The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20
'sMarse Robert. !:

Many commanders have been admired
by their soldiers few have been loved
Alexander, Napoleon, Wellington-eact
gained that enthusiasm which the daz.
zling military genius of man has al
ways drawn from his wondering brother
men; but none Of these. and perhaps nc
general In the long ranks OF history,
has won such love as was given by the
troops Of the Confederacy to Robert e
Lee.
The reason for this lies In the treat
! ment OF tho soldier. To most OF the
| great leaders. whose brilliant achieve
nents have sent their names rolling
down tho corridors Of time" an army
| Is but part OF great mechanism.
| means to an end. To accomplish pur-
pose, hundreds are hurled into hopeless
destruction, as If they formed merely
some great machine OF war, soulless,
inanlmate. Vast egions are but pawns,
to be moved at will over the chess
board Of battle. Unlike these military
generals. whose. martial fame has been
bought by the. blood OF thousands, Lees
reputation never cost the needless death
of one man, for he said, II had rather
sacrifice my military reputation, and
quietly rest under unjust censure, than
to unnecessarily sacrifice the life OF a
single one of my men, To him, each
soldier in his columns was an indi-
vidual human being, with heart and
soul, with hopes and aspirations like his
Ia
each one. The tender greeting which he
gave them, the hearty handclasp. the
hopes in the face OF discouragement-
each was a touch OF kindness" that
made "the whole world of his camp
"kin"-bound by ties OF friendship and
loyalty to one another and to their be-
loved ''Marse Robert"
There were traits in Lees character
which, seen through the eyes OF his SOL
dlers, inspired each man with devo-
ton that approached idolatry. Ills sense
of duty. his tenderness, his Christianity,
his lack OF bitterness toward the North
and his devotion to the South-these
qualities made him the soldiers ideal.
Duty, the soldiers watch-word, was
the keynote OF Lees life. In the hard
struggle OF breaking old ties and re-
nouncing the Star-spangled Banner;
in the many hard-fough. battles OF the
long Civil War; in tho heartrending sur
render at Appomattox; in every position,
however difficult, Lee stood before his
men the personifcation OF duty winning
their respect and love. This sentence,
which he wrote as advice to his son,
dominated his whole life: Duty Is the
sublirnest word In the English Ian
guage,"
That trait in Lees character which
was perhaps most strongly felt by his
soldiers was his tenderness. Each one
was the object of his kindly solicitation
His heart went out to his boys"
wounded or fever-stricken. and no father
could have watched over them more
anxiously. He gave to them the few rare
luxuries which friends had intended for
himself and he endured all the hard
ships OF the private's NE. For their
sake he gave up all habits which. while
harmless in themselves. might prove
bad example to his men.
Besides Lees tenderness. which won
the hearts OF his soldiers to him. his
est turned them to his God. Their
spiritual welfare was OF deep Importance
to him, and he aided his chaplain In
every way to bring religion into the
hearts OF his men. Nearly every mill
tary dispatch sent by him contained the
name OF Christ. the royal Master and !
all victories were attributed to ''the grace !
of Cod" Yet the,e illusions were never |
for effect. He lived his religion day by |
day. and the example which he set not |
only for his soldiers. but also for the !
world. Is that Of faithful, earnest
prayerful Christian soldier.
Lees lack Of bitterness toward the
North at time when malice toward the
Federals had reached ita highest point
was the best example which he could
have set to his soldiers. When he made
his Northern invasions, though the cry
OF the South was for retaliation for the
ravages committed In their Southland,
he declared against all plundering, pun
Ishing offenders with the utmost severity.
His attitude toward Northern prisoners
was kind In the highest degree-the liv-
Ing illustration OF the text. III thine
enemy hunger. feed him; II he thirst,
give him drink
OF Lees devotion to the South no
words are needed. A bright page In the
dark history OF the Civil War. It Is known
to every ono To Lees soldiers. fight
ing for their country and their rights,
this was tho supreme tie which bound
their hearts to that OF their beloved
Marse Robert
So, even though defeat at length bowed
Lees noble head in surrender, his boys"
never faltered In their deep love for him.
They realized that 1t was not his fault.
t was as he had said at Appomattox:
We have fought through the war to-
,ether; have done the best could
or you"
AMELIA v. GOODWIN. 'o7.
Newport News High School,
Newport News. Va.
|
Recognized by the North.