New-York tribune., 1908-07-21
LEE STATUE COMPLETED
Virginia Commission Pleased 1C'th
Likeness for Capitol Niche.

The statue OF Robert T. Lee designed by Ed
ward " Valentine the Richmond sculptor. wnicn
Virginia II to place in Statuary Hall In the CAp'o
at Washington beside a bronze replica Of the Hou-
don statue Of George Washington has been COM
pleted at the foundry Of the Gorham Company AT
Providence. Members OF the commission appointed
by the Virginia Legislature to have the AFFAIR IN
charge were in this city yesterday at the Norman
House on their way home from Providence. where
they inspected the statue. They expressed them
selves as greatly pleased with It,
Mr. Valentine accompanied them their trip
He IL also the designer Of the recumbent statue OF
Lee over the generals tomb IN the chapel at Wash
ington and Lee University. Lexington Va
The uniform OF the statue was copied directly
from the full dress uniform worn by General
Leo at Appomattox, now preserved IN the Confed-
crate museum in the Jefferson Davis mansion
Richmond. The representation, the commission
says Is complete to the sword. spurs and other
minute details. The bronze figure Is exactly life
stxe in ev.ry particular. nd in that respect, at
least, could not have been designed by any other
sculptor.
year or 30 before General Lee died. in October.
1870 he reluctantly went to the studio OF Mr. Val
entine where the sculptor took his complete meas
urements.
trip Of inspection Captain John c. Featherston. Of
Lynchburg Captain r. B. Davis, Of Petersburg;
Captain H. c. Rice. Of Charlotte County. and ex-
Judge George L. Christian, OF Richmond. fought
under Leo. State Senator -. r. daIsey, secretary
of the commission. nephew OF Senator Daniel:
ex-State Senator E Lyle. Of Roanoke. and ex-As-
semblyman George e. Sipe were also Of the party.
The members who unable to make the trip
Governor Claude L. swanson, ex-senator
Thomas D. Gould and Captain John C. Gent Cap
tain Davis is chairman Of the commission
Senator Halsey who introduced the bill IN the
Virginia Legislature in 1893 providing that the
statues Of Washington and Lee be placed side by
side In the two inches reserved for Virginia In
Statuary Hail. said yesterday that in the ve years
subject had before the country nothing but
approval had come from the prominent public men
In the North regarding the move The state law
providing for the statue speaks Of 1t "as good
will Offering from Virginia to the nation OF which
she forms loyal constituent part"
Mr. Halsey said the federal Law passed In 1854 left
Il entirely to the discretion Of each state what
should represent IL in Statuary Hail. and Vir-
sinia offered Lee the finest type OF Southern
manhood, the greatest exponent OF Vrginian chiv-
alrv.
There Is at present a plaster copy of Houdon .
Washington IN Of the inches reserved for vfr-
gnia in statuary Hail. but Virginia did not put II
there, the members Of the commission say. and
they do not know how 1t to be there It win
give way to bronze replica Of the Statue,
provided for in the same law which appropriated
10000 for the Lee statue Both will be placed IN
their inches At the same time II had been sug-
geeted by those who consider that tho time Is not
yet ripe for Virginia to offer statue Of the
national government that ono Of Jefferson Mad
ison Monroe Marshall would be more accept
able to union sentiment But Virginia had set her
heart Lee.