Ada Winn

My Cherokee prayer warrior friend, the Beloved Woman, Ada Winn, went into the presence of the Lord tonight (10/28/2010) about 8:50pm. We became friends when she came from Oklahoma to be part of the Cherokee Prayer Initiative in 1999-2000. She was a great, gentle spirit. 

She taught me how to listen. When I talked with her, she would not respond at all until you were finished. Then there was a long pause. Then she would speak. It was the Cherokee way. The First Nations people actually listen to you when you speak instead of thinking of what they want to say while they wait for you to finish. The Lord promoted Ada after the Cherokee Prayer Initiative and gave her many prayer roles and used her as one of the "old mothers in Israel." Here is a link to a chapter in a book which Ada coauthored with Mark Rodgers on the life of Nancy Ward.

Below are some pictures of that dear old lady of the Cherokees. 

Ada and I at the 2005 Irish-Cherokee Cultural Exchange, Cherokee, NC

Ada Winn (center) with Fern Noble and Jim Barefoot sitting on Cowee Mound on the Little Tennessee River, NC, as we pray 'in council.' Oct. 1999

Ada Winn and Kevin LaPlante at the site of Kulsetsiyi (Sugar Town) at the confluence of Little Tennessee and Cullasaja Rivers, October 1999

Ada Winn, Wardell Jones, and Edd Stovall joking on the hike up to the pass at Clingman's Dome, NC/TN. May 2000.

Ada praying with Roberta Pfanstiel at Hanging Maw's Town, TN. May 2000

Edd, Ada, and Wardell on Clingman's Dome, TN/NC. May 2000

Ada Winn and Fern Noble praying while Christy Lynn Poe records at Chota (underwater), chief town of the Overhills Cherokee, TN. May 2000

Ada Winn, Beloved Woman, leading a difficult prayer council time at Tellico Blockhouse, TN. May 2000.

Ada about to lead a joyful time of prophetic prayer in TN. May 2000.

Ada, our Beloved Woman, an official title in Cherokee government, leads prayer at the grave of Ada's relative and the last official Beloved Woman of the Cherokee people, Nancy Ward, in TN. May 2000. Christy Lynn Poe records the prayer.

Ada prays with a Scot-Irish woman from Northern Ireland, Chrissie Henshaw, at Long Island of the Holston at Kingsport, TN. May 2000. Christy Lynn Poe records.

Ada wraps up in the cold wind as we prepare to pray at Wayah Bald near Franklin, NC, as Henry Redding looks on. October 1999.

Ada and I repent at massacre site at Nundeyeli (Nantahala Outdoor), NC, Oct 1999.

I repent on behalf of me and my people before the Lord for the massacre at Nundeyeli in 1776 as Ada Winn, representing the Cherokee people hears the confession and repentance. Oct 1999.

Ada forgives on behalf of her and her people for the massacre of Nundeyeli Town (Nantahala, NC) by SC forces in 1776. Oct 1999

Kevin presents Ada with flowers at Kulsetsiyi (Sugar Town) near Franklin, NC. Oct 1999

Ada Winn's Obituary
Services for Ada Winn will be Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in the Chapel of The Gardens here at Rice Funeral Service. Burial will be at Little Rock Cemetery in Locust Grove. Visitation will be on Sunday, October 31, 2010 from 12 to 6 with family here from 4 to 6.

