The Genealogy Committee of the Armstrong County Historical Museum and Genealogy Society will have their monthly meeting on Sunday, August 7, 2011 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM in the Mildred Lankerd Thomas Genealogy Library – 300 North McKean Street, Kittanning, PA.
The meeting will feature Edward P. Beers (who regrets he will not be bringing his horse, Traveller, along). Below is his statement of presentation:
GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE
1/19/1807 — 10/12/1870
Portrayed
By
Edward P. BeersIt is my desire to set forth in a first person living demonstration the person, the man, General Robert Edward Lee. He was indeed a man that set forth by his life and his words the principles of the word of God. Having made a personal commitment to Christ, at Christ’s Church in Alexandria, Virginia while a young man, he determined to live for God and serve Him all the days of his life. He was always devoted to his family and endeavored to show his love and compassion toward them always. He was blessed with a caring devoted mother, Anne Hill Carter. She knew the Lord and had a deep faith in god. Her desire was that her sons and daughter would know the Lord and live for Him all the days of their lives. She also had a deep desire for their education.
General Lee was a devoted family man, faithful to his wife, Mary all the days of their married life. He shared the truth of Godliness by his words and life to his three sons and four daughters.
His devotion to his country was strong. He believed in the U.S.A. He was a military man with patriotism and commitment. He served in the Mexican War supporting his government. At Harper’s Ferry he led the U.S. Calvary and Marines to bring resolve to the John Brown incident involving the capture of a U.S. Army depot and the holding of hostages.
His life was lived daily with self renunciation, according to the laws of Almighty God. In the early spring of 1861, in the parlor of a well-known house on Pennsylvania Avenue, in the City of Washington, he was offered the supreme command of the armies of the United States then gathering to suppress the Southern rebellion. To his natural ambition as a soldier, such an offer must have presented a great temptation. He loved the Union. He recognized no necessity for secession. He would have forborne and pleaded to the end for redress of grievances, real or supposed. He had a deep feeling of loyalty and duty as an American citizen. He was strongly attached to the service to which he had devoted the best years of his life and all the ability he possessed. Yet, he refused the illustrious position and high station offered to him. He knew the weakness of the South. He also knew the power and resources of the North. And knowing them, he must have assumed the ultimate victory of the North in the impending struggle to come. But no promise of glory or promotion could swerve him from his allegiance and his love for the South. Yes, R. E. Lee is one of that noble army of Christian heroes of the ages. Like Moses of old: “He refused illustrious position, high station, and the life of ease and luxury choosing rather to suffer affliction with his people.” During his four years at the Military Academy at West Point he never received a demerit or reprimand; and so faultless was his career that we may point to him as a model and example to all of us. But R. E. Lee saw too clearly into his own heart and also saw too clearly the strictness of God’s Law to place his hope and his confidence in his own righteousness. His whole trust for eternal salvation was solely in the merits of his Redeemer. Some time in the year 1862, when told of the prayers that were offered for him at the religious services at the different camps he said with emotion: “I sincerely thank you for that, and I can only say that I am a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone, and that I need all the prayers you can offer for me.”
As a great military commander his fame filled the world. Indeed he was a supreme master of war but it was to him abhorrent only to be exercised in the defense of home and fireside. After his great victory over Burnside at Fredericksburg, VA he gave no worked of exultation over his triumph but rather he said, “What a cruel thing war is: to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.”
With dwindling resources and the loss of so many men to hunger, sickness and war; And with the ever overpowering number of the Federal Army; And their encompassing blockade of the Confederacy, General lee broke the Petersburg defense line. Giving up that city he headed west with his destitute remnant. Circled by the federal army and their cavalry he had no recourse other than two choices. He could have disbursed his army to the hills and fought on for years or he could surrender his army with conditions. To save the lives of many, he choose the later. On April 9th, 1865 he surrendered his army to General Grant at Appomattox Court House.
Following the war there was nobody in America that gave more effort to the reuniting of the North and South than General Lee. He was offered lucrative positions in England and throughout the South but he choose instead to accept the presidency of downtrodden Washington College in Lexington, Virginia. He said that he had led many young men into war and now, “I shall be disappointed; I shall fail in the leading object which has brought me here, unless these young men all become Christians.” In the last brief four years of his life Washington and Lee was transformed into an advanced University.
It may be said of Robert E. Lee that not only in the great crises of his life was the spirit of self renunciation supreme, but that all through his life, from the day when he publicly gave himself to the service of God in old Christ Church in Alexandria, he lived not to himself, but to God and to his fellowman.
He died October 12, 1870. His wife Mary wrote, “And oh, what a glorious rest was in store for him.”
It was indeed a great privilege and honor for me to portray my historical hero and speak for one of the greatest Americans: GENERAL ROBERT EDWARD LEE.
Your obedient servant,
Edward P. Beers
Important note:
The following meeting will be Sunday, September 11 because Labor Day weekend falls on the customary first Sunday.