The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-05-12

ms people and his state and his iiIe
gave to the world and to history a
soldier whose like had never been
known before, life hat many have
initiated but never equallel Military
critics nave placed him by the side
OF Alexander and Hannibal the SUI
Porior of Napoleon, and the peer of
Washington. Sir Garnet Wolsey said
OF him that the world never saw his
equal before. but to the southern sol
der he was more than a general he
was a man, their friend their eN-
ample their elder brother. You take
from history the battles of the Wilder.
ness, of Gettysburg and of Peters
burg and you take from it. its great
est glories Take from history that
-four years of blood and carnage when
100000 men sought to conquer g.
100000, and you rob this nation of
deeds of courage, heroism and yalor
that are and will always be the in
spiration of the coming ages. Take
from the world and this nation the
name of Robert f. Lee, and you rob
them of their glory and flch from
the southland its glorious crown. His
devotion to duty, his loyalty to friend
and flag, his integrity of purpose, and
his simple faith in the Man of Galilee,
were the elements of the crowning
glory of a noble life. and still he was
a simple, manly man.
He was an inspiration to his men,
the boy Of sixteen marched side by
side with the men of sixty, the south
ern soldier ate rat meat in prison and
charred mule in camp, they went into
battle with hunger's pangs stayed on
ly by parched corn that broke the
edges Of their teeth, and another
buckle taken up in the belt to decrease
the area that. hunger had to play up
on, but with the grim courage of des
pan lH'N IOuBHl DldNtlN ullu'l tlC
leadership of Robert Lee and the in
spring strains of Dixie. His gray uni
form was never furnished with dis
honor While on the march through
Pennsylvania, a gentleman led an ar
my of gentlemen, and woman was
safe in the presence of the southern
soldier, and the honor of the home
safe with its commanding general.
The end came when the unequal
struggle had endured for four years.
When Lee with his $4,000 men, who |
had never called for the colors to
come up to the line, for the line was
always up to the colors, met Grants |
100000 at AppomatoX, human nature
had endured the strain too long, and |
human endurance had reached its
limit General Lee gave up his un-
tarnished sword, and tine days of the
confederacy were a memory, The |
flag that once
Ten thousands hailed so gladly,
And ten thousands, wildly, mad
ly swore it should forever waive"
was furled forever. Strong men, and |
General Lee wept, and those soldiers
who had marched from '61 to '65 un-
der the Stars and Bars, realized that
the world was so lonely without their
flag.
Unselfsh in life and in victory, he
was unselfish in defeat He demanded
that his men be paroled, and made no
request for himself. He advised his
men to accept the situation, and was
among the first to apply for a pardon
that was refused. |
The conqueror of the Mississippi, |
the right arm of Scott in Mexico, the
founder of the worlds greatest war
college, and the hero of heroes, had /
been denied allegiance to any flag
save his lowly, consistent allegiance
to the bloodstained banner of the
Cross of Calvary. He had reached old |
age, with a deadly malady already !
fastened upon him, he undertook the
noblest vocation upon which he had
ever entered, that of the presidency .
Of Washington College.
The grandchildren of his students
there, now hear of General Lee, not .
as the soldier and the ConQueror on
.he battle field, and the leader Of
armies. but as the teacher,
he Christian gentleman, the simple
nan who was great, and the great
nan who labored among his former
soldiers as their teacher, instilling
nto them, devotion to duty, loyalty
)f purpose, manly manliness and i'm
Dlicit faith in Almighty God. In de
eat he was greater among his men
and his people than when flushed with
-ictory he aided in placing half a con-
.inent under the Stares and Stripes