The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-29
The Military Leader.

T.
American history.
The Military Leader.
AS military leader he accomplished
s. results with Insufficient resources so
wonderful as to we'll night stngger In
credulity. He was brave almost to rash
ness Courage Is lngralned In the Lee
family Fortune after fortune was Of
fered to General Robert II. Lee by CRATE
full citizens when the war was over.
A mild. dignifled and pleasant refusal
was his answer in every case. He accept
ell the position in which he thought he
could do most good. Cine act. and one
alone. OF his entire life, appeared at the
time to the writer to be the proper sub
aject OF criticsm. It was when he asked
for pardon. Time and reflection have
taught me to regard it with only mild
feeling OF regret. know he did It
because he thought 1t was right: he
wished by this supreme act OF abnega-
tion and self-sacrifice, to make an ex-
ample for the people OF the South to-
follow. Perhaps he was right. although
the writer Is not OF that opinion. stu
1t does not become me to crlticse the
action of the great cavalier whose sac
rifices for the success of the Southern
Confederacy far surpassed that OF any
other man. living or dead. With quiet
md gentle dignity, after the war was
over, he pursued the even tenor of his
way, and when his great spirit passed to
the unknown land, Virginia mourned as
she had never mourned before, since
George Washington the father of his
country, had gone to his rest II Is said
that the military tactics OF General Ro-
bert e. Lee revolutionized modern war
n hat Ia x,,tfbo -
a definite plan, and with Stonewal jack
son, whom he called his fright hand"
to execute. he was invlncible. He was
never known to swear an oath nor to
use q vulgar epithet. In dignity he was
not surpassed even Ivy George Wash
ington; his private character was as
.blameless as that OF any man known to
history TO tho few who ever saw his
wrath--it is said It was terrible-no man
would ever risk It but once.
Flo never spoke an unklnd word OF tho
enemy. but always mentioned them as
those people" It was noble sight IN
the Spo tsylvania battle, when no deter
mined to lead the division In person.
Ills soldiers, with tears streaming down
their cheeks, begged him not TO lead
veterans of hundred battlefeds, with
tremuous voices, entrcated him to let
them take the heights. and under the lead
of the intrepid Gordon. the Chevalier
Baynrd OF the South. they did capture
the heights. and to the glorious name
OF "Gordon." was added another proud
trophy, and It was enrolled high on the
Temple OF Fame there to remain forever.
TO profound knowledge OF his pro-
fesslon, General Lee added a cool, clear,
level headed Judgment. He formed his
plans with amazing rapidty once when
fl1nty DO i f~yA
struck like a thunderholt from heaven.
His campaign from August, 1854, to April,
1895. has never been surpassed in history,
The battles Of the "Wilderness' stand
In class by themselves, All honor to
General Ulysses s. Grant for his mag
nanimity to his chlvalrIc opponent on the
fated field OF Appomattox
TO BE AN HONORED RELIC.
1t Is the purpose OF the Confederate
camps OF Buckingham to enclose with q |
substantial steel railing the tree under
which he last camped and to mark unon
1t. "The IIast Camping Ground OF Gem
cral Robert 2. Lee" It will he an
honored relic Of the past. for 1t will re-
call the deeds which will live In song anu
story forever! The blood OF the gallant
martyrs who fell In loved and lost |
cause was not spilled in vain. It was
the noblest defense of constitutional
liberty made since the last contest OF the
Greeks with Macedonia. When defeat
came In that contest. Denosthenes was
asked II he did not regret having adyo-
Gated It, mo- said he. ~ we had not
made It, we should have desplsed our
selves MS towards who did not have tho
courage and patriotism to stand up for
tho rights OF our country; now that we
have made 1t. oven though we have lost
we nre upheld by tho glorious memory
that We did all in our power to maintain
the liberty Of our people," This Is equally |,
true of the Southern Confederacy," for
that memorable struggle raised UP a
lofty ideal before the world, which will
no of inestImabe benefit to orr children
and our children's children. Force may |
for time dim the memory of the heroic
struggle, but 1t has been true In the past
and 1t will always be true In the future
that force has never ana Will never estab-
lisha principle.
It was Bacon, a. Yrginian, who first
lit the bonfire Of liberty In 1916, upon tho