John C. Breckinridge's Speech on the Death of General Robert E. Lee

[@jimwilson7824]

Thank you for sharing this. I visited Washington and Lee University several years ago and it felt like being on hallowed ground seeing his office and the Lee family burial vault there with Traveler buried just outside. I sat in the pew and the same spot he sat in when he attended church services. His office is untouched to this day still like it was at the time of his death.

[@richardleaumont2102]

Thanks for presenting Breckenridge’s comments upon Lee’s passing. Breckenridge has been a hero of mine since I read Johnny Green of the Orphan Brigade back in 1961. I have reread it several times

[@royhammett3572]

Thank you for bringing this great tribute to light. It's truly amazing how much better educated, even the average person, was back then. Eloquent speech and usages of the English language were the norms back then. All one has to do is take the time to read some of the average soldier's diaries. In today's world, the education systems have fostered graduates that have NO knowledge of our Country's history, the ability to speak or write a sentence, and or the ability to do basic math. No wonder our Country is more divided than ever. Most students today aren't even able to name one General that has served since WW2. Thanks again!! Roy

[@flyonbyya]

I was thinking the same thing… Just imagine folks from that era talking to folks today

[@davide9658]

This was an eloquent, insightful, and obviously heartfelt tribute to Robert E. Lee from General Breckenridge, who in it seems to have accurately expressed public sentiment towards the great general and the then mood of the country quite well. It was certainly a time of healing, and Lee's post-war words, actions, and example helped that process immensely. Much of that seems to have been forgotten in recent years. As a Virginian, he is still one of my heroes to this day.

[@lisalarosa4546]

What a great eulogy from a friend of a great General Lee.

[@FinbarrAnderson]

Well delivered Ron.

[@SergioMPedro]

Thanks again Ron, your presentations always help me understand the war in ways I had not considered. Each of these stories brings to life someone or some event.

[@1046fireman]

Louisville went from a declared day of mourning to removing his statues. Pretty sad.

[@richiephillips1541]

Another good one. Thanks!

[@alanaadams7440]

I'm from Illinois so I am a yankee from the Land of Lincoln but I greatly respect Robert E Lee as a person and as a General. He was a talented military man a good family man. He did not escape penalty as he lost Arlington to the North

[@wolfpack4694]

Such eloquence! Thanks for sharing.

[@brianniegemann4788]

A fine speech by Breckenridge, with appeals to his audience to let go of anger and bitterness and move forward. Very good advice; how many really took it to heart? As for Robert E Lee, he was brilliant, charismatic and of noble character. He chose to defend Virginia, which he regarded as his homeland. Yet in doing so, he also defended that southern institution he claimed to disapprove of.

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

The man actually managed to graduate from West Point without ever having accumulated a single demerit! If we were to forget and/or refuse to acknowledge everything else that Robert E. Lee managed to achieve over the course of his life, that alone is an astonishing achievement. I attended a military academy in my youth and know how easy it is to obtain a demerit even if one were inclined to do everything in his power to avoid getting demerits. That just seems to be a nearly impossible feat. Given the proclivities and the temperment that all young men are predisposed to in our youth when we tend to lack discretion and the wisdom that comes with inexperience in life, this achievement is all the more remarkable. How could one have not had great expectations for a lad who would have shown such an extraordinary level of self-discipline as this alone?

[@cht2162]

On the other hand, a lack of demerits may suggest a rigid personality structure.

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

@cht2162 Of course it would. Anyone who has studied Robert E. Lee, the man, can see that. The only time Robert E. Lee had any personal contact with his father was when he visited Lighthorse Harry Lee's grave in Savannah, GA. His father was somewhat of a scoundrel. He abandoned his wife and child, he wrote a bad check that bounced to George Washington and even though he proved to be an outstanding cavalry officer for Washington during the Revolution he was always conniving and undermining Washington and plotting against him behind his back to have him removed from command and to succeed him. From an early age, Robert E. Lee made it his life's mission to be the antithesis of his father. Lee had a strong admiration of General George Washington and attempted to model himself after Washington. Washington, man, another one you could easily make that same claim about. Robert E. Lee did his utmost to exemplify the gentlemanly qualities of a Virginia Aristocrat his entire life. Robert E. Lee was deeply religious and never touched alcohol or tobacco. Perhaps his greatest weakness, at least earlier in his adult life, was a fondness for the ladies who generally seemed to have a fondness for him as well. Although I don't believe he ever cheated on his wife after marriage he arguably did keep more than appropriate (especially by the standards of his day and his religious faith) company with ladies he was not married too. Robert E. Lee, much like George Washington, was an ardent believer that a man's greatest obligation (next to his faith in God) was duty. It may be arguable (by some) that Robert E. Lee's sense of loyalty to Virginia over his loyalty to the United States is questionable, but he made his choices based on where he felt duty required of him. Even after the war Robert E. Lee felt it was his duty to attempt to play a hand in reconciliation between the North and South and to try to help educate young men and prepare them to create a better future via Washington College. As the president of that college, he welcomed both Northern and Southern students alike. He felt a degree of guilt for having the hand he had in the deaths of so many young men from both North and South that he felt he was obligated to help make things better for the future generations. There is no doubt that your assessment is accurate.