    Ada Nancy Winn was born September 15th, 1938, in Tahlequah to Jim and Lucille (Hummingbird) Ketcher.  She received her early education in her birth community before attending Bacone College where she earned an associates degree in nursing and then continued at the University of Tulsa, earning her bachelors degree qualifying her for a career in nursing with W.W. Hastings Indian Hospital in Tahlequah.  In addition to her nursing degree, Ada was an ordained minister through Morning Star Evangelistic Center where she also traveled and ministered with their Two Rivers Native American Training Center.   Functioning as an ordained minister Ada performed her first wedding ceremony when she officiated at the marriage of her youngest son, Theron and his wife, Billie.
    Her ministry work took her all over the United States as well as internationally to Cuba and Israel.  Recognized as a prayer warrior she traveled to reservations to share the word of God and headed the Native American Circle of Prayer.  She took the opportunity to walk the Trail of Tears, honoring the hardships faced by her ancestors. 
    Ada had a more light-hearted side as well; she loved good jokes and told them with relish.  Leisure activities included playing softball, bowling and shopping.  A dedicated mother and grandmother, she could frequently be found in the role of supporting fan for her grand and great grandchildren’s events.
    Beloved mother, grandmother, community leader and dear friend, Ada is survived by her children, Terry Winn of Claremore, Sheri Winn of Chelsea and Theron Winn and wife, Billie, of Tulsa; grandchildren, Joseph Winn of Tahelquah, Dana Teehee and husband, Joseph, and Kayla Chupco and husband, Travis, all of Sapulpa; great grandchildren Kaniyah Tiger, Kamille Chupco and Joseph “L.J.” Teehee, Jr. who will arrive in January, 2011; eight siblings; and a host of nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers and her neice Ahnee.

STATEMENT IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF OUR SISTER, ADA WINN, FROM THE CHEROKEE PRAYER INITIATIVE TEAM OF 1999-2000. 

To be read at her funeral

by Gene Brooks on behalf of all four CPI teams

Ada Winn served an incredible service to our nation and the Cherokee Nation through her ministry with the Cherokee Prayer Initiative in 1999-2000. It only took a few hours of prayer with Ada to realize what a special gift she was to the Body of Christ and what an incredible intercessor she was. The teams on each of the four segments of the Cherokee Prayer Initiative fell in love with our Beloved Woman, Ada Winn. 

We found that she was a descendant of the last Beloved Woman of the old unified Cherokee Nation, Nancy Ward, and therefore was a relative of Attakullakulla and Dragging Canoe, three of the most legendary of Cherokee leaders. When we finished the first segment of praying in the Cherokee Lower Towns in South Carolina, Ada realized an “increased awareness of the responsibility I have as an Intercessor for the nations.” She said that, “I must be on the wall watching continuously so Satan does not get through any crack.  [I] must speak prophetically and remind our Father of His promises, ‘That all of Oklahoma and the Carolinas will be saved.’"

Ada’s team members grew great respect for Ada Winn and came to her for advice and counsel, so much that we declared her our Beloved Woman, and she was appointed the team leader to mediate and handle any interpersonal issues that may arise on the team. At the end of our prayer segment in Western North Carolina in October of 1999, Ada reflected on her time of intercession personally by saying the following: “[I] have become more sensitive to the Lord's voice and know that He is holding me accountable for a higher level of intercession for both the Cherokees and all peoples of the land.  [I am] learn[ing]  how to accept honor and being waited on.” That great servant of our Lord, Ada Winn, was developing the gracious humility of being served just as Peter learned to let his Lord wash his feet.

At the end of the segment in East Tennessee’s Overhill Towns, Ada wrote that she was “learning to do spiritual warfare by honor,” and she was learning that “this can be implemented in our intercessory group as well as our church body.” The great respect that she had garnered among our prayer team elicited great honor for Ada. She wrote, “The honor bestowed upon me–I accept for the Cherokee Nation as a gift from God.” And she held precious the friendships she had developed on the CPI team. She wrote, “The continual growth, learning and building of relationships with others are gifts I will treasure.”

The final segment of the Cherokee Prayer Initiative in the Chickamauga Towns around metro-Chattanooga deeply affected Ada. She said, “The continuous warfare by tears and honor will forever remain in my heart and remind me of this awesome team (family) the Lord has given me. The seeds sown by this team honors God and the Cherokee Nation. I will be able to use this experience in my healing ministry.  I am ready to take up my scepter for the next assignment.” 

Indeed, Ada has now taken up a new scepter of authority in the heavenly realm, a reward for her intercessory work for her people and the nations, and if we know Ada Winn at all, we are all sure that with joy she laid that scepter immediately at the feet of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Voting for NC Judges: my recommendations

One of the pleasant surprises of moving to North Carolina in 2005 was to discover that the people of North Carolina elect their judges. 

