Robert E Lee and Charlottesville; Direct descendant Preaches

[Stephen Fox]

https://revroblee.com/2017/08/13/the-pr ... ilent-god/

He Was on NPR Sunday morning. Read the transcript here and his sermon in link above.

http://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544817830 ... ium=social

He is a friend of Jack Causey who was at FBC Gaffney when my Dad was at Bethany in same town in 62-78

Collinsville pastor John Morgan had two sons grads of UVA and one at Duke; Another a stepson of sorts Casey Mattox is UVA grad and with Alliance Defending Freedom in DC. Morgan dismissed the whole Confederate Monuments matter, Charlottesville and Trump flippantly according to reports Sunday morning here where my Mother was baptized.

I hope some members of the congregation become familiar with Lee and his sermon.

[Rvaughn]

I saw some of these reports several days ago. As a genealogist I was bumfuzzled that that they said Robert Wright Lee was a nephew and a direct descendant of Robert E. Lee. (Now I know some trees like that, but it appears in this case Rob Lee is a nephew rather than a direct descendant, unless direct descendant means something else to other people.)

Interesting, nevertheless.

[Haruo]

I think the time lapse is sufficient to allow for a person to be simultaneously a (several greats-) nephew and a direct (greats-grand) descendant of General Lee. Don't know all the ins and outs of this particular guy's genealogy, but while nephews per se and not direct descendants per se, there is nothing to preclude a single person being both with respect to a single ancestor. Even though it may require breaking laws limiting blood relationship in certain jurisdictions.

[Rvaughn]

While it is possible he could be a g-g-g-g-g nephew and a g-g-g-g-g grandson (or whatever), the odd thing was that the two articles I saw that said he was a direct descendant never mentioned anything other than him being a nephew (which was what made me wonder if they knew what a direct descendant is).

[Haruo]

I think you are probably right about that. Some people probably think if there's a term for the relationship then it must be direct (assuming folks in this category haven't heard of shirttail).

[William Thornton]

Probably newsworthy but in error, Fox's error in the title this topic. If he actually read stuff he would find many REL direct descendants who favor moving statues.

"Direct" requires a line by children. "Non-direct" can use nephews, nieces, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc....or "collateral" relatives. There are many direct descendants of R. E. Lee.

[Rvaughn]

Yes, and probably R. E. Lee himself would favor moving the statues. Apparently he did not favor putting them up in the first place.

(BTW, while it is interesting to know what descendants or relatives of those on the statues think, I don't know that they are more qualified to discuss the issue than anyone else.)

[Sandy]

Interesting story. Great sermon.

I recently started searching through my genealogy, now that I am close to my parents' childhood homes. I don't know that there's much that is shared in terms of ideology or faith with your ancestors, though I guess it can be interesting when the ancestor is well known, and the descendant takes an opposite position.

I'm more fascinated by the fact that Lee was married to Mary Anna Custis, the great-granddaughter of Martha Custis Washington, and daughter of George Washington's step-grandson and namesake George Washington Parke Custis. It was actually her parents' mansion, Arlington, that she and Lee inherited, and which, during the Civil War and the union occupation, was turned into Arlington Cemetery. It would be interesting to get beyond the brief written history to find out exactly what the Custis family, and the Washingtons, thought about Lee's decision to support a state rebellion against the United States. Mrs. Lee apparently had strong feelings, and advocated for emancipation, in addition to encouraging her husband to remain loyal to the union, but his influence prevented her from emancipating their slaves, and of course we know his decision regarding military service.

[Haruo]

I'm wondering how the Augusta Academy is weathering this storm.

[Rvaughn]

[Stephen Fox]

The Lester Maddox song to put it politely.

Not only did I hear the story on NPR and read the transcript, I friended the fellow the next day. He teaches at Appy state and we have a lot of avenues to pursue including Wahalla SC native and Citadel Grad Mark Powell and his friend Pollock who wrote the Devil All The Time. Ive read novels by both and Thornton is delinquent on posting his this years reading list.

