The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-09-13
THE PEERLESS LEE,
A GLANCE AT HIS CHARACTER
AND CAREER.
ihe NOblest Roman of Them Ali--His
Splendid Courage and Sincere Piety
--Grants Magnanimity to Lee and
His Shattered Remnant of an Armv.
Wilmington Messenger

No man in history is of such ideal
excellence as Gen. Robert Edward
ee, the il!ustrious Virginian. He
was the Sir Galahad of the Knights of
the Round Table. For more than
thirty years We have been sounding
his praise, and the more we learn Of
his goodness, purity, gen,leness, cour-
age, magnanlmity, courtesy and great
ness the more we feel like emphasizing
our conviction and magnifying our
admiration.
When his lovely daughter Annie,
the tavorlte child of his heart, died in
Warren county, N. c., during the war, it
gave great wound to the noble soul
and again and again he wrote from
the camp of his deep sorrow. TO his
dear wife he wrote 10th of October,
1862:
can not express the anguish |
feel at the death of our sweet Annie.
TO know that shall never see her
again on earth ; that her place in our
circle, which | always hoped one day
to enjoy, is forever vacant, is agoniz-
ing in the extreme. But God in this,
as IN all things, has mingled mercy
with the blow i'll selecting that one
best prepared to leave us. May you
be able to join me in saying, His will
be done When reflect on all she
will escape in life, brief and painful at
the best, and all we may hope she will
enjoy with her sainted grandmother,
| can not wish her back. know
how much you will grieve and how
much she will be mourned. | wish |
could give you any comfort, but be-
yond our hope in the great mercy of
God, and the belief that He takes her
at the time and place when it is best
for her to go, there is none. May
that same mercy be extended to US all,
and may we be prepared for His sum
MONS"
Again writing to Mrs. Lee, referring
to Gods blessings and the defects of
the people and the sadness and horrors
Of war, he said
What should have become of US
without His crowning help and protec-
ton Oh, if our people would only
recognize it, and cease from vain self
boasting and adulation, how strong
would be my belief in final success
and happiness to our country But
what cruel thing is war; to separate
and destroy families and friends, and
mar the purest joys and happiness
God has granted us in this world to
fill our hearts with hatred instead of
love for our neighbors and to devas-
tate the face Of this beautiful world !"
How this great mans piety shines
out amid the gloom and trials of war,
What happy thing it was for our
Southland that there were such relig-
ious heroes in the battles as Lee and
Jackson and d. H. Hill and Pettigrew
and others, who were ready for any
event.
OF his splendid courage much could
be said. His son wrote to him com
planning that he exposed himself too
much and urging him not to do SO.
He remarked once, for he was often
demonstrated with al wish some
one would tell me my proper place in
battle. | am always told should not
be where | am.
Gen. Grant told us in 1865 that he
exposed himself more in the battle ol
Shiloh than he did in all the remainder
of the war.
Gen. Lee deplored greatly the death
of Jackson. " Had | Stonewall Jack
son at Gettysburg | whould have won
a great fight" he said to Professor
White, of Washington and Lee Uni
versity, afte, the var.
He was deeply disappointed at the
failure at Gettysburg. Longstree'
caused it all. He magnanimously as
sumed all responsibility and asked
President Davis to have him removed
from the command. Davis knew who
was at fault. 1t was not the great com
mander.
"It has been a sad day for us, sale
Lee, " but we can not always expec
to win victories" 8" 1t was all m,
fault" Lee exclaimed, and proceeded
III person to rally and reform his shat
tered troops. "There was much les
noise, fuss, or confusion of orders thar
at any ordinary field day; the mel
were brought up in attachments
quietly and coolly," said an Englisi
Colonel who rode by his side.
Gen. Charles P. kingsbury once
said to US: 81 rode hundreds o
, miles side by side with Gen. Lee il
the Mexican war, and he had the mos
engaging, irresistible smile eve
saw" An article in the Richmond
. Dispatch ON Gen. Fitz Lees book
says of the very noble, striking appear
ance of the great Southron:
An English officer described hin
in the Pennsylvania campaign as hav
ing courtly manners and being tul
of dignity; that he had none of tn
, small vices-suCh as smoking, drink
ing, chewing-and his bitterest enem
had never accused him of any of tn
greater ones that Lee was the hand
somest man of his age that he eve
saw-sbroad shoulders, we'll made
we'll set up, thorough soldier in az
pearance.' He generally wore lon
gray jacket with three stars on tn
collar. blue pants tucked into his We