The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-02-26
GEN. 6. W. c. LEE.
Richmond TfInes-Di patch.

Z IlAfb were A4St anu lOE MS u0SSlISl
devotion 20 her as soldier and citf-
zen, Virginia nourns the death OF
Gen George Washington Custis Lee.
The oldest son Of a great sire. having
many OF his finest traits, he was the
I possessor of uncommon abilities and
OF noble qualities OF character. To
him as a soldier, his contemporaries,
both in the old army" OF the United
States and in the Confederate army,
pay high tribute. A first honor grad
uate OF West Point. he served In the
United States army with distinction
until the hour came when, like his
father. he offered his sword to Vir-
ginia Restrained by stah duties in
Richmond, he saw a little service in
the field until toward the final years
of the struggle, but as a soldier in ac-
tion ne served with such distinguished
conduct as to entitle him even q
loftier rank than re major generalcy
which he received.
Modesty in the highest degree was
a characteristic Of both Gen. Robert
E. Lee and his son who died yester-
day. Neither sought promotion nor
reputation even in the cannons
mouth but always forgot self to
think of others. 1t was the fathers
desire from the first that his son
should be soldier IN the field, as it
was the sons, but it was the will of
President Davis that the son should
serve as one of his taft officers, and
so It came about that in the greater
part OF the war G.. ". C.. Lee was on
staff duty, frequently acting as the
method OF communication between
the Confederate president and Lee,
the elder. In the spring Of 1864
President Davis, through a distln-
guished general, sent a message TO
Cen Lee saying that he would order
the son 10 certain important com
mand, and would make him major
general or lieutenant general, at the
same time expressing an exalted opin-
ion OF the ability of the son as a SOL
. dier, but the father replied: Il am
very much Obliged to the president
for his high opinion of GUSTS Lee.
and hope that If Gusts has the op-
portunity he will prove himself not
entirely unworthy OF the presidents
high opinion. But he is an untried
man. Against his will and my own,
the president has kept him on his
staT-and / will not take an untried
man and promote him over my vet
eran officers. especially when that
man is my own son" When Gen.
Etwell, after Sailors Creek, protested
that the discipline preserved by Gen.
q W c. Lee in camp and on the
march, and the manner in which he
handled his troops in action, fully jus
tilted the request had made for his
promotion" President Davis replied
that the only obstacle to be over
come was Lees objection TO receiving
promotion" In the same connection
Mr. Davis refers 10 his valuable
/ services" as a commander of the local
troops for the defense OF Richmond
/ His offer to the Union government
to substitute himself for his brother
Gen. W. II. F. Lee, when the latter
was held as a hostage OF war under
sentence Of death, because the latter
had wife and children while he had
none. was characteristic of the man,
as was his attempt to give Arlington
to his father and mother when 1t had
been wllled to him.
For more than three decades he
enlisted himself in the cause of edu-
cation in the South. For the first five
years after Appomattox he was pro-
fessor OF mechanics and engineering
at the Virginia Military institute In
1871 he succeeded his father as pres
/ ident of Washington and Lee, and un-
til 1897 administered that institution
in an eminently satisfactory manner,
largely upon the lines laid down by
his father.
He served the nation that was and
the nation that is, faithful through all
to his State. He did his duty simply
and quietly wherever he found It,
Virginia holds his memory in endur-
Ing honor.
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