Transcripts For CSPAN3 The Civil War Robert E. Lee After The War 20240713

, ladies and gentlemen, is robert e lee in the postwar years. Teague, askedhuck a this was going to be beatification, did i get that right . And never hit me, but i guess it might, in a way, because i am a fan of robert e lee. Besides giving you a timeline of did in the e. Lee postwar years, and overlooked area of his life, the other main theme i am going to try to get across to you, the park service is that ithemes, wouldnt say he did a lot of work, but his own personal example is probably the best way. Through his own personal example, robert e. Lee tries to reconcile the nation. What a lot of us have forgotten is how far apart the country was in 1865. It is the view of a lot of people that lee surrenders at appomattox and, bam, we will forget about it. We will hold hands and just reunite and continue down that path. Decades,the country some say a century, some say not even yet, for the country to really reunite. I would put the country seriously coming back together in the same vein as the spanishamerican war, when we had a common enemy once again instead of each other. But that would be roughly 30 years after the end of the civil war. Robert e. Lee does not live that long. He is only going to live for five years. But you think about who symbolized the confederacy coming out of the civil war, and to the southerners were going to emulate. Then put your shoes then put yourself in the shoes of the man himself. When you are robert e. Lee, everything you do is under a microscope. And you know he hated that, the crowds, everything else. On april 9, 18s 65. He surrenders to general grant. Lee is greatly surprised by the terms he gets from u. S. Grant. Grant could have imposed harsh terms, and ulysses s grants manner iss often overlooked. Has to stick lee around at appomattox for a few days, he is an Army Commander and tester shore up paperwork. In three days after he surrenders, april 12, he sets out riding traveler, his famous horse. Redays later he is going to make his way to richmond come of three days later he is going to make his way back to richmond, virginia, and this is the site he beholds. He did not see this personally, but confederates set the town on fire when they were evacuating when richmond fell. Look at those charred ruins. That is the Virginia State capital, the old capital of the confederacy in the middle. 15,e days later, april robert he lee pulls up to the james river and is quick to look across at a scene of desolation. He is not going to have a big cavalcade, knuckling to have a lot of people, he is going to have one staff officer, he has a son, he has one wagon behind him that is actively stamped u. S. On the side, because it served as hes headquarters wagon for his serves asage his headquarters wagon for his personal baggage. Main street and turns onto franklin street in richmond, and literally they will come up to the front of the franklin street. Believe it or not, the fire that engulfed richmond had come up to the house right next door, but that one had been saved. Wanting tohered, icon, wanted to touch his boot. Can you imagine us doing that today . Ever since, well, you know who died in 1977. Horse,ee gets off his bows gravely, then walks inside that front door right there. And this is a scene which i dont have any record of, and is one i have always been curious about. Robert e lim oz those eight steps leading into the house those eighte mounts steps leading into the house, bows graciously, and he still has his uniform on. That will be the last time, i suppose, in his official capacity, he will put it back on four pictures in a day or two, but that will be in his last asacity as a shoulder a a soldier. When he walked through the front door, what went through his mind . Ever thought about that . His daughters, he had children ranging from 19 to 32 years of age at the time, and they were always a close family, always somebody he could turn to and be himself. I wonder what he said to mary . Did he express regret . Did he say anything . Did he cry . At some point, every soldier has to look back at what they have done. From privates to generals to lieutenants to capt ains, everybody looks back on decisions they have made. And i wonder when he came home that day, what he thought. Is trying to get his thoughts back together, none other than famous civil war photographer Matthew Brady is going to call on him. I will go through some pictures. Actor, which you have seen croft and blown up and color is always sideways, is alwaysthat picture chosen for a reason. Because the picture sums up robert ely at this point in his life. While he is in this franklin street house, and going on the next few weeks, you can only imagine the people coming by to call upon lee. Some autograph seekers, some just wanting to see him, friends, acquaintances, george e does not want to see these people. It is the last thing he wants to do. Ustis, to your left, custis answers the door and there is a ragged old confederate soldier there. The