The Kemper herald., 1908-06-04
GEN. STEPHEN D. LEE
GREAT CONFEDERATE SOLDIER
DIES AT vIoKsBURG.
COMMANDER OF VETERANS
Suffered Attack Of Acute Indigestion
At Re-Union. Body Buried at His
Home in Columbus. Miss,
Last Sad Rites.

~
Lee, commander-in-chief OF the United
Confederate Veterans, one OF the very
few surviving Confederate heuten-
ant-generals, Vicksburg National PARK
commissioner, beloved and admired
bv the entire nation, ored at 6 O'Clock
Thursday morning, the 18th at the
home of Capt. William I. Rlgby.
Gen. Lee came to Vicksburg the
week previous to attend the reunion
of Lawler's brigade, three Iowa and
one Wisconsin regiments, and dellv-
cred fervid and patriotic address
during the reunion .Aerclses. lie
threw his whole soul and energy INTO
this address, and when he returned to
the city about dark he was very tired.
He ate hearty supper, and severe
attack of Indigestion followed.
DR.. BEchett was called in, ana
realized that Gen. Lee was very SICK
man. but the General apparently I'M
proved in condition until Tuesday at
ternoon, when change Tor the worse
occurred, and from that time he sank
rapidly.
Gen. Lees only son, Blewett, ar
rived in a few hours from Chicago.
1t is no exaggeration to say the
psusppps ueeq seq pueIqanoS sIoqM
by the death of this great and good
man. Gen. Lee was enthusiastic I'm his
efforts towards upbuilding the Vicks-
burg military park.
The funeral was held in Columbus
from the late residence OF General
Lee, according to the burial rites OF
the Baptist church, of which Gener-
al Lee was member.
Possibly no man, either North or
South, did more to bring the sections
together than Gen. Lee, and ars brave
ness, patriotism and gentleness caus-
ed him to be beloved in the North as
well as in the South.
At the time Of his death Gen. Lee
was the ranking officer of the Con-
federacy. Two other lieutenant gen.
erals Of the Confederacy still survive.
They are Gen. Alexander P. Stewart,
Of Chattanooga, Tenn, and Gen. ST.
mon Bolivar Buckner, Of Kentucky,
but by virtue of the precedence Of his
commission, Gen. Lee outranked both
Of these.
General Lee, soldier, was born in
Charleston, S. c., September %, 1888.
His family was among the most dis
tinguished in the state. His grand
father, Judge Thomas Lee, was Unit
ed States Judge in South Carolina
during President Monroe's admins
tration, presiding during the nullif-
cation difficulties and was strong
Union man. The grand son upon his
graduation in 1854, from the United
States Military Academy at West
Point, was assigned to the 4th artil-
lery, U. S. army, where he was first
lieutenant and regimental quartermas
ter, until 1861, when he resigned to
cast his lot with the south in the
Civil War. Previous to the reduction
of Fort Sumpter, he was appointed
captain in the South Carolina army.
After the fall of Fort Sumpter, Capt.
Lee was made quartermaster commits
sary and engineer disbursing officer
for the Confederate army in Charles
ton.
He was made brigadier general, No
vember 6, 1868, and ordered by Pres
ident Davis to Vicksburg, Miss, to
take command of the garrison and
batteries holding the Mississippi riv-
er at that point. Here he was sign
ally successful in many important en-
gagements, and after the fall Of
Viicksburg, was exchanged and pro-
NOTED to major general, August 3,
1868, and placed in command of all
the cavalry in Mississippi, Alabama,
West Tennessee and East Louisiana.
In February, 1865, Gen. Lee mar
ried Regina Harrison f Columbus,
Miss. Since the war Gen. Lee has la
bored energetically and constantly to
build up the waste lands of the south.
By profession he was planter and
was president of the Mississippi Me-
chanical & Agricultural College, max
ing a most successful record in this in
stitution.
Gen. Lee resigned the presidency
of the A. & M. College to accept the
appointment as member of the
Vicksburg National Military Park
Commission, of which he was elected
chairman.