The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-09

any service to the state or her cause
must continue"
But Virginic had joined the column OF
her southern sisters and Lee was placed
in command OF her state troops. There
came victory at the first battle OF Bull
Run. OF the great battle he writes to
his wife:
/" That indeed was a glorious VIC
tory and has lightened the pressure upon
our front amazingly. Do not grieve for
the brave dead. Sorrow for those they
left behind-friends, relatives and fami-
lies. The former are at rest The latter
must suffer. The battle will be repeated
there in greater force. | hope God will
again smile on us and strengthen our
hearts and arms. l wished to partake
In the former struggle, and am mortified
at my absence, but the President thought
1t more important I should be here.
could not have done as well as has been
done, but | could have helped, and taken
part in the struggle for my home and
nelghborhood So the work is done,
care not by whom 1t is done. leave to-
morrow for the northwest army. l
wished to go before. as l wrote you, and
was all prepared but the indications
were so evident of the coming battle, and
In the uncertainty of the result the
President forbade my departure. Now
1t Is necessary and he consents. cannot
saw for how long, but will write you.
Give love to all and for yourself
accept the constant prayers of truly
yours X. II. LEE.
General Lee was always considerate.
His wife sent him a number OF pairs OF
socks but he gave ten pairs to one OF
his negro servants.
At this time some Of the southern news
papers were criticizing Lee. To his
wife he writes;
az am sorry, as you say, that the move
ments of the armies cannot keep pace
with the expectations of the editors OF
papers know they can regulate mat
ters satisfactorily to themselves on pa
per- l wish they could do SO in the field.
No one wishes them more success than
I do, and would be happy to see them
have full swing. l hope something Will
be done to please them. Give much love
to the children and everybody, and be
lieye me
'.R. f.. LEE"
Deep Religious Feeling.
The deep religious feeling Of General
Lee is always manifest. On Sunday, De-
cember 8, 1861, he writes to his daugh-
ter:
my Precious Annie.
1 have taken the only quiet time l have
been able to find on this holy day to
thank YOU for your letter of the 18th
ulto. One of the miseries Of war is that
there is no Sabbath, and the current OF
work and strife has no cessation. How
can we be pardoned for all our offenses!
I am clad that you have Joined your ma
ma again and that some or you are TO-
gether at last 1t would be great hap
piness to me were you all at some quiet
place, remote from the vicissitudes OF
war, where 1 could consider you SAFE"
On Christmas day, the same year he
writes to his wife from camp:
ST cannot let this day of grateful re-
joicing pass dear Mary, without some
communication with you. / am thankful
for the many among the past that I have
passed with you, and the remembrances
of them fills me with pleasure For
those on which we have been separated
we must not repine. If 1t will make US
more resigned, and better prepared for
what is in store for us, we should re-
ioice. Now we must be content with the
many blessings we receive. II we can
only become sensible of our transgress-
ions, SO as to be fully penitent and for
given that this heavy punishment under
which we labor may with justice be re-
moved from us and the whole nation,
what gracious contamination OF all
that we have endured it will beP'
General Lee was now In charge OF all
the military operations of the Southern
Confederacy. After this appointment he
writes to his wife from Richmond:
at have been placed on duty here to
conduct operations under the direction Of
the president. 1t will give me great
pleasure to do anything can to relieve
him and serve the country. but l DO not
- .,tbar advantage or pleasure In my
duties. But 1 will not complain, but do
my best"
CAPTAIN Lee az Private.
No act in General Lees whole military
career was more typical Of his sApsA at