That's a good thing. Thomas Jefferson would approve. (In South Carolina the legislature elects judges).

Since judges are elected on a nonpartisan basis, having a ballpark idea of where a judicial candidate stands on issues takes a little reading, research, and question-asking, and those things take time and knowledge of where to look for information. The NC State Board of Elections prints and distributes a guide to judicial candidates to help voters, but citizens must go to the trouble to read it thoroughly.

It should go without saying that I urge you to exercise your Christian duty next Tuesday: Go to the polls, and vote for the candidate of your choice. Both political parties would have you believe that the economy is the supreme issue. Not so. Without strong moral values, no free economy can ever survive.

Increasingly the courts are deciding massive moral direction for our nation, and that means that a vote for good, moral, constitutionally-strict judges is of foremost importance.

Here are my recommendations, as a citizen speaking for myself, for North Carolina statewide judicial races you might consider on November 2:

Supreme Court: Barbara Jackson

Court of Appeals: 

(Steelman Seat): Steelman

(Calabria Seat): Calabria 

(Elmore Seat): Walker – Both Walker or Elmore would be fine judges.

(Greer Seat): Poirier

In an effort to avoid a runoff between 13 candidates for the Wynn seat, the SBOE has devised a system of voting by which a voter marks her/his first choice, second choice, and third choice on the ballot.

(Wynn Seat): 

1^st – McCullough (was on the Court of Appeals but defeated in 2008) 

2^nd – Garner

3^rd – Dillon

As you prepare to vote, you'll also want to be sure to listen to a marvelous podcast at the Beeson Divinity School website by Dr. Timothy George.

Whatever you do, vote! Get your neighbors to vote.

And then pray. Without God's intervention, I see little hope for this country. The Church must be the Church--salt and light, and the conscience of society.

Patterson on fidelity to Scripture

"Trustees, there comes a day when you will replace the president of this institution. I want to challenge you today before God that you not make the mistake of getting anyone as president who cannot fully and absolutely conform to that statement of faith regarding the Bible.

"Faculty, I want to say to you today that whatever comes along through educational refinement, watch it carefully. If it is in contradiction to the Word of God that you have signed to be the binding arbiter of all in life, don't listen to it and don't dare teach it in these halls, and if you do you will have an appointment with the president." 

--- President Paige Patterson on Southwestern Seminary's centennial on its Fort Worth campus, noting that the seminary's first president, B.H. Carroll affirmed the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of 1833 that described Scripture as "truth without any mixture of error" and ruled that "no man can obtain a position on the teaching force" without signing his name to that article.

Full Chapel message:

10.19.10

Dr. Paige Patterson

Isaiah 51:1-8

Deacon mask

Source: sacredsandwich.com

At a university in China - 2030

Patterson on evangelism

"Trustees, I want to say a shocking thing to you today. It would be possible for you to choose a president of this institution who was theologically conservative, who believed all the right things, who affirmed the statement of faith. 

"It would be possible for you to choose an educator and a fine one at that. It would be conceivable for you to choose a man who was a man's man and who could lead men. It would be in the realm of possibility for you to get a person who would know how to raise a ton of money and put the seminary on financial footing so that it would never have a need in the world. 

"But if you do all of that and you fail to get a man who is a personal soul winner, you have failed in your duty." 

Patterson said the same goes for faculty. "Don't you elect a man to the faculty, a woman to the faculty who's not a consistent winner of men and women to the faith in Jesus Christ."

--- Paige Patterson to trustees at Southwestern Seminary's centennial on Fort Worth campus, October 19, 2010.

Full Chapel message:

10.19.10

Dr. Paige Patterson

Isaiah 51:1-8

Isaiah 48-49 - The Time of My Favor

A truck stuck in a mud hole on the Lofa Road, Liberia

Opening thought:  We were riding down an unpaved road near Gbarnga, a city in central Liberia, West Africa, with Pastor O’Malley Segbee, while I drove. When we came to a large mudhole deep enough that I could not determine how firm the bottom was. The previous car tracks went straight through the water, but I was not so trusting of those previous tracks.

