The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-07-26
GREAT AND SPLENDID TRIBUTES
TO LEE.

The newspapers have published a
brief letter from England's greatest
living soldier. Lord Roberts, or "Bobs,
as the soldiers lovingly call him.. 1t
was addressed to Miss Mary Gusts
Lee, a daughter of Gen. Robert E. Lee.
He expressed a desire to visit some day
Lexington. Va. where the illustrious
soldier of the south lies buried, and
there look upon the tomb Of h i'm
mortal hero. The following is an ex-
tract taken from the letter to Miss
Lee:
"It may be tina 1 shall never be able
to carry out my wish of visiting your
country, but 1 hope that some day 1
shall 10 so, and that 1 may see the
monument in the college chapel at Lex
ington. 1 shall consider it a privilege
to be able to show my respect and ad-
miration for one of the greatest sold
iers of any age-Lee, Of Virginia.
with kind regards from Lady Rob-
ertS and myself. believe me. dear Miss
Lee, Yours sincerely,
FIRED ROBERTS,"
zone of the greatest soldiers of any
age is the estimate of the most dis
tinguished If British soldiers at this
time. Gen. Lord Wolseley, recently re-
tired from the commander-inchief Of
the British army, a few years ago, over
his own signature. wrote that Lee was
a greater general than the Duke of
Wellington. The leading authority in
Great Britain thirty years ago in mill
tary matters. name lust o not re-
called, in an article in the celebrated
Blackwood's (Edinburgh) Magazine,
gave is as his opinion that the three
greatest soldiers of the English speak
ing race We're Marlborough. yelling
ton and Lee. in the order of seniority
and not of ability. Gen. Won Moltke.
the greatest German soldier of the last
half century, had a high opinion of
Lee.
ginian Baptist who has written so much
on the great war. in a communication
in the Richmond Dispatch, dated
Chapel Hill, n. c.. July 16. 1901, writes
of General Lees character.
1t is mainly composed Of extracts from
"a memorial sermon delivered by Rev.
DR.. Stewart, of Rochester. New York
state, on Robert E. Lee. 1t is quite ex-
~traordinary for such a sermon or ad-
dress to be pronounced in a northern
city by a northern man to a northern
audience. We make a few extracts from
what was said:
Everywhere I go find apprecia-
ton of the character and deep rever-
niece for the memory of Robert E. Lee.
Nowhere do intelligent men Of the
north hesitate to ank him very high
among the genuine nobility of our race.
The dust n smoke OF battle have long
since cleared away and we " come
to discern General Lee standing out in
the clear atmosphere as a truly splen-
did specimen of chivalrous, Christian
manhood.
ION both sides General Lee came Of
splendid stock. Even proud old Vir-
ginia had no better blood. He was the
third son of Light Horse Harry Lee,
who played such a brave part as a cav
airy leader in the revolutionary war.
He must have been a splendid spec
linen Of humanity to look upon. One
who saw him in 1861 says of him: He
was tall. n and erect. l thought
him then the most imposing man I had
ever seen. Another says: He was a
scuperb specimen Of manly grace and
elegance
He was singularly good and pure.
His was one Of those stainless lives like
Sir Galahad. Of King Arthur's Round
Table; like Bayard. of Middle Age
chivalry. No impiety. no falsehood
no dishonor. marred his youth or early
manhood"
All the extracts before us are highly
entertaining. He said this as to Lees
fidelity to his south:
You know how exhausted and i'm
poverished the south was at the close
of the war and what a struggle the
people had to get on their feet again.
Some of Lees aristocratic relatives in
England urged him to come and make
his home with them. His answer was:
MOI l will never forsake my people in
their extremity; what they endure