The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-06
STATUE OF S. D. LEE
DWELLING IN vrCKsBuRG o.
JUNE II.
GEN. Clement A. Evans and Gen. Fred
ID. Grant Will BE Among
the Distinguished
Speakers.

| Speakers.
vicksburg. Miss, June, Son June
II. the day following the close or the
United Confederate Veterans Reunion
at Memphis. many of the old soldiers
ana other notables will assemble here
70 attend the unwilling of q statue OF
the late General Stephen Dill Lee. who
| was commander in-c chief OF the Con-
federate organization at the time OF
| his DEATH
1t was in the siege Of vicksburg
that General Lee won, his spurs as a
dashing and intrepid Commander, and
the last years of his life were devoted
to the perfection of the great national
| military park here. General lee died
ct Vicksburg May 2sth. 1908. and 1t
Is peculiarly hitting that the south's
memorial statue to him should be
erected on the spot which he loved
50 well On the same day another
monument to his memory. though
smaller in size. will be unveiled at the
state Agricultural and Mechanical
College at Starkville, Mississippi, as he
was the first president OF that institu-
ton. This memorial, though OF lesser
importance than the Vicksburg statue,
nevertheless emphasizes the universal
affection of the people OF Mississippi
for him. Another monument will be
where the old commander sleeps. in
everlasting rest.
North, south. east and west will
send celebrities to do honor to the
memory of the chivalrous soldier, of
Dixie. Major General Frederick Dent
Grant. OF the Department of the Lakes.
has been delegated by the Secretary
of War to receive the statue on the
part of the United States, which will
be officially presented to him by Gen.
eral Clement A. Evans. of Georgia.
COMMANDMENT Chief of the United
Confederate Veterans, Colonel George
r. Peck, Of Chicago. will be orator Of
the day and Henry Watterson. Of
Kentucky, the veteran editor Of Tho
Louisville Courier-Journal. will be
master of ceremonies and preside at
the suspicious occasion. Many of the
last surviving generals of the Con-
federacy and other eminent men will
be present. Secretary Of War Jacob
M Dickinson, who was a fellow-towns-
man of General Lee at Columbus, has
expressed his keenest regrets that Of
fetal duties would prevent him from
being present
The well-known sculptor Henry
Hudson Kttson, of Quincy. Massachu-
sets. who designed the statue. viii be
present to direct the placing of his
handiwork. He is the greater of many
handsome monuments of various nor
thern states already completed and
dedicated in the Wicksburg National
Military Park. In his work. he knew
General Lee. then one of the park
commissioners, and put his best ef-
forts into this statue.
The unwilling of the monument will
occur at 8 o'clock In the afternoon In
the National Military Park. Hospitable
Vicksburg will welcome thousands of
Mississippians and LouisianssS within
her gates. Governors Noel of Missis-
sippi. and Sanders. of Louisiana with
their respective STATS, will be present
and the division officers of the Con-
federate Organization will arrive
from Memphis on the morning of
June. 18th.
Already the Vickisburg people have
thrown heart and soul into the work
of assisting in the exercises, in an
effort to make 1t one of the most me-
morable occasions since the siege OF
the historic city. Citizens committees
have arranged for every detail. the
local military companies will fire sa-
lutes and hundreds of school children
will join in the patriotic songs.
The statue is of life size and rep
resents General Lee in a moment of
triumph, after one of his victories
In skirmish about Vicksburg. 1t
stands on a redoubt in the Military
Park near the Alabama and Weeks
burg Railroad on commanding i'm
minence. He was then in the full de-
Velopment of young manhood and the
pose is both noble and heroic. The
statue cost $4,000. 1t is a tribute of
affection from his only son, Rlewitt
Lee, of Chicago, Captain William T.
Rigby, Chairman of the :. Vicksburg
National Military Park Commission.
and hundreds of veterans OF the south.
who followed the late general in bat
tie, and others who admired him
RiSby. although a Northern soldier.
born in Iowa, was associated with Cen
eral Lee when the latter was himself
chairman of the Park Commission. In
constant association he grew to love
the modest southerner whose declining
years were devoted to cemsnting the
ties of brotherhood between the north
and south. A little time before his
death General Lee, Captain RigbY and
Colonel John c. Everes Of Chicago,
three members of the park commits
sion. were making an inspection of the
beautiful park, when they reached the
railroad redoubt where where General
Lees greatest victory was won. AS
they stood upon this imminence Cap
tain Rigby went to General Lee and
asked him to stand again upon the
ments of his troops, explaining to him
that years later. when he passed away.
he wanted a monument erected upon
the very spot to commemorate his tri-
umph, General Lee. yielded to the
request and said: "Rigby, your are
all very good to me-" Captain Rig
by marked the spot and 1t Is there the
statue to General Lee will stand for
ever as a memorial.
Among the contributors to the sta
tue fund was former President Roose-
Welt. who admired General Lee.
General Stephen Dill Lee, was born
at Charleston, South Carolina, Septem-
Der, 20, 1885, and spent his boyhood
in the Carolina's. He graduated from
West Point in 1854 as nrst lieutenant
of artillery. He was assigned to the
Fourth United States Artillery and
was connected with that arm of mill
tary service until he resigned In 1916
to cast his fortunes with the south
to whose cause he offered his heart
and sword. He was one of the two af-
fcers sent by General Beauregard to
demand the surrender OF Fort Sumter
and when the order was refused com
manded the nearest water battery to
open fire. He was captain in Hamp-
toms legion where he served until
November, 1851, when he was commits
stoned Major of Artillery, and in 1863.
was appointed lieutenant-colonel and
gained distinction at Seven Pines and
the battles of The Wilderness. In the
Pope campaign in 1852 was promot-
ed to be colonel. Late in that year he
was appointed brigajier general by