Washington Journal., 1942-01-16


peace.
Presently Lee was appointed superintend-
ent of the Z. S. Military Academy with the
brevet rank of colonel, but drawing a majors
pay. 1t was an agreeable appointment, since
his son Custis was in training there for an
army commission nearly all Of the same time,
while Lees younger son attended a day school
at West Point. Colonel Lee superintendent
the Military. Academy from September 3,
1852 to March 3, 1855, and did it so well that
his contemporaries at West Point later re-
called him as one of the best scholars and
administrators the Academy ever had.
Later he served as a commander of cavalry
in Texas and helped to quell disturbances
among the warlike Comanches. His tactful
conduct of negotiations between the FESTIVE
white settlers and the r~esentful redskins
there, together with intermittent general staff
work at Washington, won him promotion to a
regular c~olonelcy.
The Capture of John Brown
Colonel Lee happened to be at Alexandria
on October 16, 1859, when he was ordered to
take a detachment of soldiers under Lieuten-
ant j. E.. B. Stuart in haste to Harper's Ferry
on the upper Potomac to cope with John
Browns seizure of the U. S. arsenal there for
the purpose Of provoking a rising Of negro
SLAVES Ill ludI I6SIOu. Lee lOIC0u lI0 sur
render Of Brown and his band Of raiders.
Incidentally he recovered one of George
Washington's swords (the one sent to Mount
Vernon by Frederick the Great), which Brown
had looted from a nearby mansion of a de-
scendant of one Of Washington's brothers.
It is known that Robert E. Lee was averse
to the system of slavery and to the South's
cry for secession from the Union, yet, when
the excuses Of the agitation for abolition
(such as John Browns raid, for i~nstance)
finally split our people into two embittered
factions, Lee s%orrowfully bowed to the doc
trine of State Sovereignty. Herein he followed
in the footsteps of his father, who as Cover
nor Of Virginia once declared: Virginia is
my country. Her | will obey, however lament
able the fate it may subject me o."
So soon as it became clear that a rupture
was imminent, General Scott (himself a
Southefner), who then was III control Of the
military forces of the United States, while
begging for retirement because Of age Che
was then in his 18th year,, induced President
Lincoln to offer Colonel Lee the command Of
the Union Army, saying that Lees services
would outweigh those of 10000 men. The
President, without as yet granting Scott's
retirement, sent Francis Preston Blair, (then
a Congressman and strong supporter Of Lin
coln) to Colonel Lee, offering him the highest
military command. Lee declined the post.
Lees Refusal of Highest Union Command
This is Lees own version Of his refusal, as
contained in his Memoirs: 81 never intimated
to any one that | desired the command of the
United States Army, nor did | ever have a
conversation but with one gentleman, Mr..
Francis Preston Blair, on the subject, which
was at his invitation and, as [ understood, at
4lo ;1c4o,ooo &c D,a,;1o-4 r s.aol
CATER listening to his remarks | declined
the offer he made me to take command Of the
Army that was to be brought into the field,
stating, as candidly and courteously as /
could, that, though opposed to secession and
deprecating war, | would take no part in the
invasion Of the Southern States. [ went direct
~ from the interview with Mr.. Blair to the
office of General Scott, told him Of the propo-
sition that had been made to me and my de-
cision. Upon reflection, after returning home,
| concluded that [ ought no longer retain any
commission I held in the United States Army,
and on the second morning thereafter [ for
warded my resignation to General Scott.
Sat the time | hoped that peace would
have been preserved-that some way would
be found to save the country from the calam-
tiles Of war; and I then had no other intention
than to pass the remainder Of my life as a
private citizen.
''Two days afterwards, on the invitation Of
the Governor of Virginia, | repaired to Rich
mond, found that the convention there in ses-
sion had passed the ordinance withdrawing
the Commonwealth from the Union, and ac-
cepted the commission Of commander Of its
forces, which was rendered to me-"
When Lee officially rendered his resignation
from the u. S. service he took occasion to
write a touching letter Of farewell to his old
commander, whose wish for retirement was