Franklin County: "Death of Gen. Robt. E. Lee," by Unknown, October 25, 1870
Summary: An obituary for Robert E. Lee
A late telegraphic dispatch announces the death of Gen.Robt. E. Lee, at his residence in Lexington Virginia. An exchange, speaking of his death, appends the following brief biography of the distinguished Virginian;
Robert Edmund Lee was the son of Henry Lee, a distinguished American general, once governor of Virginia, and an author of some eminence. He was born in Virginia about 1810, and consequently was sixty years old at his death. Like his long line of ancestors, Gen Lee had enjoyed largely the honors and emoluments disbursed by the United States government. He entered West Point as a cadet in 1825, graduating in 1829, and entering the service as a brevet second lieutenant of engineers. He was appointed assistant astronomer for fixing the boundary between Ohio and Michigan in 1835, and was promoted to first lieutenant in 1836, and to captain in 1838. In the war with Mexico he served as chief engineer of the army; commanded by Brigadier General Wool, and was breveted major for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Cherubusco, August 20th, 1847, and was made colonel for like gallant conduct at Chapultepec, September 13, 1847, in which he was wounded. He was appointed to the superintendency of West Point September 1, 1852, and held the postion to March 1855. On retiring from this post, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of 2d cavalry, the same month. We now come to the sad crisis in his otherwise brilliant career. Upon the breaking out of rebellion, he resigned his commission in the service of his country, and accepted the position of the commander of the miltary and naval forces of Virginia, and when that state joined the confederacy, he was appointed to the rank of general, and selected as commander in chief by Jefferson Davis. He was in immediate command of the forces in and around Richmond, and throughout Northern Virginia for the most part during the war; and the success of the confederate forces on the sanguinary battlefields of the peninsula, Fredericksburg and Bull Run, compel a recognition of his rare military ability, in spite of the disastrous repulses suffered by his troops at Antietam and Gettysburg. Early in life he married the adopted grand-daughter and heiress of Washington, by whom he had five sons, all of whom joined the confederate service. For some five years General Lee has been president of the college at Lexington, Virginia.
Bibliographic Information: Source copy consulted: Public Opinion, Oct 25, 1870, p. 2, c. 2
