Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-05-03
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee Died Sud.
denly Last Friday Night

ooolcouah, 0lpiOmdt, 10 ucdu
Stricken with appoplexy, and
paralysis early Friday morning
while on a train enroute from Bos-
ton to Washington, he was taken
to Providence Hospital on his ar
rival at the latter city, where he
died Friday night, April 2Sth, at
about 11:30 o'clock. The train
bearing the distinguished patient
reached Washington about 1C
O'Clock Friday morning. and was
met at the station by many of his
army and personal friends. He
was taken at once to the hospital
where he received the best medi-
cal attention. The end came quite
suddenly and without pain.
General Fitznugh Lee was q
great grandson of the famous
Lighthouse Harry" Lee of the
Revolution. He was a son of
Captain Sidney Smith Lee of the
United States Navy, who was a
brother of General Robert E. Lee,
and was born at Clermont, Fair
fax county, November 10, 1885.
He was graduated from West
Point in 1855, entered the Second
Cavalry, and saw active service on
the frontier fighting Indians. In
1850 he was appointed instructor
of Cavalry at West Point. At the
beginning of the Civil War in 1851
he resigned his commission in the
United States Army and entered
the Confederate service, At first
he was placed on staff duty and
was Adjutant General of Ewell's
Brigade until September, 1851,
when he was made Lieutenant
Colonel of the First Virginia Cav
airy, and later promoted to Col
onel. In all of the campaigns OF
Northern Virginia he took prom.
inent part. On July rs, 1852, he
was made Brigadier General, and
on September s, 1868, he was ap,
pointed Major General, being the
youngest officer of that rank ia the
service.
In the battle of Winchester,
September 10, 1854, three horses
were shot under him, and he was
disabled by a eevere 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
Northern Virginia, and a month
later he was compelled to surrend-
err to General Meade at Farmville,
near Appomattox, in April, 1865.
Buoyant, brave and able, Gener-
al Lee was one of the most popular
leaders of the armies of the Con-
fedarcy, and his cavalry raida into
Maryland when Grant was held
ing the long line of the Potomac
were sometimes Of u sensation al
character. "a magnificent horse
man, he traire ed his Virginia troop
ers to a point of excellence and
daring in cavalry seryics perhaps
never before equaled, and never
afterwards excelled.
After the close Of the war Gener-
al Lee returned to his desolated
estate in Stafford county, Va, and
remained in retirement for several
years, raising cops with patient
industry, In 1871 he married
Ellen Bernard, of Alexandria, Va,
who is of distinguished ancestry.
He had five ,children--two boys
and thee girls. Though given
chiefly to active pursuits, and fond
of nothing 30 much as thorough
bred Virginia horse. he wrote a
life of General Robert r. Lee,
which is ranked as one OF the best
biographies of the Confederate
chieftsin.
Re-enteriug public life in 1874,
General Lee made a trip to the
North, and at the Bunker Hill
centennial in the following year
delivered patriotic speech, which
was one of toe esr)isst efforts of
the leading men on eithsr side to
lay aside the irritating memories
of the "Lost Cause," and draw
together in the old bonds of one
national life. This speech made
a profound impi ession throughout
the country.
General Lee vqs elected Cover
nor of Virginia in 1895, and his
campaign was a succession of per-
sonal ogations ending in his graft
flying majority. His opponent
was Capt. john S, Wise. Retir-
ing from the governorship January
[, 1890, General Lee resumed his
place as a private citizen, being
ineligible to reelection. He was
Immediately chosen president OF
the Glasgow Development Com
pany Of this county and resided
at "Glengyle" on James river,
now the summer home Of Presl-
pent George W. Stevens of the
Chesapeake and Ohio. For some
time during the ''boom" days Gen.
eral Lee and family made there
home in Lexington. In 1898 his
friends undertook to secure his
election as United States Senator,
but existing political combinations
were too powerful to be overcome.
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