The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-04-14
ROBERT EDWARD LEE.
Incidents in rthe Life OF the Nations Great
General
O91Nr8I
A!la,,o.JO,irnuI

70 housekeeping aoAiss, aanaesd Sut-
do9e aafsira lsohe1 xfssr Ais 0st1ssFs
horses and 0essa - "ittls oaa" 20
| a exteLt a.d With . @iscrstioa On
usual ia . bey Ais Ags. His ~ssn
afecisa tor biz uuhAer undoubtedly
had its share il this devotion - datiss
, usually distastetua - growing ls4s.
a.l It was psricxlsray shown Ir sbs
Pstheticaay earssst care which hs
tosk Of his sister invalid. Discar6G
sckeoaboy troios As ~euN hurry homo
iroa has stadiss 70 80 thse bin mother
had her daily deive, and might b econ
carrying her to her carriage, s6soaisn.
ately arranging her cushions. and
earnestly en1eax9iaS TO entertain
her, gravsly asssring Aer that x.less
che was cheerfal she would derive no
benefit fton her airing.
Ono Of tho near relatives If Robert
E. Leo ,aid of the youthful character
and habits Of The boy= II remember
him we'll - boy at school 20 AHr.
Leary at tho Alexandria ecadsmy
and afterward at school TO Hr. Hal.
lowell, whom Ais school was In the
house nov occupied by Mr.. Tusasr.
and his mother lived next door. ]
recollect his 2niiornly correct dePort-
msnt 1t school and elsewhere and his
attention to ssadies. What suppressed
mo most in my youthful days was
his devotion 60 his mother Who, -
you know, was for many years an in
valid. She ased te say he wss con
and daughter to her. He ~as her
housekeeper, relieve her Of al do
mestic cares, looked after the hssses,
rode out in the carriage With her and
did tho marketing for tho family"
an SCHOOL DAYS.
When it was fully decided chat
Robert should prepare himself fer ad-
mission to West Point he was sent
with this object TO tho school cf Ar.
Benjamin Hallowell, an sSle teacher
of mathematics and well suited to
give the youthful sspirsnt tAe nsoes-
sary preliminary education HE 70
cord in this school can best b shown
BY the following letter from Ne. BAL.
lowell:
"Robsrt E Les entered my school
in Alexandria, Va, in the Wiatsr of
1824-25 to study mathenatios. BE
was most exemplary student in every
respect. He was aever behind time
At his studies; never failed In . ingls
recitation; WAS perfectly observsnt Of
tho rules and regulations Of the ins.
titution; was gentlemanly, 1nobsrosive
and respeoAful m sii his dApoetaseAt
to teachers and his fellow stadsnts.
His speciality was finishing uP. He
impaired q fnish and . Deatnes, -
he proceeded, to everything hs snder.
took"
In the year 1929, at tho completion
of Roberts four years course At West
Point, he graduated, carrying Of tho
second highest honos of The institu-
ton. During his whole soarss 10 lad
never received dsmerit usrk for
any breach of rules or neglect Il daty.
He was highly esteemed BY his ooa-
rades and vas noted for stsdious hxb- |
it and commsndabls conduct. He
avoided tobacco and intoxicating
liquors, used no profans or imnonl
language, and throughout his whole
student life performed NO cot which
bis pious mother could not have fully
approved.
Immediately after his graduation
he received tho appointment of socsad
lieutenant of engineers in tho army I'll
the United States and was employed
for several years thereafter on the ssa
coast defenoes in engineering duty.
A letter from relative Of Robert
Leo says:
"There il one trait in Gen. Less
character which I must msntiou hers,
which was his beautiful neatnsss and
love of order. Young men srs very
apt to think il beneath thom, and lit.
tle to give much attention to these
small matters, and I have oftsn
brought up to those of my own family
the beautiful neatness of Robert Lee.
His wife told mo, after his rstarn
from tho Mexican war, that hs had
brought back every article Of olotaiss
he had taken with him, and . b6ttls
of brandy, which hs had tsksn In sass
of sickness, unopened.
GENERAL LEES GREATNRss.
The coming greatness Of Lss wss
clearly shown in the little incidents of
his boyhood. His good traits Of char.
scter. his studious attention 70 his
work, his love for his mother, his -.
markable individuality and his many
! virtues were noticeab early In his