The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-06-17

CCOHueO lUC SONDS -" "peS'tAA
ors aud lifted him from obScarity int
the light of fame. Gen. Scott at tina
time wrote of him, Robert E. Lee i:
the greatest military genius OF Amer
ica. the best soldier that he ever saw
in the fed, aud that ii opportunity
offered itself he would show hlmsel
the foremost captain Of his time.
Assigned to various duties after the
Mexican war the Fastening events o
1861 found him in Washington. O
the fifty four years of his life to thi
time, tbirty-two had been spent II
honorable service as an officer in tht
United States army. A master soldier
now in the theories of war and ripe II
its practice he is called upon to decide
to which his service shall be given, tt
mis- State or to the Union. That thu
making OF this choice caused hin
great perplexity, his letters written a
the time plainly show. These letters
as well as his subsequent actions, nc
less plainly show that he was seeking
to discover only where the path O
duty lay. Surrounded by his wife
and family in his beautiful home up
on the Virginia hills opposite Wash
ington he is called upon to decide thl:
question. His illuS,rious father a:
Governor of Virginia, when summon
ed to commission under the Fedora
government, had voiced this senti
ment, No consideration on eartt
could induce me to act a part, however
gratifying to me, which could be con
strued into disregard OR faithlessnes:
to this commonwealth. ;" a devotion
to Virginia was then his just inherit
ance.
And Robert Lee knew that the Dec
laration of Independence had declared
free 13 states-each one free, lnde
pendent and sovereign. He knew tha
certain powers only had been delegat
ed by these free states to the Fedora.
Government. He knew that no state
mad done more valiant service in Sc
curing that independence than Fir
ginia. Aud he knew that Virginia 10
entering the union which had already
been formed by the nine states neces
Sary, reserved n express terms the
right to withdraw If at anytime the
Federal Government should exercise
its powers to the oetriment Of her IN
terests and the happiness Of her peo'
pie. These considerations must have
been sufficient to satisfy the seeker
after with of Nirginias right to Sc
cede.
AS to slavery he had no love for the
institution. He would not have fought
for It's perpetuation. His own slaves
he had freed long before. His father
in-law's slaves had been freed by will.
On that score his mind was easy.
But Just across the river MS old com
Gen. Scott, was pleading
with bin to remain with the union.
For Gods sake, Lee, don't resign,
the bluff old General is reported to
have said. To the Federal authorizes
Gen. Scott had said that Robert Lse
would be worth fifty thousand men to
their cause, and President Lincoln dl'
rected his Secretary of War to have an
interview with Lee and secure him
for the union by the tempting offer OF
the chief command IN he.army.
Here within his grasp was all the
full realization of d soldiers tondest
dreams-the chief command in the
army OF his country. Then behold
this imperial man as discerning the
way of duty TO lie III other paths ne
turns his back upon all the gIlttering
of place, profit and pow
er, TO lay his sword humbly at the
feet of his mother state saying to her,
whit 1er thou goest Will go and thy
people shall be my people" !"
HIS state received him with open
arms, and he made no complaint be
cause obscure and laborious posts were
assigned to him. A brief campaign
in Western Virginia came to grief
through no fault OF his and he had to
bear the shame of his mlsrepreSenta-
ton and abuse. This ne did without
sustained as he was by
the consciousness OF right epoeavor.
Assigned then to the coast detences OF
Souin Carolina, he completed those
works about Charleston harbor
which It took a hostile fleet four years
to pass. -,
Notwithstanding the spring OF 1862
was he summoned by the woundlng
of Gen. }. E. johnson to take the
field in active command Of large bod,
les Cs troops. And from that time
when he first drove Mcclellan from
the peninsula and relieved Richmond,
the undylng love cf his soldiers was
his, and even wheG on the tated held
of Appomattox that once grand army
was but a hungry and footsore corpo.
RAILS guard facing full Ieglons OF well
fed and we'll equipped soldiers that
spirit of trustful devotion and abiding
still stirred the hearts OF
his soldiers. They believed 10 him
through all tie years of war, IN vlcto
ry and in defeat, they believed IN him
now, and their sons catching the spirit
of their reverence will always believe
IN him, pureSt, noblest and best OF the
brave leaders of our people.
And now after McCleIIan's failure
a new leader is chosen for the lnvad'
ing hosts, and from the second battle
of Manassas the boasttul Pope IS rout
ed and sent with his lying legions
pellmelI, headlong into the forrnca
tons about Washlngt~
Having relieved Virginia OF this
second Invasion General Lee crosses
INTO Maryland and tights against great
ODDS the drawn battle OF Anuetaln.
Returning IN good order to Virginia
ne meets Gen. Burnside at Frederlcks
burg and administers to him IN one OF
The DIoodest battles of the war, Z
crushing defeat. This battle closed the
OF 1862. The great battles
so tar fought had been Southern vic
tories, but the heavy losses OF men
began to tell upon their armies foI
they had no new supply to draw upon
Inc South might outgeneral but
could not outnumoer her foes. And
lust here it Is worth noting thai
General Lee was always unstlnted II
h,S Droisa cf tho DrIvale soldier IC