At College Under General Lee, 1869-70

A firsthand reminiscence written by Rev. S.H. Chester, D.D., recounting his time as a student at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) during General Robert E. Lee's final years as its president.

Chester, a self-described "greenhorn" fresh from rural Southwest Arkansas, recalls his first meeting with General Lee, the quiet dignity of Lee's disciplinary methods, an introductory reception at the Lee home (and an unexpected run-in with a "Sherry Cobbler"), and warm memories of Lee's wife and three daughters — Mary, Agnes, and Mildred. The reading closes with Chester's account of standing guard of honor at Lee's funeral and reflecting on the lasting influence of Lee's character.

A personal and intimate window into everyday life at a 19th-century Southern college and the man who shaped it.

Based on a historical typescript housed within Washington and Lee University Special Collections and Archives. Please contact us for more information.

Narration by Ian Kach, '26P. Videography by Kamron M. Spivey, '24.

Music accessed via Library of Congress, "Alice, Where Art Thou?" by Charles Harrison. https://www.loc.gov/collections/national-jukebox/about-this-collection/playlists/civil-war-music