Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-05-04
Was a Nephew of General Robert E. Lee
Was Elected Governor of Virginia in
ISS5-In June, 1896, General Lee
Was Appointed Consul General
to Cuba-Was Brigadier
General of the Regu'
lar Army.

The end was not expected. Two
hours before he died the attending ply
sicians declared that days might elapse
before there was change in the con-
dition of the old soldier. A fresh lesion
of one of the blood vessels near the
brain caused almost sudden death.
General Lee was conscious to within
five minutes of the end. An hour prev
ious to that time speech became very
difficult. At IL o'clock there were
evidences of a fresh hemorrhage Of the
brain. Those with him knew then that
the end was matter of minutes. The
old soldier may have realized that taps
were about to sound. He said several
times during the day that his condition
was critical. But he met death with
out AinchIng, and obeyed the summons
with the courage he had opposed to the
foe on so many hard-fought fields. Some
of those in the death chamber insist ne
realized the end was upon him. If ne
gave no sign.
There was not dry eye in the cham
Der of death as the old veteran breathed
his last. Men knew Fitz Lee but to
love him. Neither Mrs. Lee nor any
one of their four children was at the
deathhed. The Generals brother, Cap
tain Dan Lee; Mrs. Fowle, his sister-in-
law; Major Robert Hunter and Con-
molly F. Trigg, old comrades-in-arms,
and Drs. Edie, Keane and Hardin were
present.
General Fitzhugh Lee has been Ia
prominent figure in the country and has
always been given an enthusiastic re-
ception wherever he went.
Prior to the Civil War. at the begin
ming Of which he resigned his commits
sion in the United States army, General
Lee saw considerable frontier duty IN
movements against the Indians. he
was an expert cavalry officer and on
one. occasion, June 16, 1860, he was en-
gagged in hand to hand encounter with
Comanche Indians near Camp Colorado,
Texas.
His services in the Confederate army
as major-general are well known and
during the interval between this war
and his active work in the Spanish-Am-
erican War General Lee filled number
of important positions.
ELECTED GOVERNOR or VIRGINIA.
In 1886, after a spirited campaign, he
defeated John A. Wise for the COVER
norship of Virginia. He introduced
novel feature in the campaign of caval7
cades, in which many young women
participated.
Upon retiring from the governorship,
General Lee engaged for time in agrl-
cultural pursuits, and was afterward
elected present of the Glasgow Devel-
opment Company. He was delegate
at-large from Virginia to the Demo
cratic National Convention ut Chicago in
1892, and was earnest in his advocacy
of the nomination Grover Cleveland for
the presidency.
He was a conspicuous figure in the in
auguaation parade of President Cleve-
land ip 1893, and was heartily cheered
by the crowds which thronged tennsyl-
vania Avenue. In June, 1896, General
Lee was appointed as United States
Cousul General to Cuba, which position
he held until the opening of the war
with Spain, when he returned home and
was made major general of volunteers
and given command of an army corps in
the United States army. He was ap-
pointed TO the gesulsr army With the
rank of brigadier general Of the regu-
lar army of the United States. He was
retired soon after with this rank, end
Ing his career Oh Ehe rolls Of the army
in which it had so brilliantly begun.
MEMBER OF FAMOUS FAMILY.
General Fitzhugh Lee was lineal de-
scendant of the famous Light Horse
Harry" Lee of of the Revolution, and
nephew Of General Robert F. Lee.
He was born at Clemont, Fairfax County
Va, November 10, 1885, and was grad
uated from West Point in 1856. May
1860, he was ordered to report at West
Point as instructor of cavalry and en-
tered the Confederate service. At first
! he was placed on staff duty and was
adjutant general of Rwell's Brigade
until September, 1861, when he was
made lieutenant colonel of The First
Virginia Cavalry, and later promoted
to colonel. In all of the campaigns of
Northern Virginia he took prominent
part. On July %, 1869, he was Hade
brigadier general, and on September 3,
1863, he was appointed major general.
In the battle of Winchester, September
10, 1864, thres horses were shot under
him, and he was disabled by a severe
wound which kept him from duty for
several months. In March, 1865, he
was PLACED in command Of the whole
cavalry corps of the Army of Northefn
Virginia, and a month later he was COM
PEELED to surrender to General Meade