The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-01-30

0f~ II Arse KOBERI, as the
mi great military leader of the
@ Confederacy was affection
ately called by the people Of the
South, died a few years after the
close of the Civil War. lie knew.
the day would come when Blue and
Gray would clasp hands above all
those graves. Could he have lived
until the. centenary of his own birth,
Jan. 10. 1907. he would have heard
his eulogy pronounced by a Massa-
chusetts Adams. He would have seen
all parties and q national Apress
united to do honor. not only to his
genius as one of Americas greatest
soldiers, but also to the nobility Of
his character.
Robert Edward Lee was born at
Stratford, Westmoreland County,
Virginia, but the family soon re-
moved to Alexandria, on the Poto-
mac. near Washington. His father
was Light Horse Harry Lee Of
Revolutionary fame, and his grand
father was first cousin to Richard
Henry Lee, mover Of the Declara-
ton of Independence. Patriotism
was n tradition of the family. SO
st was natural that Robert should
be educated for the army. He was
graduated from West Point in 1929,
the second rank in his class, without
having received a single demerit. He
was assigned TO the engineering
branch Of the service.
Good Fortune
At % he married Mary Custis,
eat-granddaughter of Martha
Washington and heiress of the beau
tiful estate Of Arlington, on the
Potomac opposite Washington City.
Fortune seemed to have marked him
for its own. To birth, wealth, a
cultivated mind. courtly manners, a
fine physique and handsome face,
were added personal happiness and
eminencs in his profession. An as
sistant 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. On the eve Of the
Civil War he had only the rank of
colonel, but Gen. Winfield Scott,
head of the national forces, was too
old to take the field. and he looked
upon Lee as his most probable sue
cessor.
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" In April. 1861, the ques.
ton of duty confronted Lee him
self, when President Lincoln definite
ly offered him the command of the
United States forces.
North and South
From the very beginning Of the
United States Government the ques-
ton of the rival claims of the States
ana the Union was a matter Of de-
bate. The South had generally adj
vocated the principle of State sove-
reignty. Lee had already written, 'I
cannot anticipate a. greater calamity
for the country than the dissolution
Of the Union" But he was south
erner. and he felt that his first duty
was to Virginia. In the same crisis
Admiral Farragut decided for the
Federal Government.
In remembering Lees decision, it
must be remembered that his inter
est lay with the Government, and
there is reason to believe that he
knew even then that the Union must
triumph, so that he consciously led
a "lost cause" from the beginning
Beautiful Arlington, his wife's birth
place, his own home for thirty years,
and his children's ancestral inherit
ance, was lost Immediately. It 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 aud Of
fered his service to the South.
Generals in the Confederate service.
In the spring Of 1852 be was placed
in command Of the armies operating
in defense OF Richmond. The mas
terly strategy which Lee displayed
in the Seven Days Battles" showed
him to be a commander of the
highest ability. The same may be
said of his movements in opposi-
ton to General Pope emboldened
him to attempt an invasion Of
Maryland in the fall of 1862. This