Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-12

men, he never faltered. On the follow
ing Sunday afternoon-fifty-on years
ago today, near the hour we are now
in memorial session, this Christian SOL
dier, weary and wounded, said: Let
| us pass over the river and rest under
the shade Of the trees" Then, as we
believe, went home to be forever with
the Lord.
General Robert e. Lee.
| What shall I say OF the south's great
chieftain, foremost citizen in war and
peace, Robert E. Lee!
! Apart from life itself, 1t cost Lee
more to cast his lot with the south
than any man that fought under the
Confederate flag. From the day he
graduated with honors at West Point
till the day Of his great decision, be
enjoyed almost every position Of re-
muneration and honor the United
States government could give him ex-
cept commander in chief, and General
Winfield Scott offered him that. But
instead Of grasping this highest Of
military prizes, and allying himself
with what he knew was the stronger
side in men and resources. he handed
his resignation to General Scott with
this characteristic utterance: 1.-THE
resignation-would have been pre-
sented at once; but for the struggle II
has cost me to separate myself from
service to which have given all the
best years of my life and all the ability
l possessed. Save In defense of my ma
tive state, never again desire to draw
my sword" To him duty was the SUBJ
limest word in the English language.
Actuated by the high and holy mo-
tives of moral right and personal duty,
he went with the south into one Of the
most unequal contests Of arms as re-
CARDS men and resources and yet with
his little army of half clad and less
than half fed men, he fought some Of
the worlds greatest battles, won some
of the worlds greatest victories and
beat back final defeat through four
long and bloody years. i
In the language Of another we say:
when the future historian shall come
to survey the character Of Lee. he will
Ind it rising like q huge mountain
above the undulating plain Of humani-
ty, and he must life his eyes toward
heaven to catch its summit. He pos
sessed every virtue Of other great COM
manders without their vices. He was
foe without hate. friend without
treachery, a soldier without cruelty, a
victor without oppression, victim
without murmuring. He was public
officer without vices, a private citizen
without wrong, q neighbor without re-
proach, Christian without hypocrisy
and a man without guile.
He was Caesar without his ambi-
ton, Frederick without his tyranny.
Napoleon without his selfishness
and Washington without his reward.
He was obedient to authority as a SER
want, and royal In authority as true
king. He was gentle as a woman In
life, modest and pure as a virgin in
thought, watchful as Roman vestal
in duty, submissive to law as Socrates
and as grand In battle as Achilles."
Eut back Of the Confederate soldier
as his inspiration to do, dare and die,
stood the southern woman. As valu-
able as she was as an inspiration to
heroic endeavor on the field Of battle,
let none conclude that she was all SEN
timent. The story Of the hardships she
endured and the actual service she
prformed can never be fully and fitly
told. She was incessant in her labors.
AS has been truly said: THE morning
dawn lighted her to her tasks end the
the midnight lamp witnessed their
close" The south had not SUFFICIENT
money to furnish proper nourishment
and nursing for the sick and wounded
that filled the hospitals, and so the
southern woman became an angel or
mercy to the wounded and dying. For
the most part she was the silent suf-
ferer and unheralded heroine Of the
Confederacy. Her name has not filled
the pages of history like Clara Barton
or Florence Nightingale. but in the
hearts of southern men she Is an un-
crowned queen. Like the soldiers Of
the thin gray line" she Is rapidly
passing away. The last will socn be
gone, but she Is well represented In the
type Of womanhood that constitutes
the United Daughters Of the Confeder-
acy. / cannot commend the daughters
too highly for the services they have
rendered their country. BY their sys-
tenn of scholarships they have fostered
the cause Of education, and by their
patient toll and self sacrificing service
they have erected in almost every
county of the south Land, monument
such as stands like a sentinel at the
entrance Of our own beautiful Rose
Hill cemetery. And the combined ef-
forts of the daughters will soon show
the world beautiful and fitting ex-
preston of their zeal, enthusiasm and
patriotism in the unveiling Of the Ar
lington monument.
When Gen. Lee surrendered the
Army Of Northern Virginia, April 3.
1865, and he and his foot-sore soldiers
returned to the places OF their once
beautiful homes and fertile fields,
probably human eyes never fell upon
sight so appalling. and the hand OF
man never undertook a task so SEEM
ingly impossible Of accomplishment.
1t has been said the southern soldier
returned to his home ragged, half
starved, heavy-hearted. enfeebled by
want and wounds, but he did not sit
down in sulliness and despair. AS ruin
never before was so Overwhelming,
never was restoration swifter. The SOL
dier stepped from the trenches OF bat
tie into the burrows Of the field; the
horses that charged Federal guns
marched before the ploy, and the fields
that ran red with blood In April, were
green with harvest in June"
Thus began the rebuilding Of the
south and the nation. National pros
perity has increased with the years, but
we must confess that for long time,
sectional strife between the north and
the south was apparent. Mr.. Rudyard