The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1911-01-20
GEN. R. T. LEE
IS HONORED
WILSON CHAPTER OF DAUGHTERS
OF CONFEDERACY HOLD AP-
PROPRIATE EXERCISES
F: D. SWINDELL ORATOR

Today is the anniversary of the
birth of General Robert E. Lee and
the John w. Dunham Chapter of the
Daughters of the Confederacy of
Wilson celebrated the day with ap-
propriate exercises this afternoon
at the residence of Mrs. Doane Her
ring who is president of the society.
In response to the invitation ex-
tended to the members of the Jesse
S. Barnes Camp of Confederate Vet
Grams of this county many of the
sboys of the sixties" were presen
and enjoyed the exercises.
The feature of the exercises was
the ornate and able Grafton by F.
D. Swindell, Esq, on Robert B. Lee.
Mr.. Swinde1Ps speech in full follows:
AS it requires the power, the wiz
ardry, the charm Of voice of a great
singer to properly render and inter
pret masterpiece of song; as it re
quires the magic touch, the great soul
and the matchless genius of Ba
derewski to give expression in sound
to the superbly beautiful music of a
Beethoven sonata; SO it requires the
brain and the voice of an orator to
adequately deal with the subject Of
today.
It is with the knowledge of this
.f =
that realize How ineompetaIft am
co fill the position of speaker on this
occasion. My apology is, that how
ever feeble my effort may be, it is
actuated by immeasurable admiration
and genuine love. / make this state
ment neither in idleness nor in care
less disregard of the truth, but in
deep sincerity.
study of the life of the man, the an
niversary of whose birth we are
met to celebrate, and, as / have read
the books, the appreciations and the
histories of him, written, some by
those who served under his command
and some by those who fought in
hostile battle line against him, have
joined the ranks Of those who con
slider Robert E. Lee the ablest gen
eral, the most princely character and
the nobliest man Of his age, and per
haps OF all ages.
There is one further apology I wish
to make. I can tell you nothing new
about this man. All that I shall say
has been told before. My only source
Of information is what other men have
written and said. The story of his
life and his deeds is the common prop
erty of us all. The tales of his
prowess, his achievements, his sac
rifice, his nobleness and his greatness
is within the knowledge Of every
school child, and within the memory
of every veteran, whether man or wo
man, in our land. It is my priv
lege to only recur to what we alread.
know.
One hundred and four years ago to
day, in Westmoreland county, Vire
inia, in the lovely old colonial man
sion of Stratford, on the banks OF th'
Potomac river, and within strollinl
distance OF Wakefield, the birthplace
Of washington, there was born Iii
tie boy, dark eyed Virginia boy
=
who was destined to become the mos
famous and best loved son OF hi
State, = the South, and mayhap
eventually Of his country.
In his veins ran the blue blood Q
true aristocracy; the aristocracy
family, of culture, Of refinement. Q
attainment, of merit. Behind him ez
tended a long line of illustrious an
cestors, governors, statesmen, law
givers, warriors his own State
men who had stood in the forefl i
Of those glorious patriots who ha'
wrested from the tyrant mother tn
freedom Of their country. And bacl
Of these, men who had won their wa
to fame and fortune on. English sol