Today marks the birthday of one of The South’s greatest leaders and the epitome of the gracious Southern gentleman – Robert Edward Lee. To help commemorate this great event, here are a few quotes from and about General Lee:
“Let us go home and cultivate our virtues.”
Robert E. Lee, addressing his soldiers at Appomattox“Duty is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.”
“I am nothing but a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation.”
“Let danger never turn you aside from the pursuit of honor or the service to your country … Know that death is inevitable and the fame of virtue is immortal”
“I was raised by one of the greatest men in the world. There was never one born of a woman greater than Gen. Robert E. Lee, according to my judgment. All of his servants were set free ten years before the war, but all remained on the plantation until after the surrender.”
William Mack Lee (Robert E. Lee’s black servant)“His noble presence and gentle, kindly manner were sustained by religious faith and an exalted character.”
Winston Churchill on the character of Robert E. Lee“He possessed every virtue of other great commanders without their vices. He was a foe without hate; a friend without treachery; a victor without oppression, and a victim without murmuring. He was a public officer without vices; a private citizen without reproach; a Christian without hypocrisy and a man without guile. He was a Caesar without his ambition; Frederick without his tyranny; Napoleon without his selfishness, and Washington without his reward. He was obedient to authority as a servant, and loyal in authority as a true king. He was gentle as a woman in life; modest and pure as a virgin in thought; watchful as a Roman vital in duty; submissive to law as Socrates, and grand in battle as Achilles!”
War-era Georgia Senator Ben Hill’s tribute to Robert E. Lee
My apologies to all for the lack of posts recently. There are times when life gets in the way, and this is one of those times. No problem really – just a lot of other projects that must come before time spent writing for Confederate Colonel. Some examples:
• This week is our church’s annual Bible Conference – a real high point for the year as we have one full week with 4 sermons a day. This year’s topic is II Thessalonians.
• I am Webmaster General in the Military Order of The Stars and Bars. Although the new web site and web store are now up and running, there is still plenty to do on it.
• It’s time to start working on the Spring garden – seeds to start using a new seedling setup that I just finished working on.
• Amid all this, I still have a business to run (Adjutant Software, Inc.)
Thank you for putting up this memorial to a great man that lived his life as many of us could only wish to do. Terra and I will be praying for your success with the Military Order of the Stars and Bars and a prosperous garden. My wife and I took the day to go and place a Confederate flag at the only Confederate grave here in Billings that we are aware of. We believe that Gen Lee would have wanted us to honour his men on this day as much as him.
The real happy thought for those of us born too late is that, as sinners saved by grace, we will have the honor to meet Marse’ Robert and shake his hand!
A happy thought, indeed! As a sinner saved entirely by grace, I am one who will have that opportunity. On the other hand, being in the presence of Jesus my Lord, I am sure that even the great Robert E. Lee will hold no interest, and he of all people would agree with that.