Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-03-04
Gen. Fi!z Lees Address In Alexandra.

The Alexandria Times says the enter
tainment given in the Opera house o
that city on Monday night, Feb. oath
under the auspices of the Mary Custi
Lee Division of the Daughters of tn,
IConfederacy. for the benefit of tn,
needy old Confederate soldiers. was {
grand success in every sense of til,
term. Every seat in the Opera-house
was filled and standing room only coul(
be had long before o'clock. The au.
dience was composed of the wives
daughters and sons of the ex Confed,
crate soldiers. sympathizers of the
Southern cause, and all the old soldiers
in the city were also present and occu
pied one side of the house.
The veterans of Lee Camp were escort.
ed from their meeting place to the
Opera house by the Alexandria Light
Infantry, commanded by Lieut. Monroe
and headed by the Third Regiment
Drum Corps.
Mr.. John NJ. johnson introduced
Gen. Fitz Lee, the orator of the even
ing, in a short but appropriate address.
AS uen. Lee came forward he was
greeted with much applause. His ad-
dress was one of the most interesting
that has been heard in Alexandria city
for many years, giving as it did many
of the Generals personal recollections
of the stirring scenes in which the Army
of Northern Virginia took so prominent
a part in the four years of the war, and
though the address was an hour and
half long it was with regret that the
audience heard it brought to close.
The General said that in appearing
before the audience he had but, as an
old soldier should, obeyed the call of
the ladies to aid them in their noble
work. He spoke of his residence In
Alexandria and the interest he always
felt in the old town and spoke feeling |
ly of the gallant deeds of the old Sew
enteenth Virginia Infantry on many a |
hard fought field. The sons of AIex-
andria had volunteered and fought for |
their mother State, but to day no more
patriotic people could be found than
the same old soldiers, and he predicted
that if the present complications with
treat Britain should end in war, the
1rst to volunteer would be the A. L. l.
Ind the SONS of the old Confederate SOL
1ier.
Battles in the future, the speaker
aid, would be different from those in
he past, and he drew a mental pictnrel
VI the commanding general, high up
hove the fighting forces in balloon,
Erecting the movements OF the troops
~ a telephone line running down the
.nchor rope and into the headquar
ers, from whence telegraph wires
would carry orders 10 all parts of the
leld. The old mule power for hospital
nd commissary wagons would disap
ear, giving place to a motor vehicle.
he big guns OF modern armament
would be fired by the electric spark and
10 predicted that even the new VIC !.
lan'' would be found fighting. Mount
d OH bicycles they would charge the
nemy, only pausing long enough to
SIX the truly feminine question, us
~ hat on straight" The General
hen carried his hearers through the .
ampaigns of the Army of Northern
'iryinia, from Bull Run, where the :.
alexandria Rifles and Kemper's Bat
cry covered themselves with glory, t.
ne deid of Appomattox where the sun !
t the Confederacy set behind the !
ouds of defeat forever. He told OF a
re daring ride of Jeb Stuart arouuh
IcCit Hans army in the peninsula.
poke of the killing of Mrs. Henry liz =
er home at Bull Run by a Federal =
lell and Of the route of Federal troops /.
I'D their retreat in disorder upon T
Tashington A beautiful comparison a
Napoleon and Gen. Jackson as mill !,
Try geniuses was made. The death OF =
ackson at Charlottesville was allud-
| to in feeling words. The charge OF
lckett's brigade at Gettysburg was
,oken of, and all through the address tt
.rsonal recollection of scenes, some O
lmorous, some pathetic, were given Il
at moved his hearers to laughter and r.
any of them to tears. The general OF
o.el his address by paying high p
.buie to the noble work being done "
the Daughters OF the Confederacy p'
looking after the disabled Confsd- tt
ate soldiers. Ia