The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-04
GENERAL LEE AS A UNION MAN.

Senator Daniel, of Virginia. delivered an
address in Baltimore a few nights ago on
General Robert E. Lee, in the course of
which he spoke of General Lee as a Union
man. Colonel Lee" ne said, was dis
tinctly a Union man and Virginia a Union
State. He loved the people of his kindred
blood His life had been spent until then
his sons held command in the army. Many
professional years of his life had been
spent in a Northern community, and he
well understood the resources of that great
section. When men spoke to him of COM
ing war he would reply: We are all Amer
leans - This is probably a correct state
ment of General Lees sentiments up to
the time of the beginning of the war. 1t
was State pride and kinship that led him
to go with his State. Had Virginia not
seeded he would never have Joined the
Confederate army, and would probably
have fought on the Union side He had
been three years in command at West
Point and had many friends in the North
but his relatives were all in Virginia. He
resigned his commission in the United
States army three days after the Virginia
convention adopted an ordinance of seces-
sion, and in a letter to his sister he said:
We are now in a state of war which will
yield TO nothing. The whole South is I'm a
state of revolution into which Virginia,
after long struggle, has been drawn and
though L recognize no necessity for this
state OF things, and would have forborne
N
ances. real or supposed, yet In my own
person L had to meet the question whether
l should take part against my native
State. With all my devotion to the Union,
and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an
American citizen, 1 have not been able to
make up my mind to raise my hand against
my relatives. my children. my home. l
have therefore resigned my commission in
the army, and, save In the defense of my
native State-with the sincere hope that my
poor services may never be needed-I hope
L may never be called upon TO draw my
sword.
Read between the lires this letter shows
that Gen. Lee thought the war might and
should have been avoided; that he regretted
that Virginia had been drawn into the
revolution that was sweeping over the
South, and that he bitterly deplored the
situation, which. from his point of view,
COHpcucu W 81 Will Otdtc. Ills
point of view was wrong. but large allow
ance must be made for education and
environments. After all is said it must be
remembered that General Lee fought many
more years for the United States than he
did for the Confederacy and that his record
until his State took him out of the Union
was one Of splendid loyalty and brilliant
service. After his surrender his whole in
fluence was used in the direction of General
Grants famous LET us have peace"
General Grant in his official report of mil
itary operations during 1S64-1s65, including
the surrender. said:
General Lees great influence throughout
the whole South caused his example to be
followed, and to-day the result is that the
armies lately under his leadership are at
their homes, desiring peace and quiet, and
their arms are in the hands of the ord
nance officers.
This was written July %, 1865. and from
that time till his death in 1870 General Lee
was a good Union man. The sentiment
had only been interrupted by the false
idea that his State had first claim upon
his loyalty.