The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-04
THE LETTERS OF LEE
SIDE OF THE CoNFED.
 EnATE CEEEEFTAIN.
Book Just from she Press sad Written by His Son Gives Intimnte Pic-
 ture of the Great Com- usamAer.

Nsu, york-toct s.-In 'Recoliections ana Letters of General Robert E Lee" hv his son. Robert E. Lee. which has inst been issued from the press of Doubieday, Page and Cc.. an interest ing volume has been added to the lit- erature of the civil war and the most intimate picture yet drawn of the o61ciai life is given. The author does not attempt to enter the field d the historian as far as the war itself is concerned. As the title of the work | implies 1t is largely composed of his fathers letters. most of them to his | immediate family, and he makes no ad- dition of value to the military history If the late war. The chief interest of the book lies in it's personal phase. as relating to the daily life. the mental attitude and characteristics of General Lee.
 This correspondence, most of 1t of inc most intimate character, in measure serves to reflect General Lees views on the great questions with which his career is so closely bound. writing with all the freedom of husband and father to wife and chill Fdren. or to intimate friends, letters
 which he probably never dreamed
 would see print. the man himself
 stands revealed. Throughout his cor respondence is a devoutly religious tone. Hardly q letter Is given but
 which evidences the deep faith of the
 man. Writing from camp and from
 battlefield. he seldom failed to &C.,
 knowledge or invoke Divine help tor
 his cause, his family. and himself.
 There is d nosable absence Of military
 information in those letters. wherev-
 CT 1t Is brought in 1t Is incidental and
 those who anticipated light on the
 military problnms of the great strug-
 gle will be disappointed.
 The author condenses into one chap
 ter the period prior to his fathers res
 ignation from the United States army.
 and confines himself to General Lees
 own utterances in letters to his family
 and friends as to the motives which ac-
 tuated him in his decision. Writing
 to his sister, Mrs. Ann Marshall on the day he rendered his resignation
 General Lee said:
 Now we are in a state of war which will yield to nothing. The whole South Ia in a state of revolution, into which Virginia, after a long struggle. has
 been drawn; and though I recognize no
 necessity gor this state of things. and
 would have forborne and pleaded to
 the end for redress of grievances, real or supposed. yet in my own person
 had to meet the question whether should take part agSInst my native State. With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen. have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my rel;uives. my children. my home. have therefore resigned my commission in the army
 and save in defense of my native State. with the sincere hope that my poor ser- vices may never be needed, hopo l
 may never be called on to draw my
 sword"
 On the same day he wrote in similar strain to his brother, Captain sydney
 Smith Lee, of the United States navy. in 1868 General Lee wrote to Senator
 Reverdy Johnson in regard to q debate
 in the Senate in which Senator simon Cameron had made certain statements.
 In this letter General Lee said;
 T never tntimated to any one that I
 desired the command of the United
 States army; nor did ever have a con- versatlom with but one gentleman, MT. Francis Preston Blair, on this subject, which was at his invitation, and as I
 understood, st the instance of President
 Lincoln. After listening to his re-
 marks, I declined the offer he made me, to take command of the army that was bV VC UkOuBAA AHNO tuE hCAhg as courteously as I could that, though
 opposed to secession and deprecating
 war, could take no part in an invasion of the Southern States"
 General Lee adds that he went direct ly to General Scott. told him of the proposition that had been made him,
 and two days later, concluding that he
 ought no longer retain his commission,
 resigned from the army. Two days TnkA gv..rl ,F .a Virginia, he went to Richmond, found that the convention had passed the sec cession ordinance, and accepted the po- sitien of Commander in Chief of the State forces. There followed many let- ters written in the spring and summer of 1861 to his wife at Arlington, coun- selling her on family matters and the
 homely duties of hts estate and house.
 hold. On May 18th he was transferred
 States army. In letter he said:
 "I do not know what my position will be. I should like to retire to pri- vate life if I could be with you and the children, but if I can be of any service to the State or her cause, I must continue"
 Soon after the first battle of Manas-
 sas, General Lee was4 sent into West Virginia, and in the numerous letters
 to his family he Interestingly describes the country, his raw soldiers and the difficulties he faced. These letters were
 continued with great regularity after
 he was sent to South Carolina in the
 winter of 1881. Many of these are
 deeply religious. Writing his wife on
 Christmas day. he said:
 If we can only become sensible of
 our transgressions, so as to be fully penitent and forgiven. that this heavy punishment under which we labor may with justice be removed from us and the whole nation, what a gracious con-