The Washington times., 1917-02-11
GENERAL LEES OLD
SERVANT Is DEAD
Negro Who Stayed With Famous
Leader Till Death, Sue
CumbS In Baltimore.

BALTIMORE, Feb. ll.-JoSeph Pres
ton Norris, veteran colored porter in
the office of President Daniel Willard,
of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad,
and body servant to Gen. Robert E.
Lee while commander-in-chief of the
Confederate army. died yesterday OF
old age at his home here.
He came to Baltimore shortly after
the death of General Lee. His first
employment with the railroad was at
Camden station, and he was later
transferred to the executive office.
4 typical old uncle" so familiar in
the South in antebelleum times. Norris
was a native of Lexington, Va, and
was born in slavery on the plantation
of Samuel Mcdowell Read, a promi-
nent member of the Virginia legisla-
ture of the early sixties.
Born In slavery.
Speaking of his early life, Norris
said, recently:
Il was born in slavery long before
there was any talk of war. and erew
up on the plantation until my people
were freed Then | went into the
Southern army. like most OF the white
folks and many of my people did.
After a few months l was trans
ferred to General Roberts employ,
and acted as his personal servant dur
ing the war, until he started ON the
Gettysburg campaign.
Gen. Stonewall jackson was my
Sunday school teacher. and taught us
slaves the Christian religion in the
Presbyterian church in Lexington be-
fore the war.
General Lee was a kindly man and
everybody who came in contact with
him loved him. never remember see
ing him out of sorts, and he never
said an unkind thing to any person,
neither in the army nor at hope.
Why They Loved Him.
That's why we people of the South
loved him so devotedly and did the
best we could for him at all times.
when | went to work for the gen
eral / was following my trade as
blacksmith. I worked in the tent of
our commander. keeping things tidy
for him and looking after his uni
forms, his military boots and his
trunk, and I also waited on his table
while the army was in the field. The
general didn't like to put on style to
make a show He only carried a
couple OF suits of uniforms. an extra
pair OF boots or two and such other
articles of dress as he needed to
make him comfortable. / kept his
riding boots and his clothes looking
nice and the buttons of his uniforms
shining while I was with him.
Describes the Meals.
Most times in camp we had early
breakfast just after daybreak, 50
everything would be over with before
the days action began. On the
marches we didn't have a chance to
get much for the general and his
staff officers and they were satisfied
with cold lunches and things of that
on the march at sundoWn. but il the
army was bivouacking we used to
have regular meals.
General Lee and his staff would
discuss their plans while they ate. com
pare the strength OF their forces with
the Union armies and receive dis
patches about the way things were
going in other parts Of the South
where fighting was in progress.
''The general had two horses. One
was Traveller and the other a chest
nut sorrel. Traveller was a handsome
animal. a gray horse, and reckon he
was bred in Virginia, in a section
now in West Virginia. for the gen
eral got him in one Of the northwest
ern counties OF the State. No horse
could travel more miles than Travel
er. and his master was very proud OF
him.
With Him Until Death.
He liked the other horse. too. b,Il
the gray was his favorite.
AT the close of the war General
Lee became president of Washington
ana Lee College, in Lexington. and
took a house in the college grounds
1 went back there with him and
worked for him until his death. Other
generals and visitors came to vis'i
the general at the college and they
would talk over the results OF various
battles, the South's future and Other
things. General Lee never had d
word of complaint for the men oI
officers OF his command, but ! offer
heard him discuss the reasons why
the troops couldn't hold this or thai
position"
Norris accumulated money snC
owned a farm OF forty acres on th'
Rappahannock river. near Lexington
His funeral will take. place tomOr
row. He is survived by a wife an'