I determined to make my own way along the fingers of dirt above the water. Bad move.

Those high places through the mudhole were the hardened top of the mud that had been pushed out of the hole by passing cars. The mud sank under our tires and we were all out of the truck, standing above our ankles in mud and water pushing the truck out.

As we approached the next mudhole, Pastor Segbee quietly said, “See, you should follow in the track of your friend, and you will find your way through.” With trepidation I followed the track of the taxis into the deep water, finding that the mudhole had a solid bottom which we drove easily through.

After that, I always looked for the tracks and followed them into and out of the many mudholes without any trouble. That is the focus of the day’s passage – overcoming our stubbornness to follow the Lord in the path he has laid out for us of salvation and restoration.

Contextual Notes:

We have moved into the second half of Isaiah’s prophecy with a message of comfort (chap. 40). Despite the coming punishment of Exile, Isaiah prophesies comfort. Yes, Babylon will be God’s rod of punishment for his servant Judah, but take comfort. God will send a servant Cyrus the Persian to destroy Babylon (chapters 46-47). But there is a greater Comfort.

The Lord, who alone can predict the future (41:25-29), has a Greater Servant than any eastern warrior (41:2), a Chosen One on whom the Spirit rests, who will be Justice and Light for the nations (42:1, 3-4, 6-7), who is the Creator-YHWH’s personal Representative (42:5-6, 8-9).

This Great Servant, in his own faithful character, will lead the failed servant Israel, despite their willful blindness, into a new light and comfort (42:9-25). That new light and comfort is a hope to overcome the horrible burden and punishment of sin (43:24-25, 27; 44:22). That hope is found in only one Savior (chaps. 43-44), a sovereign Savior (chaps. 45-47).

Key Truth: Isaiah wrote Isaiah 48-49 to teach Israel that their Servant-Messiah comforts us despite our stubbornness, comforts with his Person alone, and comforts us in restoring what was lost.

Key Application: Today I want to show you what God’s Word says about the comfort of the Servant-Messiah Jesus.

Sermon Points:

1. The Servant comforts us despite our stubbornness (Isaiah 48)
2. The Servant comforts us in his person alone (Isaiah 49:1-13)
3. The Servant comforts us in restoring what was lost (Isaiah 49:14-26)

Pray and Read:  Isaiah 48-49

Exposition:   Note well,

1.   THE SERVANT COMFORTS US DESPITE OUR STUBBORNNESS (Isaiah 48)

a.   48:1-2 – The Lord refuses hypocritical worship: Religious activity without truth or righteousness is useless (1:11-17; 1 Samuel 15:22). It is not enough for the people to claim their traditional religious culture, calling themselves citizens of the holy city and invoking the God of Israel. They really need to pay attention to God.

b.   APPLICATION: In what used to be called the Bible Belt of the South, we still have places in rural areas where we are just enough Christian to make ourselves feel OK about whatever activity or event we want to do. We inoculate ourselves with just enough religion to soothe our consciences, just enough to make Mama happy, but are we making our Lord happy? The Lord is not like the credit card companies. He isn’t satisfied with minimum payments. He requires full payment of your allegiance, full obedience, not some partial commitment.

c.   48:3-4 Stiff-necked – Nothing has changed. Since the Exodus they had been a stubborn people (Exodus 32:9; Deuteronomy 9:6), and they are still set in their ways. This is why God reminds them that he has told them long ago that the Exile would happen if they were disobedient.

d.   48:5-6 – Credit – It was not enough for Israel to refuse so stubbornly to respond to God, they tended to credit his work to other sources (17:7-8; 31:7; 40:18-20; 44:9-20; 46:5-7; Jeremiah 44:15-19). They had never been exclusively faithful to the Lord. They chose to bow to the Lord and to some other altar at the same time, treating Him no different than they did other idols.

