Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-11-17
GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH
GENERAL r.. K. LEE

Perched on a hill above Wash
ington, on the Virginia side of the
Potomac, is Arlington. 1t is focal
point of interest in our history. II
was once the estate belonging to
Martha cambridge Custis, beloved
wife of George Washington. After
| his marriage, the estate was linked
with that at Mt Vernon, the home
of the Washingtons. The two estates
became practically one, and the
slaves mingled and worked togeth-
er, and intermarried
John Custis (Jack), was Mrs.
Washington son, and his son,
George Washington Parke Custis
built the Arlington mansion in
1904. 1t was modelled after the
classic Greek Temple at Paestum,
southeast of Naples, Italy. It is a
splendid example of Doric architec-
ture.
The Lee and Washington families
are closely related in our history.
Mary, the daughter of G. w. Parke
Custis, married in this beautiful
mansion Robert E. Lee in 1882.
She was the great granddaughter of
Mrs. Washington When her father
died the mansion became the prop
erty of herself and husband. The
spot is a lovely one, and multitudes
visit it again and again as they
have opportunity. In the rear is
the fine amphitheatre, the national
cemetery, where 10000 northern
soldiers are buried, and the I'm
known soldier In front is mas
sive portico, overlooking the Cap
itol City, view that is not sur
passed anywhere. The portico has
eight immense Doric pillars, 20 feet
high, supporting a simple pedi-
ment One fingers here at this
charming home, with its summer
kitchen, beds four feet high reach
ed by ladders, with great four-post-
er canopies, beautiful chandeliers
and elegant furniture. He cannot
escape the feeling that here was
once a lovely home atmosphere,
where an affectionate family enjoy
ed peace, prosperity and domestic
bliss.
Then came the Civil war, and
the conflict of tender conscience,
with a decision that separated the
Lees from Arlington forever. Lee
rode away to resign his commission
in the Federal army, and never to
return. Though he became chief of
the Confederate forces, it was to
meet anguish, sorrow and at last
defeat with a noble resignation, and
then the victory of sublime self
devotion to the education of the
youth of the nation. He felt. he
said, sNo greater calamity, than
the dissolution of the union"
Arlington was sold for taxes in
1862, or confiscated by the govern
ment. A rare collection of relics of
Washington time was taken from
the home and stored in the patent
office, labelled captured from Ar
lington' They were restoredto the
family in 1908. by President McKin-
ley. In 1885, the eldest son, George
Washington Curtis Lee, after strug-
gle in the courts, received $150,000
in remuneration, sine 20 years after
the war. This son had a brilliant
military mind, and was on the staff
of Jefferson Davis. Another son,
William Fitzhugh, a great Confed
crate leader, is often confused with
F'itzhugh Lee, who later became a
governor of Virginia.
Another spot that reveals the in
ner life of General Lee is at Lex
ington, Va. Here he lived as presi
dent of what is now called Wash
ington-Lee University, from the
close of the war until his death. He
was sought by great commercial
houses as president, and replied = II
have led the young men of the
south in battle. I have seen many
of them die on the field. I shall
devote my remaining energies to
training young men to do their duty
in life" A like answer was given
to Gen. John B. Gordon, who in
vited him to become president of
great life insurance company When
he came to be college president, he
said, 'I shall fail in the leading
object which brought me here, un-
less the young men all become
Christian"
1t was as a great spiritual leader
of the south, after the war, that Lee