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JOHN H. HODGES, Propr. DEVOTED TO HOME INTERESTS, PROGRESS AND CULTURE. #1.00 ti Year lu Alrmn.
VOL. XXXIY.
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GA., THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1904.
NO. 4.
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His home life was beautiful, but a ull my devotion to the Union, and
i soldier^ must follow the fortunes of the feeling of loyalty and duty of
writ® Mallary Mill Supply Co.,
MAOON, GEORGIA,
ABOUT
Stax Pea lEX-cillexs,
•WESr-X- P=TTtv<EP=>S.
ADAMS & JOHNSTON,
522-524 POPLAR ST„ MACON, GA.
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for hogs or cows, our specialties now. Syrup Barrels.
FULL LINE
STIPLI GROCERIES FIRM SUPPLIES, STOCK FEED, ETC,
Try. our “Imperial” Flour.
We want the patronage of Houston county people and will
give satisfaction to all purchasers.
IT IS HEBEI
stott c^xsr^et iti
IN MEMORY OF GEN. R. E. LEE.
Address Delivered by Rev. T. E. Dav-
port at Perry, fia., January
10 th, 1001.
United Daughters of the Confed
eracy and Friends:
In company with thousands to-
He had to open ways, build bridges,
plan forts and lead to battle grounds,
j During the march from Yera Oruz
i to the City of Mexico ooourred one
day all over our Southland we are of those daring feats of bravery and
met to do honor to the memory of endurance that won the
war. In 1846 the Mexioan war call- an Amerioan oitizen, I have not been
ed Lee to arduous engineering work, able to make up my mind to raise
ray hand against my relatives, my
ohildren, my home.’* He resigned
hie position in the U. S. army April,
’61, where he had served 32 years,
and went to Richmond, where he
one of her finest products of man
hood, and that not only of the south
but the world. “The elements were
so mixed in him that all the world
eould say this is a man.” In the
Hall of Fame, New York—that mod
ern Pantheon—there are 29 tablets
insoribed to Amerioan Immortals,
“who were not born to die.” Among
these is the name of Robert Edward
Lee. The inscription on the tablet
reads: “Duty, then, is the sublimest
word in our language—do your du
ty in all tilings—you cannot do
more, you should never wish to do
YOU NEED NOT GO ELSEWHERE FOR
Fiirnitiire, Mattings, Rugs, Shades, Etc.
when they are near home in best quality, great variety and
At Lowest Prices.
I can save you money on Rocking Chairs, any piece of Furniture,
Shades, Rugs, Chamber Sets, or anything you need in my liu9.
If you want anything not in stock, I will order it for you.
Beautiful Lamps at low prices. See the goods and get prices.
Choice Line of Coffins, Caskets, Etc.
Yours to serve,
,a=3. x-,-
PERRY, GEORGIA.
PLANT CEEAN
WHEAT.
Pure, clean seed wheat will make you
better wheat and more of it, and we will
%et more wheat to grind or more to buy.
We will clean your wheat free, give
yoi screenings and all.
We are selling Blue Stem Tennessee
Seed\Wheat at cost.
These words are culled from a let
ter to his son in which he oommends
the example, as worthy of imitation,
of the old Puritan Davenport of
Stafford. “There was,” he wrote,
“quietness in that man’s mind, the
quietness of heavenly wisdom and
inflexible willingness to obey pres
ent duty.” Then the words that are
worthy of repetition—“Duty, then,
is the sublimest word in oqr lan
guage—do your duty in all things—
you cannot do more, you should
never wish to do less.” Duty was
his inspiration. In performing it he
carried out those memorable deeds
that have made his name immortal.
It was said of him “thkt there was
not a human virtue that he did not
possess, and that to a marked de
gree. Whether we consider him as
son, or cadet, or engineer, or captain,
or general, or president of a college,
he was great. He oombined genius
and character, manly courage and
womanly sympathy. His fine nature
never grew ooarse with camp life.
Lee was not conquered by the
North; it was the destiny of fate
that at last overwhelmed him.
