Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 18.djvu/133

 Robert Edward Lee. 133

desert them, but swam back, rejoined them, was captured with them, and was marched drenching wet to West Point, or rather to the 'White House,' and was subsequently sent to Johnson's Island. He was the son of Rev. Mr. Johnston, of the Episcopal Church in Edenton, and married the daughter of Dr. Johnson, of Raleigh. One of his brothers used to laughingly tell him that he had never been married that Miss Johnson only consented to take / with him. He was the life of the prison on Johnson's Island, though rapidly nearing death with consumption, and used to read the Episcopal service to his fellow-prisoners every Sunday. He used to tell them that he never knew how to appreciate his prayer- book, especially the litany, until he was himself a prisoner and in- voked God's ' pity upon all prisoners and captives.' He had a young, joyous-hearted brother in my command who is now an Episcopal clergyman in Canada, though he has recently been travelling and preaching in England in the interest of missions. This younger brother took charge of the remains of my youngest boy-brother, killed in action at Chancellorsville, and carried them to Richmond for burial in Hollywood. I have two young hero brothers buried in that beautiful cemetery on Monroe Hill."

[Compiled from the Richmond Dispatch, January 20, 1891.]

ROBERT EDWARD LEE.

First Observance of His Birth-day, January igth Ordained by the Virginia

Assembly as a Legal Holiday Observed throughout Virginia, and

in Georgia, Maryland and New York.

The Birth-day of General Robert Edward Lee, ordained as a legal holiday by the Virginia Assembly, was on January igth, 1891 its first recurrence after such action reverently and generally observed throughout the State. The States of Georgia, Maryland and New York also rendered affectionate tribute to the memory to the immortal Chief of the Armies of the South. In Richmond the weather was perfect. Not a cloud obscured the sky from " the rising of the sun untH the going down thereof.' '