soldier has got his arm in a sling. Custis, i would like to see generally, and he says, the general is not receiving. At he says, i am from texas and like to see the number life followed on so many campaigns. He is standing there in rags and probably stinking to high heaven if the truth was known. I will see what i can do, and allows him into the house. Lee is upstairs. Show the soldier in. The texan sits down. A few moments later, here comes robert e. Lee. He must have had his own certain t, because they recognized it. Lee bows graciously to the people in the room and then extends his hand and walks over to the texan, this private. The texan extends his hand and they embracing a handshake, looked at him, and the soldier cant say anything. He just cant say anything. Not one word comes out of his mouth. Holding leestill hands, he bursts into tears, this veteran of four years in the war. He bursts and the tears and after a few moments, he just walks out the door. Tears, and after a few minutes he just walks out the door. Nobody said anything. Lee bowed graciously to the ground and walked back up the stairs. Emotion youtype of are dealing with coming out of appomattox. You are talking about a people that have just lost their hopes for a nation. And who defined that . That man right there. That is why the civil war ends, folks, when robert e. Lee surrendered, because he is the definition of the confederacy. Matthew brady called and he took these pictures. The only reason that the sits or stands for these pictures is because, at first he rebuffed rating brady. What did brady do . Wasent to leas boss, which , his wife. That is right. [laughter] told the general to get dressed. Lee came down with his son and his staff officer and he said, mr. Brady, we are ready for you. You canou look closely, see the stand behind lee that holds his head in place. That is how you got him to stand still. You keep your head and you cant see the rest of it going up his back right there. He captured these right here. Not especially my favorite. This is not the appomattox uniform, it must be one of his field uniforms, it looks in very good shape, hardly worn. [laughter] forgot theually i picture was in the queue. [applause] [laughter] is actually a previously unreleased photograph of my ancestor. Did that for rich me as a joke one day, and i have had it on my door ever since. What is the situation on may 29, 1865 . President johnson offers general amnesty to all former confederates who signed an oath of allegiance, but excludes all who held civil office in the government and people with a value of over 20,000. On june 7, 1865, lee is indicted for treason. June 13, lee encloses in a letter to general grant his application for a pardon. Ready toion is, i am meet any charges that may be preferred against me and wished to avoid trial, but if i am granted parole and dem not to be prosecuted, i desire to comply with the provisions of the president s proclamation. The requirednclose application. Oath, not sign the because word of this requirement had not reached virginia. Grant immediately requested all indictments the squashed and the pardon be granted. Prosecutors halted the proceedings against robert e. Lee, but did not formally dismissed charges. No pardon would be forthcoming from president johnson either. This is what we know now, but lee did not know that. So to add to lees woes, had the in june 1865 he sword of damocles over his head, but doesnt know if he is going to be indicted anytime soon. Could be any moment. In asking for this pardon, is probably in southerners eyes in the most controversial act of his life. He is, in that pardon, admitting thession, the creation of confederacy and fighting against the nordion against the northern invasion were all wrong. So by admitting that, to say the least, he is not making any friends. Thousands,r tens of and we said th theme was example, that maybe they should apply for a pardon and restore their rights in a manner the government would never give the general. Hisain george wise, holding oath in his hand, said, my parole covers it and i do not think it should be required. What would you advise . I advise that you take it, lee responded. General, this is an indignity lets swear the same thing at every street corner. I will seek a country where i can preserve my selfrespect. Do not leave virginia, lee said in a sad voice, our country needs her young men now. Young wise did take the oath and when he informed his father, his father exclaimed, you have disgraced the family. Some responded, generally advised me to do it. Oh, that alters the case. [laughter] whatever general lee says is alright. I dont care what it is. I want you to think about something as i start to read this part. What willu know things this represents. This is Washington College in lexington, virginia. I want you to think about something as i get into it. If you are robert e. Lee, what would you do after the war . I dont know if there is a right or a wrong answer, what do you do . College itself, it had been heavily damaged