We left off with a study of a southern gentlemen...  One of our hero's and a fine southern gentleman was Robert E. Lee...  If you did your home work then you know this...  If not go read the our previous blog...  Thank you for being so considerate..

Lets just take a few minutes to look at this great man...   He is most remembered for his role as the Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, during the war between the states 1861 to 1865...  Another good book on that period, showing the his character is "April 1865" at your local bookstore...  

What many people do with history and with the Bible  is  they " don't read far enough " and they miss the whole meaning or message...  If you remember this that these are stories of people just like you...  same wants, wishes, and desires in life...   It is just that they lived in a different period of time, before you and i..  So you can think of them as people you did not get to see..... {So take time to read}

A few quick stories about General Lee,  he was a Christian gentleman...  Many do not like this combination, lets look at this man then make your decision(s)....

He was the son of Light-Horse Henry Lee,  General Washington's chief Calvary officer.. He was trained in West Point Military Academy graduating with honors..  He was an officer in the US army, was  appointed superintendent of West Point for four years...  He had distinguished service in the Mexican War...  He wad offered the command of the US Army at the start of the War between the States... But turned it down, rather than fight against his home state of Virginia...

He distinguished him self during the so called "Civil War" which was neither, but that is a lesson for another day...   One of his standing orders was that there should not be any planned actives on Sunday, so the troops could worship...  In another book " The Ten Greatest Fighting Forces in the history of the World" listed the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia!   The confederate battle flag has stood for determination, and sheer will power...   We are not discussing the more recent use by raciest bigots who have disgraced the flag through its use in parades and demonstrations in the 1950s and 1960s.... 

 So even after the defeat at Gettysburg in  July 1863; the moral of the ANV, remained high ...  Mainly because of two unrelated factors: 1) the great revival of the winter of 1863 & 64, and 2) the example of its commanding general..  {it is said that over 15,000 men were converted to the gospel {good news} of Jesus Christ....

During the Battle of the wilderness; Gen Lee along with a group of officers had stopped to confer near a farm house with a large open field...  On the far side of this field emerged a Union patrol,  General Lee saw the column stop and take aim.... He recorded later that he was prepared to die, and left his fate in the hands of GOD.... The Union column then with drew back into the tree line...... He lived in the hand of GOD... 

In Richmond during the siege winter of 1864, he had been invited to a wealthy home for a turkey diner, he was embarrassed when his hostess discovered, that he was not eating, and requested that his turkey be sent out to the army camp..  Well, not only was his sent out, but a whole barrel arrived for the troops.. He then ordered his turkey be sent to the army hospital,  the other officers repacked the barrel and sent their also...  A guest leader encourages great sacrifices...

Another example of his great values was right after the was in Richmond VA, while attending a  church service, the minister called for people to come forward to the alter to pray...  An old Negro man came up and knelt down, everyone in this white church was amazed and sat and watched, then Robert E. Lee got up and went up to knelt and pray with the old gentleman..   By the way Robert E. Lee did not own any slaves, at the end of the war, but Gen U.S. Grant did.... [ Funny thing about that! If you would read and study history you might find that everything is not as the mass media portraits]

After the war he took a position as the Head of the Washington & Lee College...  There he helped rebuild the college; It was an all male school. and he interviewed each student...  He told them that the one thing he wanted them to get there was to learn how to be a Christian Gentleman.... even if the failed all the other subjects...  He later said the now he wanted teach young men how to live and prosper in peace...  "It is good that we find war so horrible, or else we would become fond of it..."

This is just some of the traits of a southern gentleman, read more on the life of Robert E. Lee....

We will continue more discussions later, stay tuned...