At same time there is some triangulation under way for a scholar in residence initiative. If it takes traction Thornton could enhance his reading list and learn a lot there, but it's hard to break through a thick headed skull who thinks Jerry Vines and Randall Lolley are equal fulcrum balance. Which gets us into the arena of Trump's false equivocation, Gray Allison, Falwell Jr etc and the facebook page where the folks are turning in their diplomas.

Which is something Thornton shoulda done along with WYDE and Yellowhammer News' Andrea Tice a long time ago. Send it back to Luther Rice!!!!!


Love ya bro, but don't mess with my reading list.

BTW, Vernon Burton of Furman and Clemson and Andy Young have the high ground on the Monuments and Ive told Duke's Curtis Freeman and Tim Tyson as much.

[William Thornton]

What reading list? All I see is the name dropping list.

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

It says William Thornton wouldn't know a reading list from a Hole in the Ground.

Actually full page above the fold picture of Bobby Lee on Stone Mtn, in the Mtn Times of Boone NC big headling, "Direct Descendant" of Bobby Lee makes national news. That is the hometown paper of Appy State so I imagine they know the meaning of direct descendant.

Between Lee's colleage Mark Powell and his friend Pollock I think they may figger some things out this academic year at Appy State. Sure would be nice if Billy Thornton could join em and learn a few things to share with Jerry Vines!

[William Thornton]

[Stephen Fox]

Name them bro. Not calling your bluff just like to know what interests you this year.

[William Thornton]

[Stephen Fox]

There is a story in the Wash Post.

Meanwhile my Dad's friend Colin Harris from days of their mutual great friend David Bookout at Druid Hills BC in Atlanta in the 60s speaks sensibly and prophetically about Stone Mtn. Harris son teaches Math at Furman

http://www.ethicsdaily.com/what-to-do-w ... -cms-24322

As for Willie Tee, come over and meet my good friend a PHD from the Collinsville Flea Market and UAH who has written extensively about Hitler Youth and has an article coming soon to be published in a WWII mag about a woman whose brow was touched by Adolf himself.

As for my next book, it will be Sidney Blumenthal's second installment on Lincoln of a four part series. Sid was on Ga NPR On Point last week and has Pressler's number in re Coke Stevenson and LBJ and the 48 US senate Race in Texas. Second book is about Lincoln in the 1850s and how he navigated the Know Nothings, like Randall Lolley tried in the mid 1980s in North Carolina with Jerry Vines and Gray Allison and that bunch.

[Rvaughn]

[Haruo]

I would call him a descendant, but a collateral one.

[Rvaughn]

You are correct that he is a collateral descendant. (I prefer collateral relative as less confusing, but collateral descendant is not wrong.) Maybe I'm wrong in thinking this way, but using descendant without the adjective "collateral" as least strongly implies you are talking about a lineal descendant -- and is probably how any average reader would take it. IMO, the nephew and press are playing up "descendant of Robert E. Lee" to make him or his opinion seem more important than it actually is.

[Haruo]

Agreed. I am a collateral descendant of Daniel Boone, and I proudly misuse that fact to claim Native American ancestry. I am, I aver, "1/256th Adopted Collateral Absentee Shawnee". My 7-greats-uncle Dan'l was at one point forcibly adopted into the Shawnee, or at least so I was taught as a kid. It's not enough to get me Indian Health Service free medical, but oh well.

[Stephen Fox]

You fellows waste a lot of time on a perfectly timely post arguing about the jot and Tittles of the word Descendant.

Meanwhile Rob Lee was on the View. I watched with a racist Canadian in a burger joint in NE Bama; but he is my friend, only fellow I ever met who knew Uncle Fremont's joke about the half a head of lettuce before I told it.

On the whole maybe a better American than Joy Behar, but not Whoopi and Lee.

[Rvaughn]

Well, Stephen, it is a History forum, a free forum and a free country!

[Haruo]