in the war. The library had been scattered, federal soldiers were using buildings for barracks, the college have been kept open as a prep school and in 1865 it only our faculty. Trustees were meeting on august 4, 18 65, to elect a new president. Stood the vote, a member and said he had heard mary lee, dr. Of the general, said the south stood give lee anything but what he wanted, a way to make an honest living. Later, lee had been unanimously elected president. A pause andwas silence prevailed for some moments. The board seemed depressed of the gravity with the gravity of the situation and seemed to think they acted rashly and seemed very presumptive to elect lee the head of a broken down nevertheless, a letter was drafted and that judge was urged was sent to urge the gent was sent to urge the general to accept. The judge looked at his close and realized he did not have any fitting to call on generally. He borrowed a suit. Money, with aed borrowed suit, they obtained transportation. And that is the way he called livingneral lee, who was , to be thehmond president of this college. After urging from friends, is going to accept the presidency on august 31. This is how he accepts it, though. Lee pointed out in his letter taking the job that he had not and pardoned yet. He was also explicit and what his political views might be. Everyk it is the duty of citizen in the present condition of the country to do all his all in his power to aid in the restoration of peace and harmony and in no way to oppose the state. Bent to set the young an example of submission to authority. Appomattox, lee was urging the healing of all dissension. Lee is inaugurated as president , that is fast, within a month of offering the job. The college opened with 40 students, and another 100 students drifted in by late fall. Meets a student, he is able to remember their name, which is a wonderful gift, if you are a good student. [laughter] arehe second year, there over 400 students, some from outside the south. I like to go off on tangents. One of the neatest things i have weabout robert e. Lee dont write like they did back then, but one of the things i really like about lee is how he would put together letters to parents. If he had a recalcitrant student acting up, lee would usually write three or four paragraphs, and he constructed his sentences this way. First paragraph, johnny is a fantastic kid. He is smart, intelligent, and he can do anything. Paragraph, unfortunately, he is not living up to his abilities. [laughter] third paragraph, i am sure you understand. Respectfully, r. E. Lee. You get the point. Rly, a confederate general, when if is favorite things to do after the the war was to show people lees letter demoting him after the battle of shenandoah. But that is what he has got to deal with. Today, i would think it would be worth being flunked out of school just to get a letter from lee. [laughter] that was just a joke. [laughter] 3. He starts october signs the oath of allegiance to the united states. To washingtonent and landed on the desk of william seward. Apparently thinking the document had been recorded, seward give it to a friend for a souvenir. And it was found in a bundle of oath, 105es amnesty years later. Anybody remember what happened during the Ford Administration . He got his pardon. From gerald ford. He pardoned everybody else. [laughter] come on, that was kind of funny, political joke there. No chevy chase fans here, or anything . [laughter] day, the opened a letter from general beauregard, who asked, what position should i take in relation to defeat . Seeresponded, i am glad to no indication in your letter of an intention to leave the country. The south acquires the aid of her sons now more than any other period in her history. Of abandoningghts her, unless compelled to do so. Lee reviewed his own efforts to regain yes citizenship that regain u. S. Citizenship and concluded with a passage that would be quoted i generations. I need not tell you that true patriotism sometimes requires a man to act exactly contrary at that of another, and the motive that compels them to do right is exactly the same. Circumstances that govern actions changed, and the conduct must conform to the new order of things. History is full of illustrations of this. Washington himself is an example of this. At one time, he fought in the service of the king of Great Britain and that another, he fought with the french at yorktown under the orders of the Continental Congress against england. He has not been branded by the with reproachs fo for this. That is your paradox. That is how property lee justifies his actions of being in the united states, leaving the united states, and coming back into the united states. Are, by this time there race riots in memphis and new orleans. The nation was heating up with Congressional Elections that would turn into a northern referendum on how to treat the vanquished south. Wardent johnson was at with congress. He wished lenient treatment which allowed Southern States back in without rather tying the 14th