Now, of necessity^ in this memo
rial paper the substance must be
mainly historical. I crave the indul
gence'of the old veterans and ask
the interest of the younger genera
tion while I give a short outline of
the life of this man whom we all
love and delight to honor.
Robert E. Lee was the son of
“Light Horse” Harry Lee of Revo
lutionary fame, whose body lies
buried in Georgia soil at Dungeness
on Cumberland Island. Robert Ed
ward was born at Stratford, Va.,
Jan. 19, 1807. Se he was nearly 8
years old when the battle of Water
loo was fought and 11 years old
when hi6 father died. His early
training devolved upon his godly
widowed mother; he would take the
keys and keep house for her and
nurse her when she was sick. She
VMley- Boiler Mills,
Harris Mfg,\? 0 ., Props. V
Fort Valley, Georgia
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Everything to buM with, from brick to shingles, inside and
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.HARRIS MANUFACTURING CO
can I spare
a son and
wrote of him, “How
Robert? He is both
daughter to me.”
When a boy 18 years old he was
introduced to Gen. Andrew Jack-
son, and made such a favorable im
pression on him that he was ap
pointed to West. Point through
Jackson’s influence.
Here he stayed for 4 years, grad
uating with second honor. His gen
eral deportment was so fine he had
not a single demerit against him
during his whole course, and this is
counted a marvel in a military
school.
He was appointed lieutenant of
engineers and helped to plan the de
fenses of New York harbor, the
Chesapeake and also of Washington.
He had risen now to captain of
engineers, and in June, 1831, he
was married to Mary Custis, grand
daughter of Martha Washington
Thus, by marriage, was close of kin
to Washington, whose example he
seems to have emulated. By this
marriage, also, he came into posses
sion of Arlington Heights, Washing
ton’s home, and the White House,
which gave him an independent for
tune.
praise from Gen. Soott, oommander
in-chief of the U. S. army. At Con
treras the Mexicans were strongly
entrenched. Lee found an unguard
ed plaoe in their rear, lying next to
an almost impassable pedregal or
lava bed. He led a division of the
army across this perilous waste and
gained position by nightfall. Then
a council, of war was called; the dis r
cuasion was long, By 9 o’oloek it
was deoided to make the attack at
daylight. In order to do this Scott
must be .notified, and attack the
front of the Mexioan army simulta
neously. Lee volunteered to return
and notify Soott of the plan, This
he did, in a raging storm, alone.
The night was dark and the enemy
was on every side. He crossed deep
gullies and scrambled over sharp
rooks, guided by the lightning. But
the plans were carried out, the Mex
ioan army was surprised, defeated,
and Lee was the hero of the hour.
Gen. Soott says, “This was the
greatest feat of physioal and moral
courage performed by any individu
al, in his knowledge, pending the
campaign.” Gen. Soott had great
admiration for Lee; said he was one
of the best soldiers he ever savV, and
that ‘<he was as distinguished for fe
licitous execution as for science and
daring, and if he had the opportuni
ty would prove himself the great
captain of history.” How true this
propheoy was fulfilled.we know.
At Ghapultapeo Lee was wounded
and compelled, from loss of blood, to
retire from the field. For valor and
success he was brevetted colonel.
Returning home after the war, he
was appointed superintendent of
West Point; a position that did not
fit him. The nervous strain praoti
cally whitened his head. About this
time a cavalry regiment was formed
and Lee was appointed Lt. Colonel.
He Berved in Texas about 4 years
scouting Indians.
Being called home at the death of
Mr. Custis, he made arrangements
according to the will, to free all the
slaves left to his wife in 5 years,
Lee had already freed his own slaves
and thus clearly defined his position
on that vexed subject.
Being at home on a furlough in
1859, he was sent by the govern
ment to suppress the John Brown
raid at Harper’s Ferry. This bus!
□esc he effected with consummate
skill. Brown and his followers were
captured, tried, and hung for trea
son.
