Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-02-19

INCIDENTS N LIFE.
Deceased Attended Benjamin Halo
wells School in Alexandria in By
Gone Years. =.

Gone Years. -.
The news of the death of General G.
w. C. Lee, which occurred about noon
Yesterday at the home of his sister-in-
law, Mrs. w. H. F. Lee, at Ravens
worth, Fairfax county, was received IN
this office 100 late for an extended
history of his career for yesterdays S
Gazette. Hence only the main features
in conection with the life Of the de-
ceased were published. Residing for
years during his early life contiguous
to this city, and having been pupil
ir one of our schools, he was familiar
figure in our streets, as was his
father, Robert E. Lee, his brother, w,
H. F. Lee, who represented the Eighth
District of Virginia in the House OF
Representatives, General Fitzhugh
Lee and other members of The family.
George Washington Custis Lee was
born at Fortress Monroe, Va, IN
1882. His school days were passed at
Clarens, Fairfax county, Va, classl-
cal school of which the Rev. George
A. Smith, was principal; and at the
celebrated school of Benjamin Halo
we'll, Alexandria, Va. He was given
an appointment to the U. S. Military
Academy, West Point, N. T., by Pres
ident Zachary Taylor, and entered taat
institution in June, 1850; from which
he was graduated in June, 1854. he
was then assigned TO rhe CORPS OF En-
gineers, U. S. Army, with the rank OF
Brevet Second Lieutenant; and IN due
course of time, became Second Lieu
tenant, and First Lieutenant; which
later commission he held at the time
OF his resignation from the U. S. Army
upon the secession of Virginia. Dur
ing the seven years he was in the U.
s. Army, he served in the Engineer
Bureau. Washington, D. c., in Geor-
eia, Florida, and California, in harbor
defences and river improvement. Al
ter leaving the U. S. Army he was ap-
pointed Major Of Engineers in the
Virginia and when these forces
were turned over to the Confederate
States Government, he received the
commission of Captain of Engineers,
c. S. Army. On the last OF August,
1861, he was appointed Aide-de-CamP
10 the President Of the Southern Con-
federacy with the rank of Colonel. To-
wards the last of June, 1863, ne was
made Brigadier General, to command
Brigade of Troops for the defence OF
Richmond against cavalry raids, etc.
During the summer or autumn OF 1904,
he was made Major General to COM
mand Division, which held the lines
below Richmond, from Chains Bluff
northward, until the evacuation OF the
lines before Richmond and Petersburg.
In the autumn of 1865 he was ap-
pointed to the Chair Of Civil and Mil
itary Engineering a, he Virginia Mill
tary Institute, Lexington, Va, which
Office he held until the 1st Of Febru-
ary, 1871, when he entered upon the
duties of President Of Washington &,
Lee University.
The body will be taken from Raw
ensworth by way of Manassas, leav,
inc tomorrow morning at TAT. r. F
Lee Camp of Confederate Veterarr'eo1
Alexandria, rendered their service;
Yesterday to act as an escortfor th'
remains, but on account @ u desire o:
General Lees family, 4 TO have any
public demonstration. their offer wa
declined.
General Lee several years ago re
linquished this position and had re
sided at Ravensworth up to the tim
of his death.
"I doubt whethsr my father eve
made the declaration that he consio
cred General Grant the greatest mil
itary genius thet world has ever
seen," said GENERAL custis Lee
1910.
"My father diH not make persona
comparisons, anh was not in the hal
it of using words of tnst kind. h
had very high opinion of Geners
Grant, but if he ever dselsssd thu
Grants superior could not b. four
ia all history that fact was nsN
brought to my 'st'&a'a.