Lee for gallant and
meritorious services.
For his services in Mexico, Capt.
Lee was twice promoted. On the LIST
of September, 1852, he was made Su-
perintendent of the West Point Acad-
envy, as his final promotion, for his
gallantry at Chapultepec.
In 1855, Capt. Lee was commissioned
Lieutenant Colonel of the End Cavalry,
of which regiment the lamented All
bert Sydney johnson, who was killed
at Shiloh, in 1862, was made Colonel. !
This was the position held by Gen. Lee
when the war between the North and
the South broke out.
Naturally enough, Gen. Lee was
reluctant to quit a service in which he|
had won such distinction and whose
history was in part his own. Every
l. <hn