The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-15
Lee Honored in Grant Hall.
Chicago Times Herald.

A portrait Of General Robert E.
Lee, G. s. A., is to be hung in Grant
Hall at the West point Military Acad-
emy. To every graduate in the army,
North and South, the appearance Of
/ the face Of the great Confederate
soldier on the walls Of his alma mater,
side by side Of that Of his great an
tagonist, Grant, means the end Of
controversy, the end Of bitterness,
the end of all things sectional. Lee
as he appears in his place Of honor
will not be the gray garbed leader Of
the lost cause with the stars of a
general shining in the field on his
shoulder. He will appear in the blue
uniform Of the old army, with an
y eagle on the yellow ground of the
shoulder knot, denoting the rank Of a
acolonelof cavalry, the position the
sopthron held when he resigned to
cast his lot with the confederacy.
Colonel Mills, who won promotion at
Santiago, where he was shot through
the head, is now the superintendent
of the military academy. He has
been. in correspondence with the as
sociation of the daughters Of the Con-
federacy, which has agreed to raise.
the funds for the painting Of the
portrait and to present it to the acad-
emy. Colonel Mills has secured the
permission Of the war department for
the placing Of the picture. The
thought is held and felt deeply by
army officers and army authorities
that nothing but coed to the coming
generations Of cadets can come from
the proposed honoring Of the memory
of one Of the greatest soldiers who
ever owed his milisary training to
West Point on the Hudson.
The coming honoring Of Lee forces
"reminiscences. Since the war of
secession the portrait Of but one Con-
federate leader has hung on the his
toric academic walls that Of Albert
Sidney Johnston, Of the class of 1926,
who gave his life. for the South at
Shiloh. The portrait of General
Johnston was put in place long years
before the war on the wall Of the
army officers messroom at West
Point. It showed him as a subaltern
officer Of cavalry in the United States
forces. Johnston at one time was
stationed, at West Point, and S;i.e
officers assembled there as instruc-
tors voted to havehim manage their
mess. The quality Of the food and
cooking improved SO under Johnston's
management that his comrades induc-
ed him to keep the position of man
ager instead Of having it rotate" as
was the custom. When Johnston
WAS relieved the members Of the mess
voted TO have his portrait painted ard
hung in the mess. This was done,
and the picture stayed there untouch-
ed all through the dark days of the
war. In the year 1865. there was
sent to West Point as tactical officer
Marcus A. Reno, who had won the
stars Of a brigadier general Of volun-
teers on the battlefield. Reno had
gone back to his rask Of captain Of
the regulars at the close Of hostilities;
Reno had been at West Point on duty
but few days when the picture of
Johnston caught his eye. War pas
sions were still high-though another
excuse was given for Reno's conduct.
He was officer Of the day and wore
his side arms. He drew his saber in
front Of Johnston's picture. GA
traitor has no place in these walls"
he said. There was s'rigLt cut"
from practiced hand and the en-
circling frame and the picture Of the
confederate general were cleft in
twain. Reno was relieved from duty
and sent west. He was dismissed
from the service fifteen years after
ward for an offensc committed on the
frontier. At West Point to-day,
where times efacing finger has
removed the last trace Of bitterness,
the portrait Of Lee will hang honored
and in safety.
The showing Of southern soldiers
face in the gallery Of West Pointers
brings to mind a popular misconcep-
tion on the subject Of the number Of
military academy graduates from the
South who left the colors to fight for
secession. During the war and ever
since, because che facts are not gen.
orally known, it was supposed by the
people that West Point had educated
southern cadets Only to have them
turn against the government. AS
matter Of fact--on the authority Of