Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-02-09


LrRs LAsr IILxEss AND Dxaru.-On
enc fatnl evening. in the latter part oflsst
September, Genersl Pcndleton. the pas-
Coz, called meeting Of the vestrymen IL
his church. q whom General Lee vas
orr. The meeting lasted for several
hccEs. and when il adjourned il Was amer
dark. II was very inclement night. and
when the vestrymcn were Dispensing one
of them remarked 10 Lee, I'VE are sorry.
General, to have kept you here so late on
60 bad m evening" To which the Gen.
eral replied, "Ohl never mind INC. !
have bat few steps 10 60 and am enjoy
ing very good health" Rapidly trases-
sing the short distance which separated
his residence from the chapel. he went to
his house His family. who we're sitting
around the teA-table awaiting his arrival.
heard him 60 into the library, where he
left his coat and hat. Entering the d.
ming room. without speaking. he advan-
ced 10 the foot Of the table and raised his
hands, As If asking blessing. when, the
attack came on. A cot was at once
brought from the next room. upon which
he was placed and medical assistance sum-
moned. After that night he seemed 10
get better every day, and. though he
could not speak. the physicians thought
thst he would soon recover. He reeog-
nised any relative or friend who entered
the room. and when his wife was wheeled
in her chair 10 his cot-side. would extend
his arm aud clasp her hand in his. And
when his daughters passed near he would
stretch forth his arm and draw them low
ingly to his side. For several days this
state Of affairs continued. when one night
the night on which he died-a sudden
change TOR the worse occurred, aud the
physicians declared that General Lee had
but short time to live. And then one
Of the most affecting and heart-rending
scenes occurred which has ever been Wit
messed. The dying soldier and Christian
lay awaiting the approach ofthat grim and
CHASTITY shade, The King Of Terrors, y
yet whose swift footsteps and remorseless
scythe had no tcrrors for him who trusted
in the love and mercy of One, the master
If Death. In her chair by his cot, and,
still clasping the hand that was so loyal
and 50 true, was seated his grief-stricker
wife. In an agony Of sorrow his daugh-
tiers knelt at his bed side with their young
faces resting upon the bosom of their dy.
ing father. At the foot Of the cot stood
his son. Gen. Gusts Lee, with his head
bowed in voc and the hot tcar-drops cour.
sing down his checks. A little apar,
stood his faithful friend and pastor, Gen
Pendleton, his hands raised in prayer and
his own voice choked with emotion, and
his eyes dim with moisture. And thus,
while wife. and daughters. and son, and
pastor. and friend. prayed from their ag.
onized hearts to God, the eyes Of the her,
closed in eternal sleep. bic great hear
ceased to beat, and his soul winged it.
swift fight from earth to heaven.
The day after his death, Confederate
officer who had served under him, gal
liant but wicked man, begged to be al
lowed to see his old commander. He Wa.
taken into the room where the body la,
and where one Of Lees daughters wa.
watching by the side Of her father. Til,
lady withdrew. and the rugged soldier
gased upon the cold features of the dead
chieftaiR until. a. last, overcome with emo
ton, he pressed his lips npon the marbl.
brow Of his General and exclaimed
"Weuld Do God that could live like Lee
and would to God that I could die lik.
Lee"