The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-22
THE NEWBERRY HERALD AND NEWS April. 90 1898
Mason and sister to James !

80.
Mason and sister to James NJ.
Mason. ....
If the qualities which mako greut
men arc inherited, certainly this
brief sketch of tho ancestors of Con.
eral Leo on both his mothers and
fathers side would show him to be
possessed Of moro distinguished an
cestry than usually falls to tho lot Of
ono man. There is no question that
pride of ancestry is proper ono if
rightly directed and if used rs II
stimulus to good decds, and to make
ono worthy of Il good namo, and n
credit to tho name ono bears, but
unworthly used, when parading one's
name on the roll Of some revolution-
ary society and feeling onc's aims
and ambitious could rest on tho
laurcls Of somo ancestor.
Fitzhugh Loo was born Mt Clcr.
mont, the residence Of his grandfa
ther, General John Mason, on No.
vembcr 10, 1885. From an old citi
zcn of Fredericksburg tho earliest
picture of him is given. When n
small boy dressed in Il scarlet shirt
ho was borne on tho back Of q negro
servant to school, which he had stout
ly refused to attend, until carried bv
main force, ho vigorously protesting
both by voice and by sundry kicks
in tho back administered to the m-
fortunate custodian Of his little per.
son.
TO school he wont, however, and
at rs VAS appointed II cadet at West
Point through the influence Of Prcsi.
don't Tillman. Uulilo his dlstin
gnlshod uncle, Robert E. Leo, who
never received dcmcrit ut Wrs,
Point, Fitzhugh Leo received tho
maximum allowance to escape dis
missal. Ho apparently folt the sumo
dlsinclination for study that hn
ovincod as small boy in rod shirt.
TITznUGH Lees ARMY RECORD.
Ho graduated in 1856, and at the
head of his class in horsemanship.
Wis fine horsemanship secured at
once for him a commission in the
then Second, now Fifth United
States Cavalry, regiment cagcrly
sought for by West Point graduates.
His first service was at Carlisle Bar.
racks. 1t seems a curious coinci,
dencc that these same harrac!s were
burned by Fitzhugh Leo during the
civil war.
From Carlisle Loo was sent to the
frontier of Texas and soon Dustin.
guishcd himself in couilict with the
Indians. In battle fought on MAY
rs, 1899, between six companies of
the United States troops aud a large
force OF Commancho Indians, ice
was chosen to command a body that
charged on foot through tho thick
Jungle in which tho Indians were
hiding. Leo fell toward tho ond Of
tbs fight wounded by an arrow
through his lung. For somc weeks
his life WAS drspaircd Of Ito wa.
finally carried on litter two hun
drcd miles over the prairie to his post,
where ho recovered, contrary to tho
opinion of tho surgeon. He was
several times mentioned officially by
General Scott for his bravery.
His first scrvico in tho Confodcr-
alto army was at tho battlo of Manas-
sas, on July q, 1861. Tho career
Of Fitzhngh 100 entities him to a
marked place in our civil war. In a
sketch OF ..''n written by Edward A.
Pollard he says of him: "His cour.
az" was of tn" chivalrous typo, his
t'mpor quick but placcnblc, his in
splratlon in the war rnthor thut Of n
champion OF Il cause than n personal
enemy; h' was animatol by the prir.-
clpl"s ho fought for rather than bv
the ph"bia of brutal con luc!; ho was
faulilessly brave"
MAN WITHOUT AN ENEMY.
1T Is said OF Lee that no has not a
personal enomy. just before tho
second bnttl" Of Manassas an Incl
dent occurred shOwino hia chiv,l