Evening star., 1924-05-18

vile, Va, the annual meet
u ing of the Confederate vet
~ Grams will witness the un-
yelling cf an equestrian statue of Gen.
Robert E. Lee, presented to the city
by Paul Goodloe McIntire. This will
be a notable event, for the command
ing genius and the spotless purity of
character of that great general is
recognized today by the north as well
as the south. and Europe ranks him
with Marlborough. and Wellington.
Five years ago the contract for the
equestrian study was placed with H.
NJ. Shrady, the sculptor of the memoir
ial group in honor of Gen. u. S. Grant,
that stands in the Botanic Garden
at the foot of the Capitol. Mr..
Shrady died before completing this
statue of Gen. Lee. and the work was
turned over to Leo Lentelli, an Ital-
ian sculptor, in New York city. He
took Shrady's unfinished model and
produced this exquisite tribute to a
great man and a great soldier.
1t was Shrady's habit to study ex-
haustively the history of the subject
he had undertaken to portray in
bronze, thereby discovering some in
cident or event whose essence should
prove the divine spark for inspired
portrayal. so that the beholder would
feel the supreme passion and power
of the figure created. All of Gen. Lees
life was broad -browed and noble, self
poised and calm. gentle and serene,
with wisdom that nothing seemed to
dull or blunt. and nothing in his life
shows his consummate beauty of
character better than the incident
from which Shrady drew his inspira-
ton.
1t is recorded that after the terrific
hammering that Grants forces re-
Ceived in the Wilderness (on the sec
ond of May, in an attack on Grants
flank, Gen. Longstreet, second in COM
mand, was seriously wounded and in
capacitated for service for months. 1t
was a heavy loss to Lee, whose forces
numbered about d third Of Grants,
Gen. Lee OWNED the plan Of his oppo-
nent to move to Spottsylvania court
house. and forestalled him in it. Lee
offered to lead his troops in person,
but the officers and men alike refused
to go into battle until Lee rode to the
rear. Gen Gordon, as he rode down
the lines with Lee. said reaSsuringly
to him: These men. general, are the
brave Virginians." Lee said no word
but removed his hat and rode bare
headed along the lines. His silence
was a most eloquent address to those
valiant men. One young soldier. as
he ran crying into battle. loading his
~
ANY man who wouldn't fight after
that speech would be cow
ard"
THE poet that slumbers in every
great sculptor leaped up in Shrady
and plucked that burning brand from
the fire OF Lees genius to light his
own conception. Lee. the loved and
the revered, ordered to the rear by
his own men, touched to the quick by
their valor and devotion. responded
TO them in the perfect tribute Of ST.
lence. with his head uncovered. as
though in the presence of things holy,
the presence of what was TO be for
many the great sacrifice.
Like a calm, stern destiny the great
of brave Virginians. whose baptism
had been that of fire. was to be that
oc flame. bathing their spirits in the
majesty of his own calm soul. How
fit to command. how steady and how
steadying, how skilled in command, a
genius and a gentleman,
If marked sternness and a great
seriousness emanated from Lee. the
awed beauty, perhaps, that stirred him
in the presence of valor, the sculptor
has relieved the tenseneSs of il all by
the proud joy that breathes through
the noble horse. Lees gray Travel
ler" as he, with the pride of the
brave. prances with arched neck and
champing bit down those gray lines.
Lees proud heart his ever humble
heart too, must have communicated
it's thrill to the horse, for he nobly
bears his noble rider along those
brave lines to the rear. What a state
ly picture il is, Lees tall handsome
figure seated magnificently, his shoul-
ders squared and his body erect. his
glorious head borne as a conQueror's S
and as a commanders. his face set
and determined, divining what the
next seventeen hours of constant
ieaden hail will mean to those brave
gray lines, but proud to endure and
to plan, to wrest victory from super
ior forces with his own poor equip
ment.
Into that incident of Spottsylvania
went much else that a study of Lees
life reveals. He came on his fathers S
side from a long line of fighting men.
and the courage and the valor and the
genius for war ran in his veins.
Light Horse Harry Lee of revolu-
tionary fame was his father whom
Lee lost when he was but a lad. HIS
wonderful mother taught him the fine,
sure courtesies of his life, and he
was much with her, for she was an
invalid whom he loved to serve. After
his preparatory schooling Che had set
his heart upon a military career), ne
went to Andrew Jackson and applied
for an appointment to the nations
military academy. 1t is said that that
sturdy fighter was so impressed with
the boys earnestness and calm bear
ing that he secured the coveted prize
for him, and Lee entered upon his
work at West Point, fired with an am
bition to do his duty to the utmost or
his ability.
X X X
A LII that Lee did, he did with the
a art of a silver point. 1t was as
though he were doing his work per-
fectly the first time to have it etched.
1t was a lifelong characteristic. He
never received a demerit Che was
great favorite with his fellow stu
IIan+sl and ha Man the highest honor.