Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-06-04
GEN. S. D. LEE IS DEAD
PASSES AWAY PEACEFULLY AT
vIcKsBURo. MISS.
Death Comes Near Battlefield Most
Connected With His Nams-osn.
Lee Was One Of Only Three Sur
viving Confederate Generals.


Lev. commander.inchief Of the United
Confederate Veterans. knightly gentle
man and ehivalrous soldier. and beloved
by every man. woman and child Of
Dixie Land. answered the last roll call
few seconds before O'Clock this morn
ing. His death wss psinles. and he
passed peacefully into the valhalls Of
the South's immortai..
Dr. J. A. n Birchett, his physician,
states that the sp>cifc cause Of mis-
ieath was cerebral hemorrhage and
stroke Of sPopIexy affecting his lef,
side This was caused by an overtsx.
ing exhaustion in greeting and veleom-
ing here last Friday four regiments Of
Iowa and Wisconsin soldiers which met
in reunion.
Gen. Lee met then for the arst time
after the war men whom he had fought
on the battlefield forty-hve years b.
fore. He was overioyed. especially at
meeting Col ". H. Needham Of Iowa.
the only FEDERAL soldier Who had broken
into Confederate lines In the assault
on vicksburg and escaped With bis life
His heart was stirred with powerful.
overmastcring emotion. he thrilled with
glowing elcluence ami delivered by far
the most powerful broshsriy address ever
made BY him
1t completely exhausted him The in
tense heat Of the day affected him. Re
turning to his hotel. he ate a hearty
meal Friday night he was seixed with
acute indigestion. Saturday he ralliel
Monday evening his recovery seemed 50
sure that he planned to leave here Tues
day. Tuesday evening he collapsed lie
entered a state of coma. The hand Of
paralysis was upon him His mind wan
dsred. At times there seemed to be
signs Of returning consciousness. II was
evident Wednesday afternoon that he
was to die. lie grew weaker during the
night and died as morning came.
A special train will leave with the
body at 72O O'Clock tomorrow morning
over .he Alabama a Nicksburg for Co
iumbus via Meridian. The sorrowing
family and an official escort will ~
with the train
II was fitting that his life shOud end
here on the mightiest battlefield Of the
South, for it was in the Nicksburg cam
paign he won his spurs and revealed an
intrepid gallantry unexeelled by any
warriors OF history. II was within a
few miles Of Vicksburg that he won his
greatest battle, Chickasaw bayou, and
decisively defeated the Northern gen
eral, W. T. Sherman.
Work Of Last Year.
The latter years Of his life were al.
most completely wrapped up in the de-
velopment of the Nieksburg National
Military park, of which he was a com.
missioner The last ten years Of his
life he dedicated to the beautiful work
of more closely reuniting the blue and
the gray in the common brotherhood oi
man. The scores of reunions held here
gave him a national field for this glori.
Gus promotion and he had come 20 be
known to more surviving Federal sol
diers as . pescemaker than any other
Southern commander. Resolute. daring
during the great seige, his signal defeat
of Sherman at Chickasaw bayou put of
the seige of Vicksburg for months.
Gen. Lee died at the official residence
Of the National Military Park commits
sion, of which he was a member. Chair
man w. T. Rigby Immediately notified
his fellow commissioners and the wal
department.
Gen. Lee had prepared his annual ad
dress to the United Confederate veter
ans, which was to have been delivered
in early June at Birmingham. 1t is the
grandest paper ever prepared by him
and will be published.
Casket Draped in Loved Flag.
The easket OF Gen. Lee is wrapped in
. Confederate flag. Hundreds of vicks
burg citizens paid their last respects
Telegrams of coincidence poured in from
the most distinguished men Of the ma
tion, and especially the South. Ths
public schools Of the city were closed
Mayor Griffith issued an official procla
nation and wired President Roosevelt.
The ladies' organizations were tender
In their tributes, and the room where he
sleeps is banked with flowers from the
Daughters of the Confederacy, Ladies oi
the Confederate Memorial association
and Daughters of Veterans.
He was an intimate friend Of Presi
dent Roosevelt of late years. The presi
dent had a great affection for the great
est living MississipPian. He was the
personal escort to President Roosevelt,
on his visit here last October, and to
Mrs. Roosevelt when she came here to
board the yacht Mayfiower in April
Flags are at half-mast at National
Park headquarters and draped flags arr