Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-04

est daughter, Mildred, has travelled .
great deal since the war, spending
much Of her time in Europe, but when
here makes her home with her brother
Gusts at Lexington. Miss Mary, the
next sister, also lives with him. Miss
Agnes, the youngest sister, died during
the war vt health resort In North
Carolina. None Of the daughters mar
ried, and Custis Lee IL also single. but
Runey Lee and Robert E.. Jr., are both
married and are both Virginia farmers.
One of them only has children, and the
probabilities are that 1t is through him
alone that the Lee family and the Gus
tis family are to be perpstuated.
Mrs. Robert Z. Lee was the only
child Of George Washington Park Gus
tis. who was the only son and heir Of
Martha Washington. 1t was from
George Washington and Martha Wash
ington that Custis obtained Arlington,
which. at the opening Of the war. was
one Of the finest pieces Of country prop
erty Of the south. II was the ideal
southern homestead. The union forces
took possession of it at the very open
ing Of hostilities in 1861, and during
the war it was converted into . nation
al cemetery. According to q provision
of the will of George Washington Park
Custis, the entire property was to 20 to
the eldest son of Mrs. Lee. That cid
est son was the present Gen. G. w. c.
Lee. and he obtained 1925. 900 from the
government in payment for Arlington
last winter. there having been . long
contest at law about 1t. That money
represents the bulk Of the property
now in possession Of the Lee family,
and is but tri1ing remnant OF the mag
nificent estates they owned in Virginia
before the war, not to speak OF the
hundreds of slaves that belonged to
these estates. But the family has Jared
better than many others Of the south
that were equally wealthy before the
war.
Gen. Gusts Lee, though the legal
possessor Of &125, 900 he received Tor
Arlington, has big heart and makes
the most liberal provision for his two
maiden sisters. Though. as stated at
the opening Of this paragraph, Miss
Mary Lee is . plain-looking lady. with
no pretensions to beauty, she 10 gifted
ing person. During the war she was
most of the time in Richmond with her
mother and sisters, and with them en-
dured many privations. I have seen .
little account-book In which there was
q record of expenditures made on se-
count Of the little party Mrs. Lee and
her daughters messed with. 1t was
seldom they had meat or coffee, and
tho most exorbitant prices had to Be
paid for q chicken or even green corn.
The bulk Of tho diet was made up of
rice, bread. and such light articles.
Mrs. Lee was ono Of the most patient
and self-abnegating women, and though
a confirmed invalid during the entire
war in which her husband was such .
prominent actor, never complained,
but was, in the face Of constant mis-
fortunes and threatened dangers, al
ways resigned and serene. She main
tanned this character up b the very
hour of her death.
A touching story, Of which Miss
Mary Leo is the heroine. is that after
one of the terrible battles near Rich
mond, Just previous to the close of the
war, she and some other ladies went on
the field to render whatever assistance
they could in the care of the wounded
and dying soldiers of her fathers army.
One among those to whom she went to
offer relief was youth Of not over 16,
who had been fatally shot and was
ready to expire. She saw the poor fell
low was going to die Immediately, and.
being struck BY his youth and neat at
tire, asked him if he had any message
to leave behind. YES" he said; '.my
name is - and my mother lives at
-; tell her, if you please, that have
just seen our splendid commander.
Gen. Lee. ride by, and that am con-
tent to die" That was all. He never
knew it was his splendid commanders
daughter to whom he was confiding
that final message.-Ne,c York World.