amendment. Congress wished the south be made to ratify. During this turmoil, lee counseled everybody to stay calm. To misses Jefferson Davis, he wrote, i have taught for the cessation of hostilities, and patients on the part of the wash is the truth course the true course, and i think so still. Early, he wrote, i hate a yankee this day worse than i have ever done and my hatred is it creasing every day. Youve got to love jubal early. You shall have to be patient and suffer for a while at least, and all controversies will provoke bitter feelings, and postpone the reason and postpone the time when reason and charity may resume their sway. Ilot of names on the bottom, was going to have somebody guess them. The south was listening. Harris, postniel g gettysburg, that is why you dont know him for the most part, probably the most famous would bedid spotsylvania courthouse, one of there, and heacks is outside petersburg with hamptons brigade, well worth seeing. Harris would write lee, your great and wise example of retirement in peace and obedience to government that law, we are pursuing on following. All your old men are peacefully trying to build shattered fortunes in the countrys peace and prosperity. January 7, congress looks into acts of impeachment against resident johnson. March 2, federal government passes the reconstruction act. These acts stripped state governments of power and placed the south into five military districts. Congress declares it can change local government without notice. States must ratify the 14th amendment. And one out of every four confederates are excluded from voting, and all africanamericans are included. The real carpetbagger era was beginning. Northerners are elected by blacks, and the governor of virginia is from new york, to give you an example. What does this do to these confederate . These confederates . In time, we will call them very racist. They do not like this situation. A boy with a broken leg who lee was visiting recalled the time. He remembered, he sat still for window ended set still by the window and his face looked so sad as he spoke about the people and is and their private nations and struggles. I cant sleep thinking about it and often feel so weighted down by sorrow that i have to get up that was the only melancholy sentence i ever heard him utter and the only time i saw the heartbroken look on his face. Saider instance a lady that lee, in a moment of being unguarded, she said why do you look so sad . He said im thinking about all the soldiers that died in vain when i knew it was too late. She goes why didnt you Say Something . He said they had to find out for themselves. The ladies and gentlemen is separation between civilian and military authority that makes our government today so unique. Look at any other government out , lee at this time is in jeffersonestify davis treason trial. He was offered amnesty in his trial against davis or face reindictment for treason. Toer the prosecutor tried establish lee only followed orders davis was responsible for, lee doug in his heels. I am responsible for what i did and i cannot now recall any Important Movement i made had i not acted on my own responsibility. You how many times have you seen in your life when somebody puts the squeeze on them, they fold in court . How many of you would have that hanging over your head, the potential indictment would be able to get on a witness stand and self indict yourself . It is a lot. Christmas day, 1868, president johnson sends out a general amnesty to all confederates who had not had their rights restored by previous acts. It was over. Lee and davis would never be tried. Lee was still not a citizen because his application had been misplaced. A couple things on that. Robert ely never votes again. Could you imagine any other revolution that you ever hear about in the world where the ringleaders dont get hung . Were worse. You watch braveheart. Way tos always a better kill somebody. If you think about it right there, Jefferson Davis is not hung for war crimes. Who is the symbol of the rebellion . Robert ely. Robert e lee he gets to go in peace. It is remarkable in a way, definitely unique. They very well could have created a martyr. Don washington and lee you want to hear a story . A tangent for you. I didnt know close going to tell this one or not. Lee was the admin a trader at Washington College, there was , edward joinsb one it is aessor join, cold winter day. He proceeds to take out a stick of wood. The fire heats up, the woods starts to burn. There is a humongous explosion. The potbelly stove bursts into 1000 fragments. He actually emerged without a scratch. Lee, as professor of Washington College had to deal with attempted murder. Somebody tried to kill the professor. , which leeices always were tended that i dont think was required of the students. Lee always set a personal example that mornings chapel surface the services he goes up and says to him in a vast understatement that he would be happy for anybody that has any information on this to please come by and call upon him later