Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-17
GEN. LEES HORROR OF WAR.


revel in the III they do for their own
selfish purposes,
Then his great piety and spirit Of
forgiveness mastered him. and he adds;
You see, my dear Mary, what poor
sinner am, and how unworthy TO pos
sess what has been given me- for that
reason II has been taken away, | pray
for a better spirit, and that the hearts
Of our enemies may be changed"
On Christmas day In that same year
he again refers to Arlington in his let
ter to his Wife,
THEY have taken your home away,
but they cannot take away remem-
ORANGES of the spot and the memories
OF those that TO us rendered II sacred.
That VIII remain TO US as long as life
lasts, and that we can preserve. In the
abeence OF home, | wish / could pur-
chase Stratford. II Is the only place |
could 90 to now, acceptable TO us, that
would Inspire me with pleasure and 10.
cal love. You and the girls could re-
main there in quiet. II is a poor place
but we could make enough cornbread
and bacon for our own support and Che
girls could weave US clothes.
'Strauord Is endeared 10 me by
many recollectlons, and IL has always
been the desire Of my life 10 be able
TO purchase Il, Now that we have no
other home, and the one we loved has
been forever desecrated, that
desire Is stronger within me
than ever; the horse chestnut you
mention In the garden was planted 10y
my dear mother. / am sorry the vault
is so dilapidated. You do not mention
ne spring one Of the objects OF my
earliest recolections. How my heart
goes back 10 those happy days"
But there were many stirring days
yet TO come, and In time ne saw that
II would be impossible to purchase
Stratford.
LETTERS FROM MEXICO.
Few men ever loved home as Gen.
Lee did. And yet II was the decree of
providence that few men should ever
have been so much in the public eye
and service as General Lee Away back
IN lS4I, when he was captain of en-
qineers, and was among the band Of
1900 that gathered around the old
Spanish walled city Of Vera Cruz. he
wrote to his beloved wife and children
at Arlington: you are the subject OF
my constant prayers. You are never
ont Of my thoughts. / trust that this
is the last time | shall ever be sabsent
from you during my life"
Equally tender was the affection he
bore his brothers and sisters. 1t was
at this same Siege OF Vera Cruz, that
his brother. sydney Smith Lee, lieu
tenant In the American navy, was nan-
ming one of the guns OF him, General |
Lee wrote home
No matter where / turn, my eyes
reverted TO him, and / stood by his |
gun when | was wanted elsewhere. |
oh, | felt awfully and am at a loss |
what ! should have done had he been |
cut down before me. l thank God thar |
he was saved. He preserved his unus-
ual cheerfulness, and ! could see his |
white teeth through the smoke and din |
OF fire, The destruction was awful. |
My heart bled for the inhabitants The |
soldiers / did not care so much Tor. |
but It was terrible to think of the |
women and children"
After the battle was won, he wrote 20 |
his eldest son, Gusts, then at school: |
II thought Of you. my dear Gusts. on |
the 18th in the battle and wondered |
when the musket balls and grape were |
whlstling over my head in a perfect |
shower where ! could put you, If with |
me- to be safe. | was truly THANKFUL |
you We're at school learning to be good |
and wise, You have no idea what q |
horrible sight battlefield is"
Gen. Lee disliked war. His every let
ter home breathed the longing to es-
cape its horrors. From the camp in
Jalapa he wrote 10 Mrs. Lee: This is
the most beautiful country have seen
In Mexico and will compare with any |
| have seen elsewhere. | wish IL was |
in the United States and that | was
located with you and the children |
around me, in one OF its bright valleys
JOINING THE SOUTHERN ARMY. |
But the awful struggle of lS6l-5
dawned, and in those opening days Of
1851 Gen. Lee wrote to his sister IN
Baltimore: with all my devotion to
the Union and feeling OF loyalty to and
Of duty as an American citizen. have
not been able to make up my mind TO
raise my hand against my native state,
my relatives, my children and my |
home. / have, therefore. resigned my
cOfmand in the army"
That some day he wrote TO his broth
err. Sidney Smith Lee: 1.-THE question
which was the subject of my earnest
with you on the 18th has.
In my own mind been decided. After
the most anxious inquiry as TO the
correct course for me TO pursue, con-
rluded to resign, and sent in my resig-