The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-02-07
4 GREAT SOLDIER
Gen. Robert F. Lee, Commander.
in.Chief OF the
CONFEDERATE ARMY


Recently by Dr.. John A. Wyatt Be-
fore the NV York Southern
Society. A Grand Tribute
to 6 Graad Man.
The fol wing is the frat section O!
a speech recently delivered before the
New York Southern Society By Dr.
John a. Wyatt. Next week we vii.
publish the second section OF this
speech. Both sections should "a reao
In every school In the c1untr:
Tne South may claim With pardon.
able pride that it furnished not onl?
The president of each of the divided
sections in the struggle fJr the estab.
iishnent Of separate Confederacy
but the great central figure Of the
Civil war for the North as well as FOL
the South. History will accord that
Abraham Lincoln was the one conspic-
uous figure on the side Of the Union,
and tor the South none will challenge
that claim fos Lee. They were, more.
over, representatives. Of the widely
divergent classes OF our section, the
c'eseisn and the patrician. The story
f L n;oln might we'll be c!assed with
1.-THE sho.t and simple annals OF the
poor
while Lse came straight from the
cavaliers and their descendants, the
wealthy cultured aristocEacy OF Vir-
ginia.
His father, Richard Henry Lee,
better known as Light Horse Hsr-
~" the beau ssbreur IT the Amasicla
army, vas c1rsoicuous figure IN tha
first continsntal congress. 1t was be
wEo. on jane 7, l776, rov5d tbs re5o
luton "taas these united colonies are,
and Ct right ought to be, tles and in
dependent State'; thab they are ab-
solved from all allegiance to the Brit
ish crown, and that al polisical con-
oection between them and the States
ot Great Britain is, and ought to BE-,
totally 6isao:Yed."
He and bis brother we're singers OF
the Dselara .ioo cf Independence, and
an3 IL vas this same Lee who pro
claimed George Washington as the
first il war, first in peace and 6rst
in the hearts OF his couutrymen
Upon his mothers siIe he claimed
the lineage Of the Carters Of Shirley
Born on Jauu.ry 10 1897, bis ch.li-
hood and youth were passed il tie cu|
tiva5ed circles Of the tiaewaaer region
Of Virginia At the ags OF IS he en.
5ered West Point aud completing the
course CT study without a single mark
OF ceneris he graduated second iG
c,as5 Ct 46. For Sevesal years he served
in the engineer corps constructing
coast defeEces, and for part OF this
time 10 charge OF the astronomical
9eoartmena Of the government. In
1882 he narried the daughter Of
George ". Parke Cu'.is, the adopted
son ct Gen. Washington, and later
vas made captain on the staff in the
Mexican war.
OF all tie brilliant reputations
among the younger group OF officers
which were won in THAT campaign
Less was the most conspicuous. 0 3On
him the commander in chief leaned as
upol no other. At Csrro Gordo be
was breveted maj z for exceptional
zallautry. At Consreras and CheZu.
5usco he was Cf6c ally proclaimed for
neritorious conduct, and Oh account
OF wound received in tbs assault on
0dspuleepsc, September 13, 1847, be
received his promotion to lieutenant
colonel. It was here at Coatreras,
whsn the a-uy was beffs5, that toe
quick eye OF Lee discovered, By dar
Ing reconnaissance, line Of approach
hidden from the enensy by which the
position might be taken. This the
conmander.in.chief Of the army char
scler zsd as The greatest feat OF
physical and moral courage performed
by anV individual during the entire
c.npa &C."
10 his cfi.ial report Gan. Scott
said: 7 am compelled to make special
ms0t-on If Capt. 3. E Lse, engineer.
He greatly distinguished h:mseif a.
the siege Of Aera Cruz, was i1deiact
gable during these operations in re.
conuaiSssnces. as daring Is labo.ious.
aud Of Jhe u1n3st Vaiu'. Nor was he
less c;nspcuous In planting batteries
and in conducting columns to thet!
stations ubdsr the heavy fire Of .the-
enemy" he further says: Capt;
Lee, so censtsntly distinguished, a;so
bore I'M 5o1taEG orders from ne, until
ae faiDred from a wound and the less
OF tWo nights sleep at tee batteries !"
Afeer the Mexican war he was ap-
ooicted, il 1852, superintendent Ct
she military acaieuy at Wsss Point,
an! In 1855, lieutenant colonel OF the
second cavalry, undar Col. Alber5 Sid
nay Johnston II lS5ste vas direct
ed by the pres den5 OF the Uaiss2
Stat s to arrest John Brown and bis
1910 se7s in t1s:r N lrdscous iavsSi@n
OF Vi gin a, end On Marca 10, 1851;
ns was app .icted co-oneE3n tie Uns
5eo S5ates army;
Whsn tne S ,uaherI States were se-
csdisg an1 war seemed inevitable
10 8 the rccoE EUendssioa Of Gen.
Saatt. then commander in-caiet. Pres
i!ent Lincoln cfefed Lee the CON