The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-10-18

| instant, contained the following bio
graphical sketch of our immortal Lee:
"Robert E. Lee was born at Stratford,
in 1906. His family has been distin-
guished in Virginia for 200 years. Two
of his grand uncles were signers of the
Declaration of Independence. His
father was tho famous Light Horse
Harry of revolutionary fame, who served
terms in the Federal Congress and as
Governor Of Virginia, and whose first
wife was also n Leo. Robert E. Lee was
of the issue Of second marriage-the
second son of Horny Lee and his wife
Anne, daughter of Charles Carter, of
Shirley. AS, however, he borrows no
greatness from his ancestry, but was
himself the greatest of great line, we
shall say no more ms to his family.
Robert q. 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, aud
assigned to the corps of Typographical
engineers. He served for several years in
this corps. In 1882 he was married. to Miss
Custis, the daughter of George Wash
lngton Parke Custie, tho adopted son of
General Washington. In 1886 he was
made first lieutenant, and in 1888 cap
tain. During the Mexican war he was
on the staff first of General Wool, and
then General Scott as chief engineer.
at the battle of Cerro Gordo, April Is,
lS47, he was brevetted major for gal
lantry. At Chapultepec he was wounded,
September 13, 1847, and was brevetted
lieutenant-colonel. General Scott fire.
quently spoke of him in his dispatches
as remarkable for his gallantry Colo
mel Lee Was next appointed member of
the Board of Engineers. In 1852 he
became superintendent of West Point
Academy. In 1856 he was assigned to
service in cavalry regiment, which took
him to the West. In 1859 he was sent
to Harper's Ferry to put down the John
Brown raid. March 16, 1861, he was
made colonel of cavalry in the United
States army. His resignation of his
office III that army was dated April 20,
1861.
early in 1861, the convention of Vir
ginia selected Gen. Leea rs Commander-in-
Chief of the forces Of this State, her
fortunes not having at the time been
formally united with those of her South
ern sisters. When the State joined the
Confederacy. he became Confederate
officer. After the defeat of General
Garnett by Mcclellan, and his subse-
quent death, General 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 al engineer, lie was sent to
examine the defences on the Atlantic
coast. In May, 1862. Mcclellan marched
mp the peninsula. The battle of Seven
Pines took place, in which General Jos.
h. Johnston was wounded. and General
Leo was put in his stead in command of
the Confederate forces. Soon followed
the great battles before Richmond, from
Mechanicsville to Malvern Hill, in which
Gen. Lees name became famous the world
! over. In these battles, moro than 10, 900
prisoners were taken, fiftytwo pieces of
artillery, and upwards of 35, 900 stand of
small arms. From this time forth, the
hopes Of the people of the South we're cen
tired in General Lee. The whole army
was placed in his hands. He it was thnt
ordered all its movements and was cnti-
tied to the credit for the strategy en-
pioyGd. He ordered tho movements
which resulted in the famous battles Of
the following August Cedar Mountain,
Second Manassas, &c. On the Sd of
September, his army crossed the Poto.
mac, and on the 18th wus fought the
grand battle of Sharpsburg. General
Lee always claimed this as victory.
His army, however, returned to Virginia
at once.
con the 18th of December, 1862,
occurred the battle of fredericksburg,
one of the most complete successes Of
the war. In 1868, May 2, tho battle of
the Wilderness was fought. The success
here, too, was complete, but Jackson
fell. Hero, too. General Lee showed
the greatness of his heart in that celc-
brated letter to the dying chieftain, in
which he said that for his country's sake
he could wish it had been himself in
stead of Jackson that had been wounded.
On the 4th of May the battle was renew
ed, 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. He went into Pennsylvania with
his little army, and there, on the I'd and
Sd OF July, 1868, fought the bloody
battles which, though rather drawn
battles than victories for either side