[@Auburndad50]

How many demerits did he get for defending slavery?

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

@Auburndad50 0... a number you should be familiar with as it matches your IQ level.

[@johnschuh8616]

This is a great address. Does honor not only to Lee but to General Breckenridge, I find it deeply moving, but again sad that vindictive souls today try to stain the memory of Lee, even in Virginia.

[@lisalarosa4546]

You're right. Many forget, if they know at all, General Lee's grandfather was named Henry Lighthorse Lee! A great man who fought valiantly in the American Revolutionary War for the Patriots!

[@stanleyjosephs2922]

Right side or Wrong side of the War.....Lee was a model of a Great Military General... Period ...

[@timothymeehan181]

Yep. Great military mind, brilliant general.....but a limited, myopic mind when it came to understanding the vastness & importance of the issue(s) being debated & fought over, in the 1850's. With a moral, as well as intellectual, blind spot the size of Montana. The man fought to extend, perpetuate, & eternalize slavery on this continent. Thankfully a man with a much greater mind, and moral vision, named Lincoln rose to the occasion. It DOES matter the "side" or cause to which a person chooses to apply their gifts & talent. We really need to stop worshipping this narrowly brilliant, but ultimately limited man..

[@Alex-ej4wm]

​@timothymeehan181 Compelling comment I have to say but what would you do if you were him? Fight against and be responsible for killing your family and neighbors. Lee was also on record calling slavery an "evil". Having to turn down the command of the Northern Army wasn't something he took lightly. He was devastated. I really think he was just in a tough spot

[@alanaadams7440]

I agree

[@Matthew-rr4de]

​@@timothymeehan181You speak as if you've misread or, not read, the larger body of Lincoln's pen.

[@terryp3034]

No less than Dwight Eisenhower agrees with you.

[@edouardrobert160]

Thanks Ron

[@jake1776]

The woke revisionism about General Lee is frankly absurd. If we can’t see the same virtue in Lee than everyone could see until like 10 minutes ago in our history, then how could we appreciate Washington, Jefferson, or Madison, for example?

[@williamrossetter9430]

Read the travels of John C Breckinridge at the close of the Civil War. He escaped via the swamps of Florida. His eulogy of General Lee was fair and honored General Lee. As an ancestor of a Union officer and a student of the Civil War, I bear no ill will toward those who decided back then to secede. However, I am more inclined to support those Confederates like Pete Longstreet who moved on and lived their lives under the flag of the US, despite the anger of other Confederates like Jubal Early and even Lee himself. We have a similar situation today with the reelection of Trump, but we all need to be strong and move on regardless.

[@cecilhorsley2409]

It's too bad that if only the extreme liberals could speak like this. They lost and will probably hold a grudge toward anyone with common sense.

[@brianniegemann4788]

​@@hw260 i think they have. The modern "conservative " culture can be traced back to the Southern culture of the 1860s. I wonder, after 160 years, what they will do to get payback for their bitterness.

[@williamrossetter9430]

@hw260 you have your leader Donald Trumo, he's a good insurrectionist,, 😅

[@johnschuh8616]

@@brianniegemann4788 I see more a spirit of disunion in the BLA riots. Glad to see that has been just been repudiated by the majority of American voters.

[@Matthew-rr4de]

And there it is; an opinion and an emotional reaction is...completely separate from actual scholarship. Learn the difference. Example; Longstreet good Confederate. Early bad Confederate. ?????

[@brianwilliams-se5jy]

If only we had been blessed with men the likes of Lee, Davis, and Brekinridge in our day and age.

[@guiart4728]

I have noticed that many of the pictures of the military men you have covered have a button unbuttoned on their uniforms. Is this representative of something?

[@mattnoffsinger2263]

I believe it was common to leave open for the purpose of inserting a hand... you will see some photos where the person is doing this as style

[@guiart4728]

@ Hmmm…makes sense but it is usually the third or fourth down which would make it a bit high. I’m seen this in a lot of portraits and I would think that for a formal photo, drawing or painting they would button it up. This is the military after all. I was thinking it could be like the Air Force missing man formation that signifies a loss. Kind of a reach…

[@jimwilson7824]

@@guiart4728I have heard that Free Mason officers did this to identify themselves to each other.

