Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-24
L0VELEEIN VIRGINIA.
A NORTHERN VISITOR FINDS THE
PEOPLE IDOLIZE HIM.
A CHAT WITH MISS ELLEN LEE.
The Admitting Guest Is Enthusiastic
Concerning the Representative of
The Family, With Whom He
Talked.

The New York Herald OF Sunday pub
fishes an interesting unsigned article by
a New Yorker who visited Richmond and
the family OF General Fitzhugh Lee quite
recently. Perhaps the writer is Rabbi
Levy, who spent a few days here and
preached twice at the Synagogue Beth
Ahaba.
| The article is embellished by cut of
| Miss Ellen Lee, General Lees eldest
daughter The article says by way of
editorial introduction:
'In his native State Of Virginia General
| Fitzhugh Lee. who represents the United
States i'm Cuba, is accorded a degree of
worship which is little less than idola-
trous. All over the country he has won
the esteem and respect of the American
citizens, but you must go down into Ylr-
ginia to realize how he is regarded there.
! An interesting chat with his eldest daugh-
ter is also embodied in the following ar
| ticle"
| Then follows the article introduced:
"The American people all admire Gene
| raj Fitzhugh Lee, the United States Con
| sui at Habana. Down in Virginia they
worship him. In Richmond they idolize
HIM. And in one house in Richmond he is
admired, worshipped. and idolized, all at
! the same time. That house is General
Lees home. Mention the name of Fitz-
| hugh Lee TO any man i'm Richmond
! don't care who he is, and you will readily
understand that / have not exaggerated
the esteem in which he is held by his fell
| low Virginians. / was down there last
week, and l know what | am talking
| about. We of the North can scarcely
realize the depth of feeling which the
mere mention Of his name calls forth.
THE LEE HOME IN RICHMOND.
while in Richmond | called at the Lee
| residence, and was given a delightful
| glimpse Of the home-life of General Lees
| family. | was ushered into the parlor,
and found ii to be a typical Lee room On
| the wall hung a large painting Of Gene
| raj Robert r. Lee A miniature Of him
was on the old-fashioned mantel and the
| faces of the other Lees were everywhere
| strewn about.
'In one corner stood an old spinet. The
furniture was in white and gilt, covered
with golden damask. Everything was in
perfect taste.
II was received by the Generals eldest
daughter, Miss Ellen Lee. a dainty young
woman, slight of form, with a wealth of
auburn tresses, flashing eyes. and the IN
mistakabe Lee chin, bespeaking courage
and determination. / was naturally curl
Gus to know how the members of the
family regard the Generals absence on
| mission Of such grave import. / asked
Miss Lee If she did not feel anxious
knowing the dangers Of her fathers posi-
ton.
"'Not at ALL replied the daughter of
the house of Lee. i don't know why il
is but we just don't. Perhaps it is be-
cause he always writes TO us jolly. cheer
full letters. None Of us feel at all alarmed
about him, and we are looking forward
10 his safe return. Here is an interesting
picture ne sent us.
THERE ARE LETTERS GALORE.
Miss Lee took from the mantel a small
photograph of the Maine entering the
harbor at Habana 1T was sent to all
of us she explained but / have appro-
prated IT by writing my name on the
back. You know | am very fond of
photography. l have a camera myself
and take almost everything | see.'
70 your fathers mission? / asked.
" Yes, indeed, we get any number every
day. Some of them are most affecting
I'm appreciation of my fathers work, but
some Of them are more than funny in
their warnings and misgivings But we
only laugh at these.
we can't help Feeling proud OF the
appreciation of my fathers work as eX-
pressed i'm some Of the letters sent to us
and in so many of the newspapers. OF
course. we feel doubly proud that for
southern man who fought for the Con-
federacy, my father has been able 10
how truly patriotic and devoted the
southerners now are to all of the United
States This thought has come 10 US
by word Of mouth and i'm some stanch
letters from persons whom we never
knew.
land some of the people l meet do
make the strangest remarks. Only the
other day some one said TO me: do you
know. | heard your father was assassi-
mated the other day?" But 1 only laugh
ed, for what could | say?
1T will not be long now, we nope ne
fore he returns to US safe and sound bu'
meantime we have not the slightest mis-
gvings as to his safety ana AFTER all ne
is but doing his duty
A TRUE SOLDIERS DAUGHTER.
zone would scarcely look for so heroic
n spirit in the little woman sitting be-
fore me. But the fire in her eye and the
enthusiasm Of her voice betokened the
daughter Of a soldier, ready TO see nm
do his duty at any cost 1t is not re-
markable that she should idolze her
father. and perhaps it is no more re-
markable that all who know him love
and honor him.
ALL VIRGINIANS LOVE HIM.
This evidence of idolatry is not con-
fined TO Richmond. 1t is apparent all
over the State of Virginia. An instance
of this occurred recently in a town In
New Kent county, about twenty miles
from Richmond The report reached
there that Fitz' Lee had been assassi-
mated in Habana. Immediately every
merchant closed his store Grape was tied
TO the bowed shutters of the houses, ana
the men telephoned to all the neighoornig
towns for arms and ammunition.
eft was hard at first to convince them
that the report was untrue, but when
they were at last satisfied that 'FtZ'
was alive and well rejoicing took the
place of mourning. Can any one doubt
after this that. hero as Lee seems to the
rest of the United States, he is the idol
Of Virginia.