Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-02-06
COLONEL M'CLURE'S REC.
OBJECTION OF GENER.
AL ROBERT e. LEE.

S
For a year or more before our Civil
War the citizens and visitors of WASH
ington were often attracted BY soli-
tary horseman on the streets Of the
capital. He was known rs one Of the
handsomest of our prominent men rode
with superb grace and was as modest
and unassuming in manner as he was
elegant in form and action. This man
was Robert E. Lee, then Lieutenant
Colonel of the Second Regiment Of cav
airy, who, after having served with his
regiment in Texas for considerable
period, was called to Washington in
1859 to join the staff of General Win
field Scott. It was his usual custom to
ride on horseback from his magnificent
estate and palatial mansion, known as
Arlington, on the southern side OF the
Potomac, to the headquarters of the
army and return in the evening. That
he attracted e'47ntion on the streets OF
the capital was not source OF gratifl
cation to him, as he was one of the most
unpretentious of gentlemen. and rarely
he ,ode through the great thorough.
fares.
Lee was then regarded as the most
accomplished Of the younger soldiers OF
the United States Army. He was
man of exquisite form and feature. in
the full yigor Of manhood, had won
promotion in Mexico on several battle
fields, aud when the fearful storm Of
Civil War broke upon the country the
conviction was universal among those
responsibly connected with the army
that Colonel Lee was the best equipped
of all our many gallant soldiers to com
mand the Union Army.
Promoted to Position Of Colonel Of
First Cavalry.
Within two weeks after the inaugu-
ration of Lincoln he promoted Lieuten.
ant Colonel Lee to the position of Colo.
mel of the First Cavalry. He was not
only thoroughly educated and exper-
fenced soldier, but he was pronounced
by Nicolay and Hay in the Life of Lin.
coln' as man "oi fine presence, ripe
judgment and mature manhood 1t
was an open secret before war was pre-
cipitated by the firing upon Sumter
that Lee would be assigned to the com-
mand of the Union Army in the field
when war came, which was then accept
ed as inevitable. He was known to be
opposed to secession, and he did not con-
ceal his views on the subject. A few
weeks before his resignation from the
army he wrote to his oldest son, George
Washington Parke Curtis Lee, a gradu-
ate of West Point and Major in the
army: Secession is nothing but revo-
luton. The trainers OF our constitu.
tion never exhausted SO much labor,
wisdom and fvrbearance in its forma-
ton and surrounded it with so many
guards and securities if it was intended
to be broken by every member of the
confederacy at will But, while Lee
was very earnestly opposed to secession
he had been educated in support of the
doctrine of the sovereignty of the State
and of the obedience of the citizen to
the State as paramount to obedience to
the National Government.
Remained with State Forces until
Richmond Became Capital.
One feature of the military record OF
General Lee have never seen discussed
in any of the histories of the war. Lee
on more than one occasion declared his
purpose never to draw his sword except
in deferse of the State whose sovereign.
ty be regarded as paramount. On the
22d of April he left his beautiful home
in Arlington, never to return to it, and
ou the following day he WAS appointed
by the State authorities Major General
with chief command Of the Virginia
State forces. He did not enter the mil
itary service Of the Confederacy, but
remained in command OF the State forces
until the confederate capital was moved
to Richmond, and the State forces were
Incorporated into the Southern Army.
He conducted campaign in the west
ern part of Virginia, without important
achievement, and he was called to
Richmond by President Davis as chief
military officer and adviser IN the Con.
federate capital.
1t was not by accident, nor by any
desire of President Davis to keep SO ac-
compiished an officer as General Lee
from active service in the field, that
General Lee was detained in Richmond.