The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-09-10
Greatness of r. L. Lee.

affectionately called Dy the peopie VI
the South, died five years after the
close of the War Between the Sec
tions. He knew the day would come
when blue and gray would clasp
hands above all those soldier graves.
Could he have lived until the century
of birth, January 10, 1907, he would
have heard his eulogy pronounced
by a Massachusetts Adams. He
would have seen all parties and
national press united to do honor
not only to his genius as the greatest
soldier America has ever produced
but also to the nobility of has char
acter as man.
Lee was born at Stratford. west
moreland county. Va. His father was
Light Horse Harry Lee Of Rer''u-
tionary fame, and he was a de-
scendant of two signers OF the
declaration of independence. Pa
triotism was a tradition of the family.
So it was natural that he should be
educated for the army. He was
graduated from West Point in 1929,
entering the corps of engineers OF the
United Stated army. At % he mar
ried Mary Gusts, great granddaugh-
ter Of Martha Washington and heir
ess of the beautiful estate Of Airing
ton on the Potomac opposite Wash
ington city. Fortune seemed to have
marked him for its own. To birth,
wealth and cultivated mind, courtly
manners, fine physique and hand
some face were added personal hap
piness and eminence in his profession.
AS chief engineer of the, army in the
Mexican war he won distinction; as
superintendent of West Point in the
sos he introduced the best methods
known in Europe. At the beginning
of the War Between the Sections he
had only the rank of colonel, but
Gen. Winfield Scott, head Of the fed
eral forces, was too old to take the
field. and he looked upon Lee as his
most probable successor.
In 1852, in entering his own son at
West Point, Lee said to him: Duty is
the sublimest word in the language;
YOU can not do more than your duty;
YOU should never wish to do less.
Now the question of duty confront
ed Lee himself. From the very be-
ginning Of our government the ques-
ton of State sovereignty versus the
Union was a matter of debate. The
South had generally advocated the
principle of State sovereignty. Lee
was a Southerner He felt that his
fealty belonged first to Virginia: In
the same crisis Admiral Farragut de-
cided for the federal government. In
remembering Lees decision, it must
also be borne in mind that his inter-
est lay with the United States govern
ment, where immediate promotion
awaited him, with protection for his
home and family within the fortifica-
tions of the capital. There is reason
to believe now that he knew that the
Union must triumph, so that he con-
sciously led lost cause from the
beginning. Beautiful Arlington, his
wife's birthplace, his own home for
80 years, and his children's ancestral
inheritance, was lost Immediately. 1t
lay on the natural line of defense of
the capital, and became the first
camping ground of the Northern
army. His fortune was lost when he
resigned his commission and offered
his services to the South. In the
spring of 1862 he was placed in COM
mand of the armies operating in de-
fense of Richmond The mastery
strategy which Lee displayed in the
seven days battles around Richmond
showed him to be commander of
the highest order. The same may be
said of his movements in opposition
to Gen. Pope few weeks later. Lees
success against Mcclellan and Pope
enabled him to attempt an invasion
of Maryland in the fall of 1862.
This campaign was terminated by
the battle of Antietam. fought Sep
tember 16 and II. Not being pursued
by Mcclellan after this battle, Lee
recrossed the Potomac unmolested
and then moved up the Shenandoah
river and into the valley Of the Rap
pahannock, taking position nexr Cul-
pepper Court House. Mcclellan at
length followed, but on November I
was superseded by Gen. Ambrose E.
Burnside. Soon after assuming COM
mand Of the army, Burnside moved