anders were present under the command of General Bradley T. Johnson.
All of Richmond turned out.
The column was led by Governor Fitzhugh Lee, accompanied by General Wade Hampton, followed by his regular aides, and General John R. Cooke, chief of staff for the occasion.
Members of the Lee family, Generals Joseph E. Johnston, Jubal A. Early, Joseph R. Anderson, William McComb, Geo. H. Stuart, L. L. Lomax, Surgeon-General Samuel Preston Moore, Generals C. M. Wilcox, W. B. Taliaferro, R. E. Colston, William H. Payne, William P. Roberts, Eppa Hunton, Daniel Ruggles, J. D. Imboden, Robert Ransom, B. D. Fry, R. L. Page, D. A. Weisiger, William R. Terry, Williams C. Wickham, Hon. John W. Daniel, and other distinguished men with many accomplished ladies were present in carriages.
The exercises on the grounds were as follows:
Governor Lee called the vast crowd to order and said—
Citizens and Comrades,—As Governor of Virginia I am by law a member of the Lee Monument Associati
ere assembled at the First Presbyteriar Church, in Richmond, on Thursday evening, November 3d, 1870, the grandest gathering of Confederate soldiers which had met since the war. This church then stood upon the upper portion of the site now occupied by our imposing City Hall.
Among the leading officers who participated in the meeting were Generals Early, John B. Gordon, Edward Johnson, I. R. Trimble, W. B. Taliaferro, William Smith, W. N. Pendleton, Fitz. Lee, M. Ransom, William Terry, Benjamin Huger, Robert Ransom, L. L. Lomax, George H. Steuart, C. W. Field, W. S. Walker, B. T. Johnson, J. D. Imboden, R. L. Walker, Harry Heth, Samuel Jones, John S. Preston, Henry A. Wise, George E. Pickett, D. H. Maury, M. D. Corse, J. H. Lane, James L. Kemper, J. A. Walker, and others; Colonels Thomas H. Carter, Hilary P. Jones, Thomas L. Preston, Robert S. Preston, William Allan, William Preston Johnston, Charles S. Venable, Charles Marshall, Walter H. Taylor, Henry E. Peyton, and Robert E. Withe
, Va., October 24, 1870.
Pursuant to this call there assembled at the First Presbyteriar Church, in Richmond, on Thursday evening, November 3d, 1870, the grandest gathering of Confederate soldiers which had met since the war. This church then stood upon the upper portion of the site now occupied by our imposing City Hall.
Among the leading officers who participated in the meeting were Generals Early, John B. Gordon, Edward Johnson, I. R. Trimble, W. B. Taliaferro, William Smith, W. N. Pendleton, Fitz. Lee, M. Ransom, William Terry, Benjamin Huger, Robert Ransom, L. L. Lomax, George H. Steuart, C. W. Field, W. S. Walker, B. T. Johnson, J. D. Imboden, R. L. Walker, Harry Heth, Samuel Jones, John S. Preston, Henry A. Wise, George E. Pickett, D. H. Maury, M. D. Corse, J. H. Lane, James L. Kemper, J. A. Walker, and others; Colonels Thomas H. Carter, Hilary P. Jones, Thomas L. Preston, Robert S. Preston, William Allan, William Preston Johnston, Charles S. Venable, Charles Marshall,
olonel C. P. E. Burgwyn, including the broad intersecting avenues and open area or place about the monument circle, which dedication and survey are to be parts of the deed and recorded therewith, the location and site upon the Allen property are hereby selected and determined upon for the monument to be erected to General Robert E. Lee by this association.
Preparing the site.
September I, 1887, an engineer of the association was employed, and a contract was awarded to Messrs. Philips & Ford for excavating and grading, at $450. The engineer was directed to correspond with Mr. Caspar Buberl, a New York sculptor, and to employ him to cut the scroll work around the plinth of the pedestal, which was done.
On June 15, 1887, the treasurer reported that the funds in hand amounted to $55,972.56.
The following letter was laid before the committee in December of the same year by Governor Lee:
My Dear Governor,—I send you a draft on New York for $1,000 as my contribution to the m