The Globe-republican., 1890-06-04
hoNoRiNo Lee.
Unvailing Of the Monument to General Lee
ut Richmond, Va.-Tribute Of the South %
Their Honored Leader.

RICHMOND, va, may W. NC CITY WoS
thronged yesterday with people who
had come to witness the ceremony OF
| unwilling the Lee statue. Every avail
able space along the line of march to
the monument was occupied and the
splendid military parade was cheered
to the echo. Governor Mckinney,
as president of the Lee Monument
, Association. called the assemblage
to order and introduced General
Early as chairman of the meeting.
| The General, without making any
remarks Immediately introduced Archer
Anderson, the orator of the occasion,
who made an eloquent address. going
in detail over the main incidents Of
General Lees life and paying splendid
tribute to his military genius and many
virtues. for which he found counter
part in the life of Washington alone.
At the conclusion of Colonel Anderson's
grafton the formal ceremony of unvail-
ing the statue was performed by Cen
eral Joseph E. Johnston, amidst booming
cannon and the enthusiastic cheering OF
the spectators.
The parade formed on the north side
of Broad street from Adams down to
Twelfth street The line marched gen.
orally company front with double ranks.
When the procession started the men
described semi-circle at Adams and
Broad street on the south side. AS soon
as the last veteran organization passed
Adams street the military took up their
line of march, and when the
head Of the column of veterans
reached Ninth and Main streets
they halted and, occupying the
south side of the street, reviewed the
military. The latter marched up Main
street to Eighth and up that street to
Franklin so as to pass General Lees
residence, and out Franklin to Shafer.
At Shafer the military halted and occu-
pied the south side of the street. The
veterans (who had taken up the line OF
march after the military had been re-
viewed), passed in review of the mill
tary and resumed their place at the
head of the column until the mon
ument was reached. Upon arriv-
ing at the monument the veterans
faced the grand stand with the military
behind them, the cavalry bringing up
the rear. The artillery was posted
north of the pedestal.
The organization on foot were massed
Immediately in front of the grand stand
as they arrived. The mounted veterans
passed by their rear and formed on the
left near the monument, facing down
Franklin, and the mounted Farmers
Alliance formed in their rear. The ar
tillery took position in line west of the
infantry, facing west. The volunteer
cavalry formed facing the grand stand
in the field, near Broad street, thei-
right near the artillery.
The whole line of march Was densely
crowded and as the old chieftains of the
COnfederacy were recognized hats would
come off and the old yell would come
from thousand threats.
The Lee mGn lment is in the West
end, the most fashionable section of
Richmond. The monument is planted
at the intersections of two wide ave-
nues, on the summit of ascending grades.
1t is inclosed in circle of 200 feet in
diameter, with street lis feet in width
on each side, SO that the distance
through the area from building line to
building line is $50 feet.
The pedestal of the monument con-
sists of two parts, which may be termed
the base and the pedestal proper. The
base is formed by rectangle, with the
surface inclined upward to a parapet,
around which six foundations are To-
Gated, upon which statues of Lees Cen
erals may hereafter be placed. In the
interior of the gr,u,, another incline
surface leads up to the pedestal proper.
Here the transition from the straight
lines of the rectangle to the graceful
curves of cylindrical form have
been very skillfully harmonized by
the artist The change is not no
ticed, and upon the front and
rear are seen an oval space,
upon which has reliefs are placed, sur
rounded by tracery in granite of the
laurel, the ivy and the oak. Above is a
lions head, as if ready for battle. On
the sides are four columns, appearing to
support the great weight but between
which a bronze tablet appears with the
name of Lee gilded beneath q laurel
wreath. The pedestal and base are Of
white granite and the columns dark
blue. The height of the pedestal is
forty feet and few inches, and that of
the statue slightly more than twenty
feet. making the total height about six
ty-one feet above the ground.
General Robert E Lee died October
IL, 1870. October 25 following General
Jubal A. Early issued a call. addressed
to the surviving officers and soldiers of
the Army of Northern Virginia, to meet
in Richmond Novemb Der to take action
to perpetuate his memory. The meet
ing was presided over by the late
jefferson Davis. who. with other dis
tinguished Southerners, made addresses
and the Lee Monument Association was
organized with General Early as presi-
dent A ladies' auxiliary association
was formed and the two proceeded to
collect funds for erecting q monument
Money flowed in freely for time, but
finally interest in the cause seemed
to flag, and it was not re-
vived until General Fitzhugh