The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-01-22
THE THREE EpOCHy OF LEE
4ddress by Hon. J. c. MacRae, IL. D.

memorable cahrSe winch drove out
the enemy and restored our lines,'
II think the little old man had q
patient hearing the next time he came
and / think ne had an enthusiastic
advocate when his case came UP in
court
The speaker recited other incidents
Of old veterans, touching them with
the soft color Of sympathy and thrill
ing with pride in them as he said
'"These gallant men knew General
Lee; perhaps il you could talk with
them, they would tell you about him,
but they are not the kind that talk
about themselves"
The Three EEpochs Of Lee.
The life of General Lee, Judge Mac
Rae Stated-uSing the term adVisedly
to be comprised in three distinct
epochs: the first comprising his tute-
iage under the care of his widowed
mother, Annie Hill Carter Lee lineal
descendant Of Governor SpottSwOod
WhO fought under Marlborough at
Blenheim and who traced direct de-
scent from King Robert, the Bruce,
Of Scotland; his appointment in 1925
To West Point; his successive stations
in the engineer corps; the service in
the Mexican war of which General
Scott said pfophetically that his own
success was largely due to the skill.
Valour and undoubted courage Of
Robert f. Lee; that he was the great
est llllltdlg SHtluS Ill Ailtlitd, the
best soldier that he ever saw in the
field. and that if opportunity offered,
he would show himself the foremost
captain Of his time" his brevettins
Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Col
onel; his service under Albert Sidney
Johnston in the West; his colonelcy of
the first cavalry and his suppression
Of the John Brown raid on Harpers
Ferry.
Forced Breakin~ of Union Ties.
Judge MacRae called attention to
the service of General Lee in the Uni
ter states Army to emphasize, he said
the ties which bound him to the Union
He was recognized as the countrys
greatest soldier. The command of its
armies was his for the taking. But he
could not listen to a temptation that
left him no alternative except Warring
against mis- State and people. He drew
u striking comparison between the
conduct of Lee and that of North
Carolina IL being 10th to separate upon
the doctrine OF seces sion; in beng
more unable to take the choic" of
furnishing troorS To fight their reia~
tives and friends OF the South.
Speaking to the Daughters, Judge
NacRae said:
lit is Well to preserve the truths
of history; people We're beginning to
forget already the causes of secession
of these States when you took it up
the Confedcracy. to keep pure the
channels of history fer your children.
but for you the so-called histories
to be read in schools might soon have
lead our sons and daughters into
erieyouS error concerning the spirit
which moved the fathers to stand for
the Constitution as it was when it
was adopted
The Genius OF the Field.
OF the second epoch, that of the
War Between the States. Judge Mac
Rae treated at some little length, yet
ropidly: Lees conception of the mag
,nificent Valley Campaign" executed
by jackson, better named meteor of
battle" than "StoneWall':
His great campaign opened with
General Order No. IS, which shows
the absolute precision and foresight
with which it all was planned.
In one short week he had sewpt,
with his $4,000 men around McLellan'S
right and rear, doubled him up, from
MechanicsNille. through that series of
desperate battles, and landed him un-
! der cover of the gun boats on James
! River He had raised the siege of
Richmond: taken fifty-two pieces of
artllery: $4,000 stand of arms, nearly
enough to put in the hands of the
| Army of Northern Virginia the latest
pattern of offensive small arms fresh
from the factories of the enemy And
this splendid campaign was made at
loss of about 1000 men more than that
of the enemy, $4,000 men to their 16,-
/ 000, Lees army being the aggressors
! And Mcclellan had at least a hun
| dred thousand men.
NO wonder he reported to Wash
! ington that Lee had 100000, and
! called for reinforcements.
Next he destroyed Pope's army a.
. Second Manassas and the other lesser
| battles''
| He traced in quick detail the as
| founding resume of results of the cam
| palgns resulting in the fore-stalling
| or McClelland in Maryland the Val
| ley Of Death which Burnside met at
| Fredericksburg. the crashing blow
| against Hooker ct charlottesville.
How shall we speak of the Get
| tysburg campaign," he exclaimed
| 80 perfectly planned: so splendidIy
| begun!"
"The Army of Northern Virginia
| had become an army of young veter-
! ans, perfect in discipline full of cour-
/ age and elan. led by as fine set cf
| generals and subalterns as ever
manned an army; enthusiastic. eager
| compact. strong, and apparently in
vincible.
And but for tho, loss of jackson,
! they We're invincible.
But the stars in their courses
| fought AGAINST them.
'''Fo call the names of those knights
| and gentlemen would even now start
| afresh passionate tears over the un-
| timely fate of the brave and gallant
sons of the South. Let US leave them
| to the glory thew have painted With
/ their good. red blood in the farthest
| advance high up on the slopes OF
| Death
''Ife remained for twenty-four hours
| Continued on Page Two.)