The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-01-21


or the confederate states. He paid high
tribute to Albert Sidney Johnston, Joseph
IL. Johnston, General Grant, George Il.
McClennan. Irwin Mcdowell. Braxton
Bragg. John b. Magruder, Stonewall jack
son, George II. Thomas, John Sedgwick,
A. T.. Hill, Joseph Hooker, General Han
cock and General Longstreet.
He said that after the close of the Mex
lean war. when there was clamor for
promotion, that General Lee wrote to a
friend: II hope my friends will give them
selves no concern about the distribution OF
favors. l know how these things are
awarded at Washington and how the pres
ident viii be besieged with clamorous
claimants ! do not wish to be numbered
an ong them. Such as he can conscien-
tiously bestow / shall gratefully receive
and have no doubt those will exceed my
deserts.
when the war between the states he
came an accomplished fact. Robert r..
Lee was colonel OF the First cavalry,
United States of America, having been
transferred from the engineering corps
few years before.
What a struggle it cost this cavalry
officer to separate himself from n service
he had devoted the best years of mis- life 10
uphold and maintain can scarcely be inn
agined In the gray of the morning, at
haif-past 4. Friday. April L, 1861. a single
shot was hurled from the confederate bat
taries to the grim wallis of Fort Sumter.
in Charleston harbor. The angel of peace
plumed his wings for flight, the demon of
war reigned supreme. Colonel Lee was at
his home just across the Potomac river
from Washington. He could do nothing to
hasten or retard the rapid rush of the ir
repTessible conflict.
when he severed his connection with the
army of the United States the appeals Of
his beloved old army commander were
L FaTlas
were to be his portion. The preservation
and maintenance of Arlington-the blessed
home of his married life and the birth
place of his children, was held out to him.
To this the tempting offer OF commander
of the army OF the United States was ad-
ded.
.'since the son of man stood on the
mount and saw all the Kingdoms of the
earth and the glory thereof stretching be-
fore him and turned away from them to
the bloody sweat of Gethsemane and
to the cross of calvary beyond, no follower
of the meek and lonely Savior can have
Undergone a more trying ordeal or met 1t
with more heroic spirit of sacrifice
He wrote: May God avert from US an
archv and civil war. If | owned all the
negroes i'm the south ! would gladly give
them up TOR the preservation OF the UNION
SLOWLY. sadly, ne turned his back on
past associations. upon former aSsoc'>1,eS'
'sIIp said. With ali my ucNoIioi - 'A1S
union and the feeling of loyalty ana duly
Of the American citizen, / have been I'M
able to make up my mind to raise my manu-
against my relatives, my children ana my
home. a..
His resignation was his answer 10 me
generous proposition made him by the
government
General Lee then rehearsed the career
of the dead hero during the lour years u
strife and in closing said:
.'The army commanders, Albert Sydhey
Johnston Joseph T.. Johnston, Beauregard,
Bragg, Hood ana Lee have ali crossed M:
river and resting beneath the shaue o.
the trees beyond
"And on shades of the mighty, where no"
are the legions -.
THAT rushed but to conquer when thou
leadest them on?
Alas. they have fallen in many different
regions
has gone.
..yVhere are the great men Georgia gave
IN the cause - the south? Where the
Toombs. the Cob3s, The Stephens, the Col
Quits. the Andersons. the Wrights. The
Eartows, Browns, Gradys, and a most oI
, others?
s.. Like ciouds tii.-t t,sfe The mountain suTH-
mits,
or waves that own no curbing hand,
How fast has brother followed brother
From darkness to the sunshine land