Also one of the greatest Americans ever.
Posted on 10/11/2009 3:38:41 PM PDT by BigReb555
"Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by this nation." unquote--Dwight D. Eisenhower
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
“News of the death of Robert E. Lee, beloved chieftain of the Southern army, whose strategy mainly was responsible for the surprising fight staged by the Confederacy, brought a two-day halt to Richmond's business activities.” unquote
The United States flag, which Robert E. Lee had defended as a soldier, flew at half mast in Lexington, Virginia and throughout the USA.
General Lee died at his home at Lexington, Virginia at 9:30 AM on Wednesday, October 12, 1870. His last great deed came after the War Between the States when he accepted the presidency of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University. He saved the financially troubled college and helped many young folks further their education.
Some write that Robert E. Lee suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on September 28, 1870, but was thought to greatly improve until October 12th, when he took a turn for the worse. His condition seemed more hopeless when his doctor told him, "General you must make haste and get well---Traveller---has been standing too long in his stable and needs exercise."
Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Cadet William Nalle said in a letter home to his mother, dated October 16, 1870, quote;
“I suppose of course that you have all read full accounts of Gen Lee's death in the papers. He died on the morning of the 12th at about half past nine. All business was suspended at once all over the country and town, and all duties, military and academic suspended at the Institute, and all the black crape and all similar black material in Lexington, was used up at once, and they had to send on to Lynchburg for more. Every cadet had black crape issued to him, and an order was published at once requiring us to wear it as a badge of mourning for six months.” unquote
Read entire letter on Virginia Military Institute website at:
http://www.vmi.edu/archives.aspx?id=5517
The rains and flooding were the worse of Virginia's history on the day General Lee died. On Wednesday, October 12, 1870, in the presence of his family, Lee quietly passed away.
The church bells rang as the sad news passed through Washington College, Virginia Military Institute, the town of Lexington and the nation. Cadets from VMI College carried the remains of the old soldier to Lee Chapel where he laid in state.
Memorial meetings were held throughout the South and as far North as New York. At Washington College in Lexington eulogies were delivered by: Reverend Pemberton, Reverend W.S. White--Stonewall Jackson's Pastor and Reverend J. William Jones. Former Confederate President Jefferson Davis brought the eulogy in Richmond, Virginia. Lee was also eulogized in Great Britain.
When all settled down, Mrs. Robert E. Lee said, "If he had succeeded in gaining by the sword all the South expected and hoped for, he could not have been more honored and lamented."
Many thousands witnessed Lee's funeral procession marching through the town of Lexington, Virginia, with muffled drums and the artillery firing as the hearse was driven to the school's chapel where he was buried.
US President Dwight D. Eisenhower knew and appreciated our nation’s rich history. President Eisenhower was criticized for displaying a portrait of Robert E. Lee in his office. This was part of his response; quote "Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by this nation." unquote
Robert E. Lee was the hero of the Southern people and admired both North and South of the Mason-Dixon Line. This Christian- gentleman's last words were, "Strike the Tent."
There will be a Remembering Robert E. Lee Program at Lee Chapel on Monday, October 12, 2009. For details go to:
http://chapelapps.wlu.edu/tertiary.asp?ID=40&Parent=43&NavOrder=1
RIP. Too bad the nation had to come to blows. Hope we never have another civil war.
It would be wonderful if all people behaved like him. I guess that is asking for too much.
R.E. Lee was born too late. He should have been one of the founding fathers.
A noble man in an unfortunate time.
Also one of the greatest Americans ever.
“Do your duty in all things;
You can not do more;
You should never wish to do less.”
~Robert Edward Lee
Lee was a fine man and probably the best military mind of his age. It is hard to respect the man judging him from today’s standards. I understand his desire not to take up arms against his own state, Virginia. However, he volunteered to lead the forces against the US in violation of his oath to uphold the US Constitution. Hard to justify.
I doubt that he understood his acts to be in violation of the Constitution. While he understood his cause was lost, it’s likely he believed he was acting in support of the Constitution, and it’s certain he was acting as he saw his duty. That’s not hard to support in any age.
I guess it all depends on how you would view an oath to the Constitution if secession voids that document. Other Virginians like George H. Thomas took the opposite view & stayed with the Union forces thought they were greatly reviled for doing so.
Great man and a patriot (back ten, states’s rights were assumed to be a valid political theory)-but what was he thinking at Gettysburgh?
Honor and duty in Lee’s age were paramount. So I agree that he believed he was doing his duty. He knew, by resiging his commission and taking up arms against the US, however violated his oath.
I believe he did, based on a letter he wrote to his son in January 1861. However he made the decision to go with his state and he never wavered. You have to respect him for that.
Your comment on Ike is so true, so very true.
Ironic that a man who hated war probably extended the Civil War for years because of his military genius and capacity for leadership. If he had accepted Lincoln’s offer to command the Union forces the war would have been over the first year.
At Gettysburg, he did not know what he faced. The calvary was not available to him to report where the Union Army was and which portions he faced. There were also two new corps under new corps commanders.
And ironic that a general, US Grant, that hated blood-shed defeated him by not backing down from horrible lose of live through out 1864.
I didn’t post about Lee; I posted about DDE.
“(back ten, states’s rights were assumed to be a valid political theory)”
According to the Constitution it still is.
Elitist, statist, Democrats and other liberals have been working hard to eradicate it but the individual rights of soverign states is still in the Constitution for all to read.
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