The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-19
LEES BIRTHDAY
APPROPRIATELY
OBSERVED WITH
INTERESTING EXERCISES
THIS AFTERNOON

III the presence of good sized an
u'ence' at the Auditorium, this af-
ternoon, the birthday of Robert f
Lee was fttingly celebrated, under
tue auspices of the Lakeland Camp
OF the U. c. v. and the local Chan
Ter OF the Daughters of the Confed-
eracy.
The exercises opened with the
singing of America" in which the
audience Joined. Rev. W. H. Stein
meyer invoked the divine blessing.
after which Miss Gertrude Green.
the talented elocutionist, gave a very
appropriate reading, "Marse Robert
Is Asleep which was rendered in
her usual effective style. Miss Green
was enthusiastically encored, and re-
sponded with another beautiful read
ing, The Dying Soldier Boy
A vocal duet was exquisitely rem
dered by Mrs. o. T. Cason and Mrs.
J.. d. Allen, following which it was
announced that crosses of honor
were to be given to W. T. McClel-
lion and Mrs. Ella Ellsworth. Mrs.
Ellsworth is the daughter of the late
VIM. Warn, and it is the rule of the
U. d c. that should worthy Con-
federate soldier die before receiving
the cross, it might be presented to
the Oldest surviving child. Mrs.
Ellsworth was not present, but the
cross was presented by Gen. J. A.
Cox, the grand old man of local Con-
federate circles, on behalf of the U
d. c., to Mr.. McClellion Gen. Cox
made the presentation in brief but
eloquent and touching address.
Gen. Cox, who acted as master of
ceremonies, then introduced Hon. H.
j. Drane as orator of the occasion
Gen. Cox, in his introduction, paid
Mr.. Drane very high tribute, es-
pecially in connection with his rec
ord in the Florida legislature
Mr.. Drane stated that were it not
for duty which Robert E. Lee said
was the most sublime word in the
English language, he would not be
present, for he was undertaking to
speak against the advice of his ply
sicians, as about forty-eight hours
previous he had been given by mis-
take, the wrong medicine, which
nearly proved fatal He responded
in an affecting name to the intro
duction of Gen Cox, which he said
he regarded more as benediction
than as an introduction
The speaker treated the record of
Gen. Lee rather as man and
Christian than as a soldier. He
briefly sketched the childhood and
boyhood of the great Southerner un
til he reached the estate of his per-
feet manhood. No breach of discip-
line was ever charged against him,
nor did any unbecoming language
ever come from his lips. His
love for his mother was tender and
touching. In 1862 he freed the
slaves of his father-in-law of whose
will he was executor. His military
record began in the war with Mex
leo, where for years he rendered
brilliant services, winning the rank
of colonel Then the war cloud
which was to burst with fury over
the States, bringing all the horrors
of an internecine struggle, appeared
on the horizon. Lee gave his genius
and his sword to the State of his ma
tivity and to the cause he believed
to be right. 1t is stated that he was
offered the chief commandershjp of
the army which was to invade the
South, but refused to take DIP his
sword for the cause his conscience
told him represented tha ,i!ht.
Touching briefly On the horrors OF
the great struggle through which he
passed and in which he was CEN
trail figure, the speaker went with
his hero in his retirement to private
life. and sketched the beautiful
of the man in the paths
of peace. His peroration was an ora
torial gem.
Mrs. Cason and Mrs. Allen SAM
duet, THE Old Time Confederate
in which the audience Joined, which
concluded the exercises.