Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-18
LEE LEAVES TO-DAY.
GOES TO WASHINGTON ON STATE
DEPARTMENT AFFAIRS.
START FOR TAMPA LATER ON.
His Plans Not Yet Mntured, hut He
Expects to Go south Friday or
snturday-wants to BE % Mason
His stan Not Made Up.

General Fftzhugh Lee will leave this
morning for Washington, whittier he
goes to wind up his affairs with the State
Department. He had intended going last
night. having been summoned there by
a telegram from Secretary Day, but he
missed the train, and had to postpone
his trip for a few hours.
The General has not yet decided when
he will leave for Tampa to take charge
of his corps. He does not now expect TO
leave before Friday or Saturday, as he
fears that he will not be able to make
his arrangements before that time. His
uniforms have not been finished, and he
does not care to assume command OF an
army In civilian clothes.
HURRYING TO CATCH THE TRAIN.
The General was busily engaged in an
swer!ng and disposing of his voluminous
mail when a Dispatch reporter called
upon him yesterday afternoon, and
though ne talked freely on all subjects
discussed he did pause for an instant in
his work. saying he was trying to get
through in time TO catch the Washington
train.
He thinks ii a settled fact now that his
son, Fitzhugh, Jr., will be given a COM
mission IN the army, and that he will
be assigned to duty on his staff. but says
the young man will hardly be able to
20 to Tampa with him. as il will take him
some time to get ready for service. He
will have to have his uniforms made and
get his horse and other equipments. and
il will be at least ten days before he can
go to the front.
TO BE A MASON.
An effort has been on foot for some
days TO make General Lee q Mason before
he goes TO Cuba. He wants very much
to be a member of the craft but, not
wthstanding the opportunity offers for
him 70 enter the order without waiting
for the degrees he declines to take ad-
vantage Of the opportunity, and says he
will not enter until he can ride the Billy
goat like all the rest Of the boys.
1t is the prerOgative Of the Grand Mas
ter to make him Mason at sight--that
is. TO simply declare him a Mason-sOme-
thing that is most infrequently done I'm
Masonry. and General Lee has been told
that Grandchildren Duke would be glad
to make him a Mason "at sight" The
General very courteously replied that he
would not accept the offer but would be
glad when he returned from the war TO
take the degrees and ride the proverbial
goat.
WAR WILL BE SHORT.
The General does not think that the
war will be OF long duration, and is
strongly inclined to the belief that the
army will have little or no fighting to do.
The government seems now bent upon
winning the fight at sea, and as IL IS
more than likely that when Sampson
strikes the Spanish feet and exterminates
that as Dewey did the one in Aslatic
waters. the Spaniards will surrender
Cuba, and the fight will be over. He Is
ready, however, to go with his army into
the Spanish lines in Cuba, and is really
anxious for some fighting. He says he
has no idea who will be on his stan, but
is confident that the President will assign
nothing but army officers for the respon-
sible positions thereon.