in his office. Lo and behold about 11 00 that up. Ing, two freshmen show they sit outside the door, lee was interviewing someone at the time. Lee says gentlemen, come on in. Could you imagine walking into the office with robert ely . Down and the boys proceed to explain to him that something had gone terribly awry. Four of them that lived in the them, somebodyof kept stealing their firewood. To discover who was stealing the firewood, one of the soldiers concocted a plan where he set about to take a piece of the wood. He drilled it out. He put clay over it. He put it back on the pile. Outside. Sure enough, somebody took it. He said he didnt understand why. Janitor,ind out the who was being too lazy did not want to walk the extra 200 yards to the woodpile. The students had to get their own would, but the professors had their would retrieved by the groundskeepers. Groundskeeper was taking shortcuts. When the professor through that piece of wood on his stove, that is why it blew up. E leere telling robert this with a straight face thinking they will get kicked out of school. Lee looks at them for a minute he then a few second later goes to laugh. This,lot of people saw lee loved to laugh. He was always in the public eye. Doors and in certain instances he would laugh. He loved it. Lee would end up telling the , one of thems name was gram. Well mr. Graham, your plan to find out who was taking your yourwas a good one but powder charge was too heavy. I would recommend the next time you use less powder. [laughter] you want to get inside Robert E Lees psyche . That story is something that lee would relay when he was president of Washington College to people and he would always get a kick out of that. The time there was a murder plot on his campus. In 68 lee goes on his first day vacation. He choose the rockridge resort. Dancewas a nightly called the treadmill. There were northerners and southerners. Does anybody know what you call a southerner who helped the north . Scalawag. Very good, larry. There was a West Virginia girl at the hotel where one man who was said was very beautiful and more handsomely dressed than any man, then any woman at the springs. The girls father had been a union man during the war and remained at home and mena made a fortune while the men lost all they had. The women would have none of her and the men dared not risk their wrath. The girl became very lonely. One evening when the dance was occurring the girl was in the other room reading. She became aware of the brilliant shine that stood before her. Her eyes met those of general lee. Asked for bowed, and her company. , theree dance was over was a general rush for introduction. From that time on the girl not only had all the partners she theed but actually became belle of the season. Lets go back, that is another act. Outside that night ever saw that. Did the newspapers reported . No. Did it go out on the telegram . No. Wase people, they say it 100 people, all eyes were on general lee. His personal example by going over there, he probably knew the backdrop of that story. He had daughters. His personal example led to that girl being allowed back into social circles. Now, another side view, same sitting. General lee is rocking out a little bit. While lee was on vacation, when he was in a group of ladies, one of the bells turned to him and said she was tired of being friendly to northerners. Theyurned to leah and said say general grant is coming here next week. What will you do then . The lady whod, recorded this said some of us wouldve gladly slain her on the spot. Answered, if general grant comes i shall welcome him to my home, show him all of the courtesy due from one gentleman to another and try to do everything in my power to make his stay agreeable. Come but his example continued to show a better heart. Christina bond concluded, we saw his absolute loyalty to the allegiance when he laid down his arms and his whole soul was engaged in the work of reconstruction. Grant decided to run for president in 1867, he becomes a republican, which infuriates the south. Lees face grew flush. If you speak this respectively of general grant in my presence, you or i will sever his connection with the university. What this you remember about general grant . He remembers he was generous. Exactly. Like that loyalty. Lee never forgot. Was a brief floating of lee running on the democratic ticket. It is flattering. As we all know, grant is elected president. Lee and grant would meet one more time, when lee was on a trip to baltimore to see about financing a railroad to lexington. Baltimore isin actually the longest speech he ever made in the postwar. Period. It is uneventful, i have read it. It doesnt say anything controversially. On his way back, lee called grant at the white house. That day, may 1, it was only four years since the opening shots and only three years since that of the wilderness. Months, lee 11 piled up union losses. When they met, one observer said we dont have the whole conversation. Both men seem to be saddened by the memories each other