Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-05

then became a wandercr over Europe,
visiting Italy. Germany, Switzerland
and France. The Letters of Junius,"
which were published about the time
he returned home were credited TO him
and he privately acknowledged their
authorship. but there is little reason to
doubt that he knew no more about their
production than did the man in tho
moon.
LEAVES ENGLAND.
In 1773 he left England. He had been
so bitter In his denunclation of the
government that he could hope for little
favor in England. so he determined TO
begin life anew in the colonies. He
had espoused the cause OF the colonlstS
in England and had been vigorous in
his declaration that the course of tho
government was sure to result in re-
belllon in America He arrived In New
York in October. and the following
month he set out for tour OF the prov
inces The papers of the day speak OF
him as a distinguished British soldier.
a sincere friend of liberty In general
and an able advocate of freedom, and
particularly of the rights OF the colo
MES.
Those were stirring days in the New
World. Tho whole country was in a
fcrment over the attitude of the mother
country toward the colonies. Here was
a man of prominence. a major general.
n veteran of many campaigns. who was
an ardent champion OF the cause of the
colonistS. Everywhere he went he re-
celved marked attention. In Pennsyl-
vania, Virginia and Maryland men We'd
with each other to do honor to him.
With pen and speech he let his senti-
1l1nntC known No went nlnCh
further than did Charles Lee in those
days Maybe he was expressing his
honest sentiments, Maybe he was
working off some of the wrath he had
stored up by reason of the neglect and
the affronts to which he had been sub
jected by the government, However
that may be, 1t is fact that he did
important service in the cause of free
dom. Unquest.onaIbly he gave point
and force to the feelings that were in
the minds of most of the colonistS- 1t
was a time OF bitterness. 1t was a time
for satire and vigorous expression. 1t
was a time for talents such as Lee pos
seSSed to appeal most to men.
Lee wrote n great deal to friends in
London. particularly to Edmund Burke,
He predicted that war was coming and
that England would lose the colonies.
He had a high opinion not only of the
mentality but OF the military qualifica-
tions of the colonists.
WANTED CHIEF COMMAND.
Lees clevornesS I'm argument and III
writing. his audacity in public speech
and his reputation as a military man
made him popular to an amazing de-
gree If ever Charles Lee was happy,
he was happy about this time. What
\ l., .A.k ~.
had longed for all his life seemed with-
in his reach at last. The provincials
had absolute confidence in him and he
saw nos good reason why he should not
be chosen to command the Continental
forces in the war he knew was i'm
pending. TO overcome any such OBJ
lection as the fact that he WAS not q
citizen OF the new world, he bought an
estate In Virginia and announced that
henccforth his lot should be cast with
the Americans,
He was present at the first session oil
the continental Congress.
He was present too, at the meeting
OF the second Congress. 1t was an in
tonSe disappointment to him when
Washington was selected as command
Artemas Ward was chosen to head the
list of major generals or the four,
Ward was named first. Lee second,
Schuyler third and Putnam fourth. Leo
scornfully referred to Ward as d fat old
church warden who was a joke as a
warrior. But he accepted the appoint
ment on June II, l175. and few days
later he formally resigned from the
British army, He was in service around
Boston just after Bunker hill. and did
good work drilling the Contnentals,
.nn M n ri Ior.,i. aff h.. n.kt lob.
evacuated Boston. Lee became senior
major general. and second in command
TO Washington. From Massachusetts,
Lee went to Rhode Island to recruit and
drill men, and when Charleston was
threatened by the British he hurried
there to take charge of it's defense How
the attack on Charleston was repulsed
Is history. Lee got full credit for il. and
when he came back north he was high
In popular favor, He wrote 4 multi
tudc of letters at this time He was
eager, too To get money from Congress
The drafts he had drawn on London to
pay for the estate he had purchased In
Virginia had gone to protest his prop
erty In England having been confls-
Gated by the king, He asked Congress
to relieve him. Congress did so. ad-
vancins $4,000 to him.
HIS CAPTURE.
How highly Lee was considered may
be jucged from a letter written by one
of Washngton's friends in camp near
New York at this time. He wrote:
General Lee is hourly expected. as
II from heaven. with a legion OF fam
ing swordsmen."
Lee Joined Washingtons army and
took an active part In the operations
on Long Island and in Tho Bronx. He
could see no merit in anything Wash
ington did and he became rnspingly
censoriois or congress for Its blunders
and It's lack of spirit.