e.   APPLICATION: We Westerners are trained to think in terms of categories. We have our work life, our social life, our family life, and our spiritual life. What goes on in one area has little or no bearing over another area. Sheer hypocrisy. Lordship salvation has nothing to do with that. If Christ is Lord of your life, then he is Lord of all of it or none of it. Christ is Lord of your work ethic and your work language. Christ is Lord of the way you treat your family and talk to them. Christ is Lord of your social life, what you do for fun, where you go, what you drink, what people you run with. Christ is Lord of all of it or none of it. So, for you, which is it? Is He Lord or not?

f.    Spiritual blindness and stubbornness is still around, and today we may credit gracious acts of God in our own lives to luck or our own genius or hard work or the work of economic forces. How important to sense God’s hand in our lives, to be responsive to Him, and to acknowledge his works for us.

g.   48:8-14: Israel has been punished (v. 10), but they are still obstinate and treacherous (v. 8). Nevertheless, for his own purposes God will act for their salvation (v. 9). He brings the startling news of the fall of Babylon and the victories of Cyrus (v. 14).

                i.    48:9-11 – For my own name’s sake – For his name’s sake God both holds back wrath and tests us in affliction. He will not yield his glory to another. He holds back His wrath on unbelievers and tests believers in the furnace of affliction to cleanse us, refine us, make us more like Christ, to burn out the stubbornness and rebellion in us.

              ii.    48:14 – The Lord’s chosen ally – Isaiah’s naming of Cyrus as the one to overthrow Babylon and free the Jews 150 years before it happened made it clear that God alone could take credit for the return of the captives. Cyrus is a prophetic type of the Returning Servant who will come and overthrow the Babylon of Revelation, free the Jews, and set up his kingdom as a light to the nations.

h.   48:16-17 – What is best – (closely mirrors Proverbs 8:22-36). Wisdom is the only way and from God alone (James 1:5; 3:13-18). God reminds them that if they had been faithful to him, they would have enjoyed all the blessings of the covenant with Abraham (48:18-19; Genesis 22:17), but now in God’s grace they can look forward to a new exodus, where God will provide their needs (48:20-22; Exodus 17:6).

i.    Illustration: Just like riding through mudholes in Liberia and following where you are led, it is easier than stubbornly determining your own way.

j.    APPLICATION: When we stubbornly want to determine our own way despite the path laid out for us, we will often find ourselves mired in sin. But there is a Friend of Sinners, and if we will follow in the path that He has laid out for us, we will find solid ground.

k.   God’s joy is not in frustrating us and telling us “Thou shalt not.” His word directs us into what is best for us and the way we should go. If we will follow his lead, we will have peace like a river.

l.    48:20-22 – Leave Babylon: This call to leave Babylon is a second exodus, and the climax of chapters 40-48. Those who obey and leave Babylon will have nothing to fear (v. 21), but those who wickedly refuse will not have peace and prosperity (v. 22).

2.   THE SERVANT COMFORTS US IN HIS PERSON ALONE (Isaiah 49:1-13)

a.   Chapters 49-55 are a new section of Isaiah, but addressed to the Jewish exiles in Babylon just like the words of comfort in chapters 40-48. Now Isaiah sets before God’s people hope and confident expectation in a time when their vision was limited. The emphasis now turns from Babylon to Jerusalem, to a Servant who will provide a future reunited Israel and the blessing of the nations, from comfort to the Servant who provides Comfort.

b.   49:1-7 – God’s Servant – Here we find the second Servant Song, the Servant first presented in 42:1-4. Even if only the law of double reference applies here, it applies to Cyrus as a type of Christ to come in glory and of the Messiah himself, so the focus is the Messiah-Servant.

                i.    This Servant is called to his mission and named long before his birth (49:1, 7; 41:8-9; 43:1), to display God’s splendor (49:3) but will be at present hidden from them (49:2).

              ii.    This Servant, as in 42:1-4, is a prophet (cf. Jeremiah 1:5; 20:7-11) with a powerful tongue, a sharpened sword of the Word (49:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; Revelation 1:15; 19:15).

            iii.    This Servant’s first efforts would be unrewarded, but that spent strength will be renewed (49:4).