brought. Could you imagine sitting across from your greatest opponent and on the anniversary, neither one of them talks about the war. General grant apparently if this version is true did make one allusion to the war when he asked lee what he was doing in town. He informed he was trying to get a railroad to lexington. He said you and i have had a lot more to do with destroying railroads than we have had in building them. Do you know what lee did . Did not acknowledge him. Eat is the public robert lee. That interview probably lasted 510 minutes before they got up. They would never see each other again. That is a rare one right there. We think as far as his health, lee will suffer a stroke in 1962 or 1963. His health has never fully recovered ever since then. Lee suffered from depending on theyou read, probably from deterioration of the circulatory system that made him vulnerable to another heart attack. Lee was aware of his precarious position. My health has been so feeble i am admonished by my feelings that my years of labor are nearly over. The faculty urged lee to take time off. To visit as many friends to visit his many friends in savannah area he added that he could not go to savannah without meeting more people than he wanted to. Naive for us to think robert ely could go south and get any kind of rest. What are they trying to do . They had the best intentions in mind. What did they do if they had nothing else they could do for you medically . Send you to warmer climate. Hoping that will recuperate your health. That is why they will send lee south. Another reason for them to go was he wanted to visit the grave of ann carter, he had not been to her gravesite. Grave was in north carolina. What this would turn out to be is his farewell tour. Allowing he would never himself to ever be knowingly led into. Death. Really hasten his it will not be very good for him. Dont know if anything was going to save him at this point. It is befitting as far as history for him to go out. This is the first time he would travel south of virginia. Way, launching himself. Lee was thinking of himself as a tourist carrying train schedules and wondering about the availability of hotel rooms. The south would receive him as an emperor, almost as a god. Lee goes to richmond. Doesnt even look like the same man. The confederate uniform he still has on, look at his button. They are wooden or covered with black clock. It was against the law to wear a confederate uniform. You had to cover the button and take off the military insignia. Lee goes to richmond to catch the train south. He sees colonel mosby on the street. The general was pale and haggard and did not know like did not look like the apollo i knew in the army. I felt depressed by the great memories his presence revived. While both of us were thinking about the war, neither of us referred to it. Other s into none anybody know who that is . You wouldnt recognize him, would you . Mosby is going to invite George Pickett back to that hotel room. Worst thing that ever happened. We are all familiar with gettysburg. What is he famous for . Taking charge. The other half of the story which most of you have either forgotten or never heard of in the first place is the end of George Pickett in the civil war. On april 1, lee orders pickett ando out to his right flank pickett is ordered to hold his crossroads. Out in thes confederate calvary men will invite pickett. It is a type of fish. You dont get too much meat off of. That is what they had. They were pretty hungry. A participant said the hours passed along idly. Passing the bottle, having a grand old time. Unfortunately, there was an acoustical shadow. Only a mile or two, his command was being routed. This was by sheridan and warren. Was out of at command. Richmond fell. Petersburg, then richmond, etc. Reportedly when liaison the ride back to what will become appomattox, he sees George Pickett ride by him. Lee turns to one of his Staff Officers and he said why is that man still with this army . Which leads to the speculation did leey remove him remove him . Did pickett ignore him . Crossedmen had been ever since. Pickett over gettysburg and lee over fight force. They are set to meet in richmond, virginia. Mood, heis in a foul would meet you with icy cold formality. Icy cold. He was under a lot of stress, for example, after appomattox when the officers would come. He didnt want to talk to anybody. He would be pacing back and forth after the surrender. His Staff Officers stayed away from him. When they had to introduce somebody, they would bring him up, the formal part of it. Lee would draw himself up. He would meet you with that icy reserve. That is exactly what he did when George Pickett walked into that room. From the beginning. George pickett probably went in there to try and bury the hatchet. Lee does not like people who do not perform their duty. The interview quickly concluded and mosby quickly knew he should have never got those two together. On the way out, pickett turns to mosby and he will say that old had my division massacred at