The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-16

PATAPscO INSTITUTE, ELIIcOTT CITY, Nd, !
January II, 1884.
To the Editor of the Dispatch, Richmond,
Vd.:
Slr,-Allow me to correct through your
columns the impression which seems to
prevail that the ladies Lee Monument
Committee" have been dilatory in their ef-
forts TO get the monument started. This
correction can best be made by quoting the
following letter to General Early. which
was written under the impression that the
Association OF the Army OF Northern Vir-
ginia had control OF the Soldiers Lee-Mon-
ument Fund.
PATAPsCO INSTITUTE,
ELLfcOTT CITY. Nd, October 90, 1888.
General Jitbal A. Early, President Of the AssO-
citation Of the Army Of Northern Virginia.:
STR As president Of the Ladies' Lee Monument
Committed of Richmond am called on 10 ask
The cooperation OF your Association IN our effort
to carry into execution at an eirly dav the long
deferred erection of monument In this city to
General Lee.
IL is due TO our committee to state that il was
formed aud at work before any other organization
for the same purpose had BEEN proposed A few
days after General Lees death five or six ladies
formed association In Richmond TO collect
funds for monument 10 be erected 20 him. Feel
Ing sure association for the same purpose would
be formed by his soldiers the ladies called theirs
the - Ladies' Richmond Lee Monument Commit
tee" expecting to act as committee of what
must ne the larger organization.
The writer Of this letter, as secretary OF The
Ladies' Committee, wrote to ladies residing in the
com mittees for their States, make collections and
forward them TO the Richmond committee The
appeal met with enthusiastic response, and COM
mttecs were formed and set 10 work.
In the mean time the soldiers Association. rs We
anticipated. was organized. but unfortunately
there was no concert of action between the two.
Our ladies' committee In Baltimore. for instance.
was asked by the soldiers Association 10 leave
them to make the collection there, while an agent
employed by Us 20 canvass the southwestern States
was embai raised IN his work bv the existence OF
two associations asking funds for the same par
pose.
vered and in two years had collected 800, D.
We had for a short time IN active agent, who re-
ceived small pci icentage on the one or two thor
sand dollars he collected for us Ibis Is the one
single Item of expense by which the amount raised
by us has been diminished, the other collections
being made by volunteers. The report OF the Sol
dicrs Association puts their expenses at between
two and three thousand dollars.
In Investing the money we haye been guided
by the advice of the most experienced ana
successful Businessmen. and we are happy 10
report that with the interest due on January q.
1884. our fund viii amount to nearly II not quite
twenty thousand dollars. the only loss IL has SUI
fered having been the depreciation of Virginia
consols.
As the funds In hand are ample TO justify the
beginning Of the work we would respectfully ask
committee Of conference, and we venture 10 suggest
the names of Colonel Cutshaw, Colonel Archer
Anderson. and Professor Thomas II. Price tor this
committee. apart from the fact that they have
already been consulted by US. they are more or less
| familiar with tie great monuments abroad and
with the names and works Of the most distin-
| guishcd artists OF the day.
| The city has given a site for tie monument
which, commanding. as IL does, an extensive view
of the scenes made classic by the great Captain 5
| mastery manpuyres, is IN beauty and pr0mi
nence all that could be desired. Could you give us
the assurance that your fund could be counted on
| TO follow ours IN payment OF the expenses of this
mo, Interesting and sacred work, we would pledge
ourselves, with the assistance of your Conference
Committee, to have the cornerstone Of the monu-
mept laid on The next anniversary OF General
Lees birth. aud to have secured for It's execution
| the hest talent the artistic world offers.
| When that noble and familiar form. idcaIiZed by
the inspii alton OF genius, Is fixed in bronze. let
| him stand keeping In fancy. watch and ward over
| those lines that his devoted braves held so well
But in reality he Will stand, let US hope, rs warm
| ing and proof 10 our youth that when Virgins
makes up her jewels, while she brushes aside Tho
tinsel of the hour she holds fast those whose pure
| rays Of brave and unscl6sh devotion To truth
honor, and justice shOnc uDdmmed by the deepest
gloom. Most respectfully.
Though we learned, in answer TO the
above, that the control OF the soldiers
fund had passed from the army associa
ton, we decided there should be no further
delay. Steps were therefore taken to Sc.
cure from the best artists in Europe de.
signs for the monument, and the great in
terest now manifested in Richmond iusti
fies the belief we entertained that. once
begun, the work would not be allowed tC
falter for want Of funds.
Respectfully, SARAH y. RANDOLPH.