The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14

| @, loh. me young soldier especialiv
reels It.. Honor and fame are ali thet he
aspires to. But he can no. reach c,thar ne hv
| yontloh alone, and he sometimes shrinks
ION the trials necessary 10 accompIish
Let this never be your case. Keen them
,pa,,, srE before YOU and firmly pursue
, ,ne,n' Ihey will at last be won. j am
very much pleased at the interes, taken
oy The cadets m your success. Surely II
t,.rn rb ON your Part corresponding re-
,ea.; ., ahey desire TO see you strive at
| ieIst. 10 gratify their wishes
Prove Yourself worthy of their afYec-
a aetni: HVld yourself above every mean
ae,'on' Be strictly honorable in every
| Acknowledge i9Qht 10 be YOUR aim anj
| strive tc reach IT, 1
ca ! Eel 50 much obliged to you for the
cMillu aNowal of all your feelings he
| tween us two let tn ere be 10 conccalment
may give you advice and announcement
ar ~ you VIII always give me pleasure.
| ne report you mention having received
| IL OF a triilfilg nature, vet [ am sorry fr,,
the demerit attached to 1t. az it comes
my, ,nio,,s she , equation Of Your standing as
TO avoid them. and l should think a state
| iaent or the facts as you gave them TO mo
you, or your roommutes that it was during
! release from quarters when II was dis
covered and all Of you were out OF the
room AZ the time. would be taken as a
But Of this you must Judge. hone your
demertt VIII not be sufficient TO iniure
| sNHi stditulilR, Dut II may require
greater eNort'on on your part 10 gain an
| onset In your class marks. This is the
| most important time to you In the year,
| just one month before the June examining
TONS A great deal may be accomplished
| in this month.
| Your standing and reputation are sui.
| ncicntly good 10 enable you 10 make up
any leeway. during your review for the ex-
animation. You have my earnest WISHES
and constant prayers for success and !
.russ 'o. sec you No; IN June. :.
Remember me to all Of your cadet
Il. f. Lee.
NOT ONE DEMERIT MARK.
The "demerit" alluded 10 was taken on
but 1t shows for what trlfes cadets at
West Point were marked. and how dill
+, gent IN study. and correct in department
| young Lee had to be in order to graduate
| at the head of his class, with no demerit
| mark against him for the entire period OF
| his course there.
| He was at once commissioned in tho en-
| gineer corps, where tho brightest and
most accomplished young officers were
| always ass. gned.
Georgia and FLORIDA. and three, years in
| California. and on the Pacific coast.
where at Dresidis Barracks he met his
| under Albert sidney johnston In the
Utah War" The father wrote the young
er brother at this time a characterlstc
|
| that you have caught GUSTS. hope YOU
are Unidentified for all of your privations
! am delighted at you two being togethcr
ana nothing has occurred so gratifying TO
| me for the past year, Hold on TO him as
long as you can. Kiss him for me. and
sleep with aim every night. lie must DO
account God grant that II could be my
| good fortune to be with you both.
The famous letter. winch has been SO
widely published. .pu1porting TO be from
| General Ice at Arlington TO Gusts at
| West Point, IN. which the old Puritan
log;slator on The daTs i gay r Vi maze Zen, no
| erai Leo said thar he did not write Il.
| General Lee said that he did not write II:
| General Custis Lee said that he DID not
| that 1t was not authentic but was manu-
ioctured by some ingenious newspaper
eter out the e Federal troops had
occupied It in the spring OF 81. A., cub
But the expression, DUTY q the SUP 10,
| occur In a letter from General Lee to ms
| son and certainly duty was the keynote
of the life OF the great Confederate chlei-
tain and has been the confronting motive
| power in the life OF his son. a.,
| 1Ieutenant Gusts Les won among his
| comrades end superiors very hRh repu-
| tation as ar able and accomplished ensi-
on the death OF his grandfather. George
| Washington Park Custis, 1t was iounn
that his VIII left Arlington TO ms modh s
/ during ltf Alt1tlIlt " NA''S >~~N -
fee simple at her death. .,,.,
/ With a iiial love and self-sacTficing
| generosity seldom seen on the part oi
young men in these days. Lieutenant Leo
determined to transfer at once to his
father all of his interest DIN the estate
| ard accordingly he had preparoi ana ie-
| gally executed a deed 10 that effect.
How the father met this noble offer VIA
| he aeon by the following extract from q
letter never before published;
DECLINED HIS SONS GIFT.
Arlington. March II, 1s5S-My Dear SOM
T received tonight your letter of the 18th
| February. and also the deed relnquish4nS
to me all your rght and title to Arlington,
the MIL. adjacen. lands. personal prop
erty, ETC., belueathed you by "a s2", vo,,r
filial feeling OF love and cons.deratloli' as
Wen as your tender soAcituue LOT nie, VI
which. however. requires no PROOF, an anu .,
an equally toucned by your sS"SiS''''
ana dlslnterest sickness. ,,,.,,. 10, :
But, from what l said in previous iet-
ter, you Will not re surprised AT my ~, ls
peatiug that | can not accept your oHer'
II 4, not from any unwillngaess 10 rs
celye from you gift you may tnln l,f,
proper TO Destow. or 10 be indebted 70 yUu
for any benefit. great or snlal. iaut sun ln,,
nlv because u would not be right for mo
10 do 80. Your dear grandfather d,s'rao,
uted his properly as he thonsht Dust a in
| IL IS proper thai II should remain as ne
hestowed ii. ii viii not prevent me from
| in,provkag IL to the best OF my apui'y, OF
OF making Il as comfortab!o a nome 10,
vour mother. sisters and yourself as I
can can j only wish 1 could do more than
shsn have IL IN any power TO do;
s' ~ I'r',,f has acquitted Colonel Sumner.
and as far as l can Judge properly. ,,o
| Farewell. my dear, dear son. Anef.,oh
Lts1'ean-f Lee had been promoted an,
transferred 10 bureau duty Va Wa va hSdnr
ton. where, besdes the pleasure q nec,'1
in the National capital, ne eouiu spg ~
much of hs time at Arlington wulh ~, ne
no cr and sisters and render -, most ra ,ins
Of Tho estate while his father was on DUTY
a., the frori.er OF Texas
m. l,t.ers Of the father at this PERIOD
,er" evidences not only OF his tender AZ
fec,ion. but OF his en4re confidence n ING pc
he son. Few young officers had Drew
-, e ore chem than Captabl y. W
- Ice Of ahc Unitel States enSlneo'
The country in the spring of 1851.
NOT a sEcEssroNIsT.
lie could. no doubt, have maintained NE
: rc~t,on an the engineer corps and nave
r,,nasued In Washington and aiken care