The Cairo bulletin., 1912-08-09

reached the com ENsyaszz/ZEfl
mander In chief WsNSxS&SN4& ~
that his trusted CHARLES LEE
le4der, Gen. Chas. Zee, had disobeyed
OF lers and that as result, the Aaies-
ic4a army was retreating. VI 8
Washington took in the situation at
glance. The patriots were falling
back. TIE British were everywhere
successful. His blue eyesbl,saza NTH
or ger, the chief galloped across, to
Lee.
I'm heavens name, General" he
shouted. what means this ill-timed
p.udence!"
Il know of no one" sneered Lee,
"who has more Of that abominable
virtue than your excellency'
At this retort the last barriers of
Washington's patience gave way. lie
hurled at Lee public repriuand that
the latter never forgot nor forgaves
II was a case Of a Just mans wrath
at blackguard's misdeedse
Charles Lee was born in England in
1881. He joined tho British arnfys as
G mere child. At the age OF eleven
he was commissioned officer. He
fought in America during the French
and Indian war and rose fast@in rank
to Q Observation-Disclosures But he had
sarcastic tongue and an ungovern.
able temper He criticised his supe
rior officers and made fun of their
weaknesses. This sort Of thing does
not help man on In any walk Of life
1t led at last to Lees practical dis.
mfssal from the army sHe- adftsd+ to
Poland and Russia. where. serving as
a soldier Of fortune, he received the
rank Of maior-general. He also won
doubtful fame as a ferocious duelist.
Leaving Russia. Lee made his way
to America short time before the
Revolution. He hated England and he
loved intrigue. So he plunged into
the stirring politics of the day. siding
with the patriots The Revolutionary
army was short Of experienced off,
GERS and was. delighted to accept the
services of so noted a soldier as Lee.
He was offered the rank OF second
maior-genera1 under General Wash
ington.- He bargained shrewdly with
congress before accepting this honor.
declaring that King Georges gov
eminent would surely confscate his
British estates. and demanding 10 be
raid for them Congress agreed to
give him $4,000 out Of the Empower
ished patriot treasury as recompense
for this possible loss.
Now began Lees American military
career. From the first he seems to
have had two aims. One, to seize
Washingtons position as commander
in-chief; the other, to sci. the Amer
lean cause, at the best possibMtterms.
to the British. After more than once
risking the army's welfare by disobey-
ing Washington's orders, Lee was cap
tured at Basking Ridge, ~ j. by the
British, Whether or not he consenteA|
to the capture in order to carry e,M
his treason plot cannot be kAewn.
But during his captivity (most aof
which he spent in suite of rooms In
New York City HalD he came to
terms Of understanding with the Brit
ish general, Howe, and explained to
him his ideas on how best to crush
the Revolution Thinking he would
be of more use to them in the Revolu-
tionary army than in prison, the Brit
ish set him free in 1778 and he went
back to his duties (The complete I
draft of Lees plan, by which the col
cnies might be overthrown, was found
in 1857 among General Howe's epri- !
waite papers.)
Then came the battle OF Monmouth.
The English, under Clinton. in June, |
ITS, evacuated Philadelphia and re-
treated across New Jersey to the
British headquarters at New York. |
Washington resolved to smash part |
of the British army at Monmouth, N. |
J., on its march. Lee begged him not |
to make the attempt, but Washington |
sent him with an advance guard of /
5000 men to overtake the enemy.
Lee caught up with the British at |
Monmouth on June %, ITS, and be- |
gan the battle in so strange and In |
competent way that Lafayette, In
alarm, sent a secret message begging
Washington to hurry to the front. |
Washington arrived in time I'd meet
Lee In full retreat He rebuked tthel{
traitor, rallied the army and saved the !
day. 9a aBG a45 aF .tt
No one could understand Lees odd |
behavior, for no one then knew he /.
was false. In rage at the rebuke, he |
wrote two insulting letters to Wash
ington, who promptly ordered him ar
rested. A court-mart'al suspended /
him from active service for year. |
In rage. he retired to a mountain hut, |
where. for months, he lived like her. |
nit.
AS his year of suspension drew to
an end, Lee wrote an abusive letter to
congress. and was at once dismissed
from the army. He went to live ehsana
estate he had bought in the Sheaa "A
doah Valley, In 1852 he visited phila. 1
delphia. where he fell Ill and died. I
Their Strono stdt