The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-11-16

Lad Letters of General Robert +.
zee doubleday, Page & Coz, is an
historical event, Of vital interest not
only to the South but TO the whole
country. This book, so widely
heyalGed and so kcenly awaited, does
lot aim TO establish new truths about
Eascful events in the story of the con
tederacy but it adequately reveals for
the first time the correspondence be-
,Wecn the great general and his fam
:ly. Save his service to the South,
aone was so sacred as this, and it
stamps him as he really was-the
Ln.g htlicst Of soldiers, the most coura-
t-5eous of patriots and the tender and
sfecti onatc husband and father
IL these letters General Lees whole
.attitu1c as citizen Of two republics
chimes as never before. They show
'!hst as loyally as he followed his pa
rSriotic convictions in what he be-
ieved was constitutional right and
.ioer,y, % did be take his modest,
sincere place in the reconstruction of
his distracted country. They reveal
lin in TO scene as ''thc unrcconstruc-
ccd REBEL" but as one who calmly &C.
;er I'd the inevitable.
These letters were compiled by his
son, Capt. Robert +. Lee, himself
gallant confederate soldier, who has
&:nterspersed many new and significant
Incidents in the life Of his distinguish-
&c father The book covers the en-
.ice period Of General Lees public
e activities, from the time he was engi
re"r in the United States army, fol
'.,ug his graduation from West
Point 10 that October day in 1870
when, as president Of Washington col
'ege, in Lexington, Va, he passed
away.
Cap tain Leo says his first vivid i'm
.t5rcssion Of his father was his arrival
1T Arlington (the family home near
Washington after his return from the
Mexican war. An amusing incident
happened on this occasion. The boy
and playmate the same age, both
dressed in their best frocks, stood in
the crowd that greeted the home com
ing soldier. Suddenly General Lee
I5urst through the crowd saying:
"Where is my little boy?" He
sshen took up in his arms and kissed -
eaot his son but the playmate.
General Lee was always romping
<with the little ones. He petted the
Two younger children 9 great deal.
Says Captain Lee:
Oar greatest treat was to get into
his bed in che morning and lie close
ito him, listening while he talked 60
,us in his bright, entertaining way.
Vet always knew that it was impos-
-sible t. lisobey my father. y y y He
.was ve,y fond Of having his hands
.csiekled and what was still more curl
ous, it pleased and delighted him to
take of his slippers and place his feet
ia our laps in order to have them
esickled. 4 X \ He would often tell us
rthe most delightful stories but the
command would be mo tickling, no
story When we we're little older,
~our elder sister told us one winter the
lever delightful Lady of the Lake.
St}f course, she told it in prose and ar
ranged it to suit our mental capacity.
Our father was generally in his corner
,ay the fire, most probably with foot
fia either the lap of myself or younger
saitier-the tickling going on briskly-
sSnd would come in at different points
>'of the tale and reneat line after line
'os the poem-much to our disap-
orovai-but to his great enjoyment.
Very eally Captain Lee speaks of
this fathers punotuality, character
4stic that marked him all his life.
Writing about General. Lee as COM
,mandmentat West Point, he says:
My father was the most punotual
man & eyer knew. He was always
ready for famil:' prayers, for meals,
and met every engagement, social or
business, at the moment. He ex-
} 2ected ola of US to be the same and
taught US :lic ase and necessity Of
forming such habits for the conyen.
4ence of all concerned. never knew
him late for Sunday service at the
post chapel. .He used 20 appear some
'yariortes- before the rest Ct us :n uni
Form, jokiugly rallying my mother for
being late, AID for forgetting some
thing at the last moment. When he
eGould wait no longer for her, he would
.saS,shat he was off and would nlsrch
along so church by himself, or With