gettysburg. Mosby will turn to pickett and he says george, he made you famous. Pickett will die shortly. That should give you a good idea of how his health is participating. After visiting annies grave, they continue. The telegraph operator sends a simple message ahead. General lee is aboard. Awake by theed chance. Write toghter would say we are laying in that sleeping car. When the chance it woke both of them up. One was on the top tier, i guess she was on the top, he was on the bottom. Neither one of them said a word. , places where the train did not stop, people stood by the railway. Dignified looking men. They thrust their cats into the air and give a big rebel yell. , it wase crowds cheered the last thing lee wanted to hear. On to charlotte where a bigger crowd awaits. Lee refused to emerge from the train so far. He was horrified by all of the attention. There was a parade and a station in the pouring rain. Columbia was a 15 minute spot. He knew he must emerge. The last thing he needs to get into a rainstorm. Them, Edward Porter alexander. The man who commanded the artillery before picketts charge during the bombardment. Lee puts on his hat and coat and emerges. Little girls came forward with bouquets of flowers. The crowd wanted a speech but lee would not concede. Again andhundered on they cheered themselves. After 24 hours, the train arrives in savannah. A reception was held at the hotel where crowds filed through four hours. Sweet little children dressed to the eyes. Many of them being introduced to a general with tiny cars and fat little hands with names. Often times that name would be could you imagine meeting somebody named after you . Among those that came there that day was a 13yearold boy, who would never forget meeting robert e lee. His name was woodrow wilson. Two savannah, lee wrote classic understatement. I do not think traveling in this way procures me much quiet and repose. Lee wrote iealth, perceive no change in the i attempt to walk beyond a slow gait, the pain is always there. Savannah, lee will pose with Joseph Johnson as part of a fundraiser. Two photographs come out of that set. Think two. Two or three. 2. You will get this at the end of the program, what i have struggled under, this whole program. Lee leaves in savannah and visits his fathers grave. On cumberland island. Then he leaves by boat to norfolk. While there, lee decides to attend church. In my search for robert ely and all things pertaining to robert e lee, i could tell you after many hours of searching the church which he attended does not exist anymore. However, the house which he stayed at is still there. Ae carriage step they had stepping stone for you to get up in the carriage is still out in front of the house. I stood on it. [laughter] i had my picture taken. Thank you. Lee tries to go to church, it is sunday. You dont party on sunday. That is what we used to have blue laws. Nobody could cheered robert e lee because it is a sunday. Every hat was in the air. A young cousin , wenever met lee remarked regarded him with the greatest generation. We heard of god but here was generally. It is kind of funny. Lee arrived in lexington on may 28. 1870s. His last diplomas. On august 60 is called to a special meeting to see if the trustees could raise 100,000 for new astronomy observatory. 100,000. It was five years to the day that the judge borrowed 50 and a suit to persuade lee to take the job. Now they are taught about 100,000. When he got back from savannah, he had a letter. He had one letter from a spiritualist that was asking lees opinion on the current francoprussian war. Replied that, and the question was one about which military critics were different. You understand what a spiritualist is, right . I am in the wrong business. He wrote, the question was one about which military critics would differ and that his own opinion was deficient. He pointed out that the medium was free to consult julius napoleon,exander, wellington, and all of historys great captains. He shoulde, lee, felt not voice his opinion in such august company. [laughter] all right, folks. I got the jokes. I will try not to run too much overtime today. Robert. E. Lees office. That office is still there. It is kind of neat and im glad they kept it that way. I have not sat in that chair. But it is on the bucket list. ,e concludes his days business which he was always diligent in doing. He was a hard worker. