National Republican., 1886-11-27
BOOK REVIEW.

MEMOIRS OF ROBERT E. LEE, His Military
and Personal History, embracing a large
amount OF information hitherto unpu6.
llshed: by A. l.. .LoSG, formerly military
secretary to Gen. Lee: aiterward brig1dier-
Rmy Of NorSerS virginia. G sSy n F0b
incidents relating to his private life subse-
quent to the war, collected and edited with
the assistance Of Marcus J. Wright, formerly
brigadler.general Army of Tennessee, and
ngent OF the United States for the collection
of confederate records Illustrated. New
York, Philadelphia, and Washington: J. NJ.
general agent, 622 and G2i street northwest
Washington. From the agent.
We have received in advance OF publca-
tion day, which will be next Monday, a
copy Of this interesting and valuable book
It contains 700 large pages and numerous
illustrations, among them four portraits Of
the southern hero, namely, as Confederate
General, as Captain U. s. A., as "Gen.
Lee on his horse Traveller and as "The
Recumbent Statue" by Valentine, placed
over his tomb at Lexington, Va. More
over, fac SMILES are given Of the maps
used by Gen. Lee In the most important
campaigns and battles, accompanied with
his memoranda OF the positions and move.
ments OF the several corps Of his army.
Also, the official map OF the government OF
the theater Of war
Gen. A. l.. Long, military secretary and
chief Of artillery,2d corps, Army OF Northern
Virginia. furnishes a clear minute, and
accurate account OF Lee, both personal and
military, from birth to the close Of the war,
April 8, 1865. Part Of this information,
especially that OF domestic kind, was
derived from the surviving members Of the
hero's family, together with contributions
md I'M nj az In
guished persons.
In the latter part Of the volume appear
the full official reports Of Gen. Lee, with
copious selections from his confidential
letters, dispatches, and official communica-
tions never before published the only OIL
cial record Of the closing year OF the war.
Gen. Marcus j. Wright, of the Army OF
the Tennessee and agent Of the United
States for the collection OF confederate
records, tells the story Of his important life
as president Of Washington aud Lee Uni
versity, his death, aud funeral ceremonies.
With regard to the dying scene, we must
permit ourselves the melancholy satisfac-
tion Of the following extract from COM
munication by Col. William Preston
Johnston, who watched almost constantly
at his bedside:
"Gen. Lees closing hours were consOnant
with his noble and disciplined life. Never
was uOW u lOuU
and severe education Of mind and chafac
ter enables the soul to pass with equal step
through this supreme ordeal--pever did the
habits and qualities Of lifetime, solemuly
gathered into n few last sad hours, more
grandly maintain themselves amid the
gloom and shadow OF approaching death.
The reticence, the self.contalned composure,
the obedience to proper authority, the mag
nanimity, and the Christian meekness that
oNlga all
sway In spite of the inroads OF disease aud
the creeping lethargy that weighed down
his faculties
GAS the old hero lay in the darkened
room, or with the lamp aud hearth fire cast
ing shadows upon his calm, noble front, all
the massive grandeur of his form and face
and brow remained, and death seemed to
lose its terrors and to borrow grace and
dignity in sublime keeping with the life
that was ebbing away. The great miud
sank to its last repose almost with the equal
poise OF health Tie few broken utterances
that eyinced at times a wandering intellect
were spoken under the influence of the
remedies administered; but as long as con-
sciousness lasted there was evidence that
all the high controlling influences Of his
whole life still ruled; and even when stupor
was laying its cold hand on the intellectual
| perceptions the moral nature, with its com
plete orb of duties and affections, still as
serted itself. A southern poet has cele-
brated In song those last significant words,
strike the tent y and thousand voices
were raised to give meaning to the uncer-
! tain sound when the dying man said, with
emphasis, Tell llill he must come up
These sentences serve to show most touch
ingly through what fields the Imagination
was passing.n
The care with which these memoirs have
been prepared has already met portion OF
| Its reward In the hearty commendattot and
sanction Of Gems. George w. Gusts Lee
and Fitzhugh Lee, the approval Of the gov
| ernors OF every southern state, and the in
| doTsement of all the members OF Congress
| from the south. To know our late oppo-
| nent, as this work will enable us to do in
| tlmately, cannot but result in producing in
the minds OF all Americans lofty admira-
tion for character so kind, so simple, so
grand, so brave, so devoted to his con-
scientious idea Of duty.
Well do We remember the time ere the
great war was even dreamed OF, when Rob-
ert Il. Lee dwelt In our neighborhood, at
Arlington, happy in his beautiful home,
blessed with the love of wife and children,
and greeted each day by many friends In
the dwellings and streets OF this fair city.
No man ever moved among these scenes
with prouder regard than he, none more ad-
! mired, loved, honored. The brilliant in.
| tellect, the tender heart, the courteous
manner, all combined to distinguish Robert
| Il, Lee.
| SALVATION on is snfe nd reliahln or nents