In ’60 and ’61 Lee was with his
regiment in Texas. The whole coun
try was in a ferment over the slavery
question and secession. Lee hoped
to the last that there would be no
war. But so many of the southern
states were seceding, Lee was called
to Washington. In the meantime
Virginia had followed the lead of
the other southern states and left
the Union. At this time, says Maj
Gen. Howard, of the U. S. army,
“Lee, through Gen. Frank P. Blair,
as manager, was offered the com
mand of the army of the U. S.” His
reply was, “My first allegiance is
due to Virginia. I cannot take the
offer. I decline it.” This is testi
mony enough to establish a fact that
is now being denied in some quar
ters. Before leaving Washington he
is reported to have walked the floor
all night. It is hard to understand
the mental agony through which he
had to undergo and the personal
sacrifice which he made. The Union
ranks were full of his old friends.
The U. S. government had honored
him with its highest gifts. With
Lee as commander of the Union ar
my the war would be brief, and then
a united country, his home secured,
and perhaps the presidency in his
He wrote to his sister, “With 1
was made major general of the state
forces.
But during the first year of ser
vice, aeoording to Jefferson Davis,
he
grasp.
was greatly misunderstood and*
wholly unappreciated. His miB&ion
to drive the Federate out of West
Virginia failed. Lee blamed nobody,,
but afterward it appeared that it was*
because others failed to carry out his
plans. He was sent south to strength
en the coast defenses, with a letter
to the governor bf South Carolina,
and after a few months of valuable
service there returned to the defense
of Richmond, and to the advisory
counsel of Davis. After the death
of Gen. Albert Sidhey Johtisboh he
was given charge of the Army of
Virginia, to stop McClellan’s “On to
Richmond.” .
Now it was that Lse’s military ge
nius shone out in all its strength and
grandeur, . Always overmatohed by
half or double or quadruple, with in-
fuffioient weapons and short rations
and Boant clothing, he yet,like Wash
ington, kept up the spirit of his men
and out-generaled his antagonists
and turned the battle againBb them.
One has said of him, “Lee endured
more hardship* encountered more
peril, fought more battles, won more
victories and sustained fewer de
feats than Washington.” He proved
an overmatch for the very flower of
the Union generals. Qne after an
other he met and defeated McClel
lan at Seven PineB, Pope at second
Battle of Manassqe, Burnside at
Fredericksburg, and Hooker at .
Chancellorsville.
When he left his native soil he did
not have the same success. When he
marched into Union , territory he
gave orders not to pillage or destroy
private property, saying he was s
fighting only against armed men. It
may be his old love for his former
friends and government weakened
his hands or blunted his judgment.
At any rate at Antietam he was con
tent to call it a draw and took back
his army to Virginia. When again
he confronted the Union arpay, at
Gettysburg, he suffered his severest
loss and withdrew, but with such
masterly ability that Meade could
not summon courage enough to give
battle again, and he conducted his
whole army safely to soutnern soil.
For three years now he had been
conducting active campaigns. Lee
and his men were worn out with
fighting. As Robert Toombs ex
pressed it, they had worn themselves
out whipping the Yankees.
In ’64 Ulysses S. Grant was given
charge of the U. S. army with 125,-
000 men and a wagon train 66 miles
long. Lee had half as many men
and was very poorly supplied. Grant
came with the determination to an
nihilate the Confederate army or
pre38 it into Richmond and lay siege
and stop the war at once. But after
such experiences as the Wilderness
and Cold Harbor, he was ready to
camp .before Petersburg and to try
the virtue of endurance. Lee’s sup
plies of men and provisions were
running short every day; at one time
it was one cracker to a man a day.
One fellow who had his in his hand
had it shot out by a musket ball and
said, “Poor thing, I will put you in
a safe place next time.” Finallj,
when the railroad that ran south
from Petersburg fell into the hands
of 'Grant, because Lee, could nob
command the force to protect it,
Lee’s supplies were cut oft altogeth
er and he had to evacuate Rich
mond and move South. At Appo
mattox Court House Lee had 25,000
men, worn out in body and clothing
and half starved. Grant had 200,-
000,
Just before the surrender Lee said
to an officer, “How easily could I get
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