| Show SAVED LIFE OF LEE LINCOLN SPARED SON OF CON FEDERATE CHIEFTAIN great hearted pres bent touched by the hero sm of southern officer off de berred execute on war wars s end ngi ng settled the matter for jv i Pre silent lent lincoln s magnanimous disposition nd I 1 andly nature were ear never better exemplified than in a case during tl it e civil war in which two tao bons sons of the confederate ch efrain robert E lee were involved says the washington ashington vV post As narrated bv by one of the most hosp table and leal teal virginians I 1 himself a scion of a family noted for the bi bhae an e deeds and heroic sacrifices the story of lincoln and the lees levells a depth of tra affection chivalry and heroism of which americans nay n ay justly be proud no matter what ahat state may claim their alleia allegiance nce it was ass after the battle of biancy station in wl ich gen W H r I 1 iee ee called by his father and family rooney lee was mas not only badly wounded b it capt ired by the federal forces upon be ng taken to the headquarters of the union aimy his identity became known and there was consequently great rejo cing over such a capture S a federal officer who had been cultured cat aured by the confederates was mas shot under peculiar circumstances and tl if e captors of rooney lee deform ned that he should be executed by w may ay of retal bretal atlon A day had beep axed A when hen he was to be shot at sunrise in some manner gen Was washington Lington parke C aistis lee who once owned ahe arlington estate which was subsequently made a na dional cemetery by the united states government learned of hl hie brother brothers s peril by means of a flag of truce custis lee api eared at the head quai ot of the union commander who cordially received him and inquired the nature of his visit to save my brother brothers s life if pos sible was the cieply and return him to his wife and children you must know general continued con timed tinted custis lee I 1 am a bachelor and not only that but I 1 ou outrank traill my brother who is a brigada er general wl lie ile I 1 am a major general if any one is to suffer for the unfortunate occurrence by which one of your officers forfeited his life let the blow fall upon me there will be no one to grieve and worry morry aho abo t me for fo r I 1 am a single man and a sol soi 1 er able and will ng to abide bv by the albit of war aar with my brother it is differ nt for he is a man of tarn fam ily fly w th a wife and four little ones one anait awaiting ng I 1 im at home he biroas nothing of my visit neither does our father gen aobert E lee know ng both of them as I 1 do it is my con lecture jecture that if my purpose had been beep cammi to either of them they would have endeavored endea ored lored to dissuade me from such an undertaking inder taking con conf 01 antly I 1 have come to arola your r beati Se ati of my own bolit on and A w phout any advice wl alever ate ver e ether ta er from rr ny y family or friends give me my broth or er s life for his fan fam ly s sake and tal e in ne a aa a means of retaliation tor a regrettable an I 1 clooke I 1 for act of war aar an ani I 1 its in sery moved by this appeal the union beneral pointed out to his visitor that what he asked was aas not in lit hia to giant lots were tor ter the execute on he said and fate willed it at your brother should dra drai the fatal number A time I 1 as I 1 een fixed faxed tor for the execute on tl e ne essary or lers have been given and it only remains to carry out tl e retails there s nobody to help you in your ex rem ty unless president lincoln at washington sees fit to interfere th s suggestion coming from the ou ce t d d aroused a gleam of hope within the bosom of cu lee and he inquired of the federal commander whether it would be possible to stay the execution of the death sentence until president lincoln could be in formed of the circumstances most assuredly was ass the reply and furthermore he shall be in formed of your our heroic and brotherly offer of sacrifice immediately this officer kept faith to the let ter continued tl e narrator and sent a deta led account of his inter view with custis lee to the lent of the un ted states abraham lin coin coln within a few hours after the message was received at washington came a reply from president lincoln to the federal commander saying I 1 know C itis lee meana what he sas says defer the execution of I 1 is brother until you receive further orders from me these orders never came con eluded the host for shortly after ward W H F lee was excl anaed for a federal officer of the rank of a brigadier genei general al and at once set out to rejo n his family his devoted wife in the meanwhile learning the story of his capture and sentence and hav hay ing no means for ascertaining his s ib sequent whereabouts had pined away and died scarlet fever had car ned ried off his four chil ch illren iren so that it was as to a darkened and desolate fire side that rooney lee fetui returned ned 0 it of the laws of death he knew nothing at this time of the otter offer made by hi hia brother to take his place and it was v as not until long after the civil war had ended that he learned what the big hearted abraham lincoln had done Is it any wonder con contic contim timed ed the narrator that n en of the south revere the memory of lincoln 7 it was the darkest Aar kest day in our history when he fell by b an assassin s act and none deplored his untimely end moie more brave ol 01 oil I 1 ma ala ho RO u C t 11 h sons custis curtis and ho ro ney ne le tl if las ard a e agres man it tt W as agton V son of R 11 0 P e I 1 a 0 by a ube quent jaarni marril is n A a member of the virginia |
