Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-20
HONOR LEES MEMORY
ConfederateS Celebrate Great
Generals Birthday.
CHRISTIAN LIFE ExT0LLED
Old Comrades Pay Tribute to His
Genius as a Soldier.
CROSSES OF HONOR AWARDED
Daughters Bestow Decorations Upon
Descendants Of Veterans of the
Gray-old Letters Read.


versary of the birthday of Gen. Robert
ISOLATION Of the District of Columbia last
night at the Confederate Memorial Home,
1922 Vermont avenue northwest, battles
which were fought more than half CEN
fury ago were fought over again by the
veterans and their friends.
The parlors of the home. which were
entirely inadequate for the large as
| semblage Of veterans and their descend
| ants, were packed to the doors long be-
fore the exercises opened The celebra-
ton was In the form of a memorial
meeting, at which several veterans pro-
nounced eulogies to the great Confederate
commander. Holmes Conrad. a veteran
of the war, and who was close per-
sonal friend of Gen. Lee, was the princi-
pal orator of the evening.
Mr. Conrad said that in the organic law
of the United Confederate Veterans the
Confederate Memorial Association. the
Confederate Relief Association, the
Daughters of the Confederacy and the
Sons of the Confederate Veterans. gath
cred to do honor to the memory of Gen.
Lee, it had been provided that on the
10Th Of each January, the anniversary of
observed ..-..-.
Forty years distant from the great
civil conflict, the greatest civil war
known to history, after more than a
generation of the bitterest sectional
feeling, we have found place in the
respect, admiration and esteem of our
former enemies" said Mr.. Conrad. Lee.
that greatest Christian soldier, is en-
shrined in the hearts of the country and
our countrymen. The barriers of par
p hot L. ont fho ri h nd
apart SO long have been broken down
and from all sections of our great coun-
try come. gladly and spontaneously,
men of all ranks to do homage to the
memory of the great soldier. We are
here to give expression of our admira-
ton of the leader of the cause VIC
fought for. which we believed was
right, and we have not changed that
in small way some of the ideals of
| the spotless life lived by our peerless
leader.
His Greatness Secure in History. ,
There are men today who would
have taken 1t as d great privilege to
have shot dead Gen. Lee on the field
| who today do his memory honor. What
| is it that has changed men so in so
| short period, who come forward and
honor the great public national char
| acter? Would you compare his Prov
| ress to that of the military genius of
| Alexandria. Caesar, Napoleon. Washing
| ton? IF you did then you would not only
find that his military ability would stand
| the crucial test. but that in point of
greatness of character Lee would
stand respondent far above them all.
Lee was natural-born soldier; he mad
a long line of distinguished ancestry
behind him as soldiers: 1t was the am
| bition of his life to be great soldie~
and be of service to his country That
| he was a great field marshal and one
| filled with patriotism and self-sacrifice
| for his native land is stamped upon his
| tory so clearly and indelibly that his
| purposes at this day cannot be ques-
| toned"
| Mr.. Conrad after reviewing the private
| Christian life of Lee and holding up his
| character as model of patriotism to all
generations as self-sacrificing closed with
| some personal "reminiscences of Gen Lee,
| with whom he was closely associated dur
! ing the war.
Christian. Life Extol1ed.
Rev. Randolph H. Mckim opened the
exercises with a prayer, in which he
| asked blessing upon those who fought
for a lost cause" He followed his
prayer with an address, in which he dwelt
upon the character of Gen. Lee and fur
Their said that he was, according to Lord
Wolsley, one of the greatest military
critics of his time, mot only a man of
high character, but a military genius,
comparable with such generals as Alex
ander and Napoleon" Here was a
| man. said DR. Mckim. whose home life
was beautiful in the extreme. His devo-
ton to his family was a trait that has
come down to us as one of the finest ex-
amples of loyalty to home that we have.
1t might be truly said, that lee con-
quered the world in one respect, for he
showed himself a Christian in battle. as
well as in private life"
The choir of the Church of the Ascen-
sion sang several hymns at the close of
DIR. Mckims address. Maj. Robert W.
Hunter of Richmond, Va, one of Lees
closest friends. delivered an address on
many of the battles which were fought
during the war. and he also read many
letters from Gen. Lee. written when the
general was cadet at West Point. Some
of these were read for the first time in
public.
Crosses of Honor Awarded.
One of the principal features of the
| exercises was the awarding of Crosses
of Honor" by the Daughters of the Con-
federacy to two local veterans James L.
Suddath Company l. 4th Virginia Reg1-
ment, and Gunneil Smith, LIST Regiment
of Virginia Volunteers. The distinction
was also conferred upon descendants of
veterans as follows: Lizzie S. W. John
son. daughter Of Joseph w. White. Com
pany F, 9Th Virginia Battalion; Ellen
w. Harper kerber, daughter Of Robert
w. Harper, LIST Regiment Arkansas
Mounted Riflemen; MILFORD S. Mcleod,
son Of MILFORD Mcleod, Company B, LIST
Regiment Maryland Cavalry; Otis
Townshend Tabler, daughter of John
Henry Townshend. adjutant on staff OF
Gen. Goode Bryan OF Georgia; A. Beale
Yeatman, son of Thomas A. Yeatman,
COMPANY A, 4Oth Regiment Virginia
Volunteers.
The exercises closed with q prayer by
Rev. J. Henning helms. reception
was later held In the parlors Of the home.
when the visiting guests were presented
to the members of the various local