The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-28
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE ON ENVIRON
MENTS. =.

Major General Fitzhugh Lee, who recent
ly lectured in Cincinnati, submitted to an
interview in which he made an interest
ing reference to his course during the civil
war. Concerning General MiIes's troubles
he declined to say anything whatever, re-
marking: IF, as a regular army officer, L
needed any warning along this line l sup
pose General Miles's own case would fur
nish it," Another question made him remi-
niscent. and he said:
When 1 went into the Confederate army
from the United States army | am free
to confess that 1 did not fully or. per-
haps, even casually consider the issues
involved. l have since then considered
them very carefully. l was graduated
from West Point in 1856. and when the
war broke out l was a young lieutenant.
My father was an officer in the United
States navy, and my uncle. Robert f. Lee,
as is well known, was in the army. Both
of these relatives resigned to take up the
cause of the COnfederacy. ] did not leave
the United States army until both of them
had resigned. As l said before, | did not
consider carefully the issues involved
but / did have pressed upon me the ques-
ton of whether | was 10 fight against my
father and other relatives. | served
throughout the war as a cavalry officer
under Robert r. Lee, and when General Jeb
Stuart was killed l succeeded him in
command of the entire cavalry corps.
l believe the people of the South now
generally believe with us that we would
have been d%islOyal, dishOnOrable, with
our rearing and environments, 10 have
done differently from what we did. The
human career and life is shaped more
largely by surroundings than we are al
ways prone to admit.
1t is not given to many men to review
past events in their lives under such
changed conditions as those General Lee
has experienced. He says. in effect. that
in casting his lot with the South at the
beginning of the civil war he gave very lit
tie thought to the issues involved, but
was governed chiefly by personal and fam
lily considerations. No doubt he was also
influenced to som extent. as many others
were. by state pride. putting allegiance
to the State above that TO the United
States. These considerations were not
given due weight at the time by those on
the Northern side. but there is no rea-
son why their force should not be adj
mitted now. General Lee refers to the
almost irresistible force of Environments
If these were strong enough TO make many
persons OF Northern birth who were living
in the South when the war began espouse
the Southern cause how much stronger
they must have been with those who had
been born and reared in the South. Thou
sands of men who fought bravely in the
Northern army would probably have
fought on the other side if in boyhood or
in early manhood they had gone South and
lived for a few years in the atmosphere
and environments Of that section. When
William II. Seward was attending college
in New York he ran away and went South
to teach school. He taught a year in
Georgia. and then. taking another within,
returned to college and finished his course.
Had he remained in Georgia. as he in
tended TO do when ne went there. he would
probably have adopted Southern sentiments
and become a leader in the secession move
ment. Such a result would not have been
stranger than some others caused by en-
vironment
There was a strong element of loyalty
in the Lee family. and If Virginia had not
seeded it is probable Gen. Robert E. Lee
would have fought with as much heart on
the Northern side as he did on the South