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. We were member the battles, but lee was paperwork. That is what an Army Commander and a College President does. He gets up and has a vestry meeting at the piscopo church. Episcopalpiscopo church. Lee is going to walk the short distance from his office to the Episcopal Church. The vestry meeting goes long. It is in the main sanctuary, which is unheated. Because of that, it is cold and damp. And lee, the only thing he has on is his old army overcoat, or possibly his poncho. He sits there. And he is freezing. He gets to the end, they get to the end of the meeting, and they are trying to get a raise for the pastor. They have come up short. They say, we are x amount short and lee looks up and says, i will pledge that amount. With that, the meeting concludes. Lee gets out of the meeting, walks back to the president s home. Triangulation, a triangle as he goes back to the new president s home. He gets back and steps inside. ,epending on who you read whatever mary was trying to say here, it is hard to read mary at times. Whether she was hard or nice or whatever. Anyway, lee is always chastising his family, his girls, for being late for dinner. He is a punctual man. , miss marycomes in says, why are you late . You have kept us waiting. The dutiful husband, lee pulls off his overcoat, hangs it on the rack, steps to the table. He starts to say grace. And nothing comes out of his mouth. He just freezes. I cannot describe it i did not see it. The onlookers say that hale came over him at that moment. Right there. Got up and walked over to him and patted him on the hand and says, oh dear, you look tired, let me get you a cup of tea. Lee sunk back into the chair. He had already been seeing doctors but they cannot do anything for him. Heart disease, if they even knew. They cannot do anything. So they set down they sit down. They retrieve his old army cot from upstairs and they bring it down. The parlor next to the dining were becomes a sick room. He is going to lay there for a until he is just going to run out of energy. And he will pass away. He was 63. How old are you . [laughter] 207. Are you all picking up what i am laboring under over here . That is his death mask right here, which is free of charge. Do you want to get my picture by it . Death mask. How far have we come . How many people have their picture with a foot taller 10 foot tall robert ely death mask . Mask. Ert e. Lee death this is his funeral. Notice the black crepe paper around the columns of the chapel of washington university. Leesapel was robert e favored accomplishment as his tenure as president of washington university. That chapel that he had built. His office was in the basement of the chapel. The president s house would be, if we were standing where this picture is taken, the president s house would be over here. The piscopo church would be over the Episcopal Church would be over here. They had to have the funeral so. Ast it is still full. But it was not the thousands on thousands with a. On thousands that you would think. I would like to close with a quote by robert e. Lee. I could talk about his strength of character. I can talk about his patriotism. I could talk about his devotion to duty. We could talk about his accomplishments, from battlefields to education to reconciliation, which i hope i have driven home here today. We could talk about the man himself, and the sterling character qualities which he had , which i still learn a lot from, even during this time. A letter fromote september, 1870, to lieutenant carlo Lieutenant Colonel charles marshall. It shows lees realism and optimism. To set the stage, this is their recumbent statue of lee inside that chapel. This is not lee dead, this is supposed to represent lee sleeping on the battlefield. Ago, theyw years actually had real confederate battle flag flying in their. There. And they always have, some docent setting there and she would have her back to you. And if you time it right, and nobody was looking, you could reach up and touch the actual confederate battle flag. Gosh. [laughter] that is great stuff right there. [laughter] but he said this to marshall. Men has neither disposed me to think worse of me to servedisposed them. Nor, in spite of failures which i lament, errors which i see and acknowledge, or of the present aspect of affairs, do i despair of the future. The truth is this, the march of providence is so slow, and our desire so impatient, the work of progress so immense, and our means of aiding it so feeble, the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ab of the advancing wave. And are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope. It . Is a great quote, isnt all right, that is robert e. Lee. [applause] thank you very much. Learn more about the people and events that shaped the civil war and reconstruction, every saturday at 6 00 p. M. Eastern, only on American History tv, youre on cspan3. This is American History tv, on cspan3, where, each weekend, we feature 48 hours of programs exploring our nations past. Tv, on American History Howard Ruffner talked about the photos he took on may 4, 1970 when National Guard troops shot and killed four students at Kent State University in ohio during an antivietnam war protest. A student and photographer for the College Newspaper at the time, one of his photos was used on the cover of life magazine. He has published a book about his experience moments of , truth a photographers experience of kent state 1970. Max thank you all so much for coming out tonight. Tonight, we are hosting the photographer Howard Ruffner who, during his College Years at Kent State University, was a photographer for the yearbook and newspaper