[@nowthenzen]

":Lee's army committed war crimes, enslaved free people, and refused to treat Black prisoners as POWs." "Lee never publicly responded or denied these claims but wrote to his son George Washington Custis Lee in July that “The N. Y. Tribune has attacked me for my treatment of your grandfather's slaves, but I shall not reply. He has left me an unpleasant legacy.”

[@robertlee8474]

I was named after him. He was a great leader. It’s just…..Picketts Charge…. I just read EP Alexander’s memoirs and it was yet another indictment in my mind…I’m sure glad there was no modern press back then.

[@lonestarbug]

Great!

[@roytorney4267]

Nineteenth Century speakers have not been influenced by our communications media,: radio, television, newspapers. All of which try to dumb-down the message, and value content over quality. Education is difficult, and tends to take the blame, but I think it more aptly fits those who make their living with this language. There's also the matter of peer pressure. Speakers like Lincoln tend to be ridiculed, and ostracized. It's not that people aren't as eloquent today, but that eloquence is not valued today as it once was.

[@rdbchase]

"vissitudes [sic]" -- "vicissitudes"; "magnanamy [sic]" -- "magnanimity"

[@williammitchell5058]

Was Breckinridge a colonel or a brigadier general in the photograph?

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

Breckinridge is pictured here as a brigadier general. The three stars and wreath on his collar indicate the rank of general. and the two columns of buttons on his coat in groups of two indicate brigadier general. A major general also had two columns of buttons, but they were grouped in threes. But not all uniform button patterns were consistent! Also of note, a Confederate colonel's collar had three stars without the wreath.

[@LesEvans-i2v]

We all know Lees decision to Command the Southern Army, had nothing to do with an opinion of slavery. And, I believe that slavery was a very minor reason for the civil war. The first statement is rather easy to prove. The second one a little harder to prove. But, I think common sense will eventually win.

[@frankfischer1281]

John C. Breckenridge must have been a true politician, for the speech he gave says a lot, but informs little.

[@johnschuh8616]

It is an exhortation to peace. As we all know, we are still not at peace 150 years later.

[@johnfun3394]

I know time were different but I never knew you could take back an oath.

[@jimbo7577]

You mean to the constitution? I think he would probably say he upheld the principles of the constitution to the bitter end.

[@ericwerner8316]

He submitted his resignation and it was ACCEPTED by the military authorities so yes he was free from his pledge

[@ericwerner8316]

August 1, 1960 Mr. Dwight D. Eisenhower White House Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. President: At the Republication Convention I heard you mention that you have the pictures of four (4) great Americans in your office, and that included in these is a picture of Robert E. Lee. I do not understand how any American can include Robert E. Lee as a person to be emulated, and why the President of the United States of America should do so is certainly beyond me. The most outstanding thing that Robert E. Lee did, was to devote his best efforts to the destruction of the United States Government, and I am sure that you do not say that a person who tries to destroy our Government is worthy of being held as one of our heroes. Will you please tell me just why you hold him in such high esteem? Sincerely yours, Leon W. Scott Despite undoubtedly having more important things to do as president, Eisenhower must have felt his answer was of such importance that he took the time to send Dr. Scott the following reply from the White House: EisenhowerAugust 9, 1960 Dear Dr. Scott: Respecting your August 1 inquiry calling attention to my often expressed admiration for General Robert E. Lee, I would say, first, that we need to understand that at the time of the War between the States the issue of secession had remained unresolved for more than 70 years. Men of probity, character, public standing and unquestioned loyalty, both North and South, had disagreed over this issue as a matter of principle from the day our Constitution was adopted. General Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was a poised and inspiring leader, true to the high trust reposed in him by millions of his fellow citizens; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his faith in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history. From deep conviction, I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee’s calibre would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the degree that present-day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the Nation’s wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love of freedom sustained. Such are the reasons that I proudly display the picture of this great American on my office wall. Sincerely, Dwight D. Eisenhower

[@richiephillips1541]

A military commission ends with an accepted resignation.

[@johnschuh8616]

@@ericwerner8316 Bravo, I imagine it came from his pin. How many of us know that he wrote speeches for General McArthur, that no one who received orders from him was even in doubt of what he meant? Whatever his shortcomings as generalissimo, he was a most brilliant staff officer. and as a writer chose to speak plainly rather than grandloquently. Thank you IKE, a much under appreciated President. On most election days. I wear my I LIKE IKE pin.

[@jimmyclay9316]

The two great lies of the War for Southern Independence: 1)Abraham Lincoln was a great president. 2)Robert E. Lee was a great general.

[@timschrage1694]

As compared to what or whom? Lets hear some of the detailed blathering of your nonsense and to whom to give credit to these asinine statements? Surely, you didnt manage them on your own. Do elaborate. Lets see if you have any damned idea of what your mouth is spouting, or if its merely more woke horse manure, you heard once and regurgitated like you are somehow profound for barfing them back up.