The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-01-20
ROBERT EDWARD LEE

statues of great men and the corrosive
acid Of criticism has been applied to |
the fragments until he that would
have an ideal must build one straight |
from his conceptions of what should
be rather than his belief in what has
been. From Moses to Roosevelt, the |
searchlight OF investigation has found |
more spots in the characters OF the |
famous than in the day of glowing |
history we would have thought posi- |
BILE.
But in all this wreck Of what we
would have fain believed in. it is good
TO note that one mans name and fame
stands as pure and unsullied as 1t did
In childhood days, when life unrolled
before us as fair as an imprinted page,
and we could believe in great men and
women because we didn't know them.
With the exception Of some who in
the blindness of sectional hate have
said or written things that had no
foundation outside their imaginations,
no one has ever assaulted the character
and fame of Robert Edward Lee. Near
ly fifty years ago the South installed
him as her greatest national hero
greatest among half a million of brave,
self-sacrifcing men-and today no
storm OF abuse has stained the statue
or wave OF oblivion Tapped its pedes-
tai.
General Lee was all that is implied
IN the term, a soldier and a gentle
man. Courage. courtesy, truth and
kindness were among his innate quail
tiles. AS a soldier, none recorded in
the pages of his story excel1ed. few
equalled him. His private character
stands pure and unassailed. Neither
vice nor folly has ever been attribut-
ed to him. He possessed a natural
Kindness and dignity Of bearing; the
first put all in his company at ease,
and no one ever dared impose on the
latter.
Robert Edward Lee was born in
Stratford, Westmoreland county. Vir-
ginia, January 49, 1907 He was the
son OF the famous Light Horse Harry
Lee" the most dashing cavalry leader
OK the revolutionary war. He grad
uated from West Point in 1929 and
was assigned to duty in the regular
army as second lieutenant. During
the Mexican war he gave proof of pos
sessing the highest military skill. He
was in command Of the military acad-
envy at West Point from 1852 to 1855,
and was then sent to Texas in charge
OF a cavalry regiment. In 1859 he was
recalled to Washington, and was
shortly after in command of the force
that captured John Brown at Harpers
Ferry. In 1861 he was promoted to
the rank of colonel
month later Virginia seeded from
the Union, and Colonel Lee resigned
his commission in the United States
Army No reasonable man can doubt
that he was brave, conscientious and
in W
then In high favor with the Union au-
thorities, and particularly with Gen
era1 Scott, who was then In command
OF the army. Lee knew that a bril-
liant career lay before him If he re-
manned with the Union. He was toe
well posted on the tremendous re-
sources Of the North to underestimate
the magnitude of the struggle that was
about to commence. Had he remain.
ed with the North instead of going tc
the South, he would have been giver
high rank at once, and the great
struggle would have ended sooner.
General Lee was at once given {
major generals commission in the Con
federate army, and sent to take
command in West Virginia Here, ow-
ing to circumstances over which hi
had no control, he did not distinguish
ter OF 1861 in looking after the de.
lenses of the South Carolina coast. Ir
the spring of 1862 he was recalled tt
Richmond and took command Of the
forces in the Confederate capital
Shortly after. Mcclellan opened hi:
Peninsular Campaign. Gen. Joseph f
Johnston was in command of the Con
federate armies opposing Mcclellan
but was severely wounded May 81 a
the drawn battle of Seven Pines. Or
June /. 1852, General Lee took com
mand of the Army of Northern Vir
ginia and entered on the career tina
insured his lasting fame as one of tn,
worlds greatest soldiers.
At that time Mcclellan with an arm,
of at least $4,000 men lay in sight o
the church steeples of Richmond, AM
had Lee been in his place, it is proba
BILE that the city would have fallen il
a few days after Seven Pines. Instead
Mcclellan waited and intrenched. Lee
called to his aid from the Valley o
Virginia the Confederacy's secon,
greatest soldier. Stonewal1 Jackson
Their combined forces were not owe
$4,000 men, but in a series of battle
from June % to July g they drove Nc
Clellan back to Harrison's Landing oil
the James river. In many of thes
battles the Confederates won in TIL
most desperate frontal attacks. an
they were not fairly checked until tn
stand OF the Union army at Malvern
Hill, where. II was not only intrench
ed In full force. but aided by gunboat
on the James river. In this campaign
each army lost fully 25 per cent of it
number in killed and wounded
In the meantime General Pope ha
moved another big Union army dow
thru Northern Virginia. where Their
was hardly any Confederate force I
oppose him. Only Pope's lack o
dash prevented his closing in on Lee
rear while the latter had Mcclellan il
front. McClellan's army evacuate
the Peninsula early in August and LIE
turned on Pope and defeated him a
Cedar Mountain Aug. g. Pope fell bacl
toward Washington. receiving heav
achievements on the way. Lee pur
sued and by series of brilliant man
euvers prevented Pope from using hi
superior numbers to the best advant
age. The second battle OF Manassas
Aug. $3.50. resulted. in which tn
Union army was worsted with heav
loss
Lee now decided to carry the wa
into the enemys country. and in Sep
TENDER invaded Maryland at the hea
of perhaps $4,000 men. He capture
Harper's Ferry with a large number o
prisoners and an immense amount o
supplies, and moved on northward
10 ed