Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1914-08-20
A Tribute to Gen. Lee.
By Gary T. windell.

of South Carolina will bear with
me and not think it amiss to pay
tribute to the greatest general
perhaps the world has ever
produced, even at fifty-odd years
after the end Of his great career
as a leader Of the grand army of
Northern Virginia.
Perhaps no other general ever
attained the height that Robert
r. Lee reached under the cir
cumstances under which he
struggled. From his graduation
day at West Point until the day
of his great decision of accept
ing the position of Commander
in-chief of the Confederate fore
es he enjoyed nearly every posi-
tion of honor that the United
States could bestow upon him
except commander-in-chief, and
history says, Gen. Winfield Scott
offered that to him. But instead
of accepting this great honor
and becoming the head of all the
troops of the United States-a
position which but few men re-
fuse-he handed his resignation
to General Scott with this char
acteristic utterance: 1t (the
resignation would have been
rendered at once, but for the
struggle it has cost me to sepa-
rate myself from a service to
which | have given all the
best years of my life and all the
ability | possessed. Save in the
defense of my native State |
never again desire to draw my
sword" When he uttered this
proclamation, he little thought
that several years later he would
be rendered this same position,
not as commander-in-chie of the
United States, but of the Confed-
crate States, his native State,
his native country; and does he
refuse it? He considers it a
great honor and accepts proudly,
and with an army of half-clad
and less than half-fed, but patri-
otic, jealous, determined men,
who had faith and confidence in
their leader, he fought some of
the worlds greatest battles, won
some of the worlds greatest
victories and beat back final de-
feat through four long and
bloody years.
Another has truthfully said.
when the future historian shall
come to survey the character of
Lee, he will find it rising like a
huge mountain above the un-
dulating plain of humanity. and
he must lift his eyes toward
heaven to reach it's summit. He
possessed every virtue of other
great commanders without their
vices. He was a foe without
hate. friend without treachery.
a soldier without cruelty, a
victor without expression, a
victim without murmuring. He
was a public officer without
vices, a private citizen without
wrong, neighbor without re-
proach, a Christian without
hypocrisy and a man without
guile"
He was Caesar without his
ambition, Frederick without his
tyranny, Napoleon without his
selfishness and Washington with
out his reward. He was obedient
to authority as a servant, and
royal in authority as a true king.
He was gentle as a woman in
life, modest and pure as a virgin
in thought, watchful as a Roman
vestal in duty, submissive to law
as Socrates and as grand in bat
tie as Achilles"
When General Lee handed his
sword to General Grant yonder
at Appomattox Court House on
April 9. 1865, it did not mean
that his great services were
ended. 1t simply meant a change
of foes. a shifting from one
enemy to face another. For
four long and bloody years he
had beat back his human enemy.
and now he must lead his foot
sore soldiers who were ragged i.
half-starved. eavy-hearted, ELI
feebled by want and wounds. to
their once fertile but now barren
homes to face that great enemy
whom we are all familiar with =
starvation. Perhaps human
hands never undertook task so
seemingly impossible of ac-
complishment. but with his faith
and usual SkillfulnesS of leadinor