             iv.    This Servant, as in 42:1-4, is also a royal political leader, bringing Israel back to God (49:5).

               v.    This Servant is a King of kings (“kings will see you and rise up”) and a divine Lord of lords (“princes will see and bow down”) (49:7)

             vi.    This Servant will provide salvation to all the ethnic nations (49:6; John 1:9, 29). A Light for the Gentiles – Paul and Barnabas applied this verse to themselves (Acts 13:47), for their mission was in the spirit of the Servant. Israel had light, rejected it, and needed restoration. The Gentiles needed the light to see their salvation.

           vii.    This Servant, though despised at first by his own, will at the end by honored by all (49:7; Exodus 12:31, 35-36).

c.   49:8-9 – New Covenant – This servant brings a new covenant between the Lord and his people (49:8; Exodus 24:3-8; Nehemiah 9:38-10:39). A new exodus of salvation. There is adequate provision in this new covenant (49:9-10; Exodus 16:4; 17:6). There will be a highway of salvation, and the nations will come from the ends of the earth to this Servant of Comfort (49:11-13; 40:3-4; 43:6-7).

d.   APPLICATION: Is the Lord alone enough for you?

                i.    If you lost everything you have, would the Lord be enough for you?

              ii.    If you lost every loved one you have, would the Lord be enough for you?

            iii.    If you lost every freedom you have, would the Lord be enough for you?

             iv.    If you lost every opportunity you have, would the Lord be enough for you?

               v.    If you lost every asset you have, would the Lord be enough for you?

             vi.    If you lost every bit of health you have, would the Lord be enough for you?

           vii.    If you lost every bit of the mind you have, would the Lord be enough for you?

         viii.    The Lord has provided salvation for all. You and I need to hold up the light of God’s word so others can see what he has done for them.

3.   THE SERVANT COMFORTS US IN RESTORING WHAT WAS LOST (Isaiah 49:14-26)

a.   49:14 – Forsaken – Anyone suffering feels forsaken. It is a natural reaction to pain. We have a hard time seeing any painful experience as a love gift, even though a parent who spanks a young child for running blindly into a street hopes the momentary pain will protect the child from future danger. Here, when Israel complains, God does not explain again why he disciplined them. He simply says he has never forsaken them and he will not forsake them.

b.   APPLICATION: When suffering comes, we may hurt, but we are not alone. God’s love is like that of a mother for her infant child. He has compassion for us. He cares deeply.

c.   49:16-26 – Restoration – Many of the promises here are concerns in Ezra and Nehemiah: the ruined state of Jerusalem (49:17, 19; Ezra 3:12; Nehemiah 1:3-4); separation from the foreign oppressor (49:17; Ezra 10:2-3; Nehemiah 13:23-31; concern for repopulation (49:18-21; Ezra 2:1-70; Nehemiah 11:1-12:26), and participation of kings in the reestablishment of the city (49:22-23; Ezra 1:1-11; 7:12-26; Nehemiah 2:4-8).

d.   49:24-26 – Power of God will accomplish this. The people are awed by this grace and these promises (49:24) so that “all mankind will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior” (49:25-26). The name, Mighty One of Jacob goes back to Genesis 49:24; and “Savior and Redeemer” to Genesis 49:26.

Invitation:

The Green Bean Casserole costume

From the sacredsandwich.com

". . . by their Creator . . . "

Spurgeon on evangelism

C.H. Spurgeon

“If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. 

"And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. 

"If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”

Your Best Joel Now!

General Lee's last days

October 12, 2010, marks the 140th anniversary of Robert E. Lee's death.

Robert E. Lee after the War

"The end was now drawing near, yet the General uttered no complaint. He was meeting the last enemy as he had met Grant at Appomattox, without parade or ostentation. 

An incident of these last days should be preserved. It was related by Mrs. Tabb Bolling Lee. This former Petersburg belle had been in the habit of rising at a late hour, anywhere perhaps from ten to noon.  Now, on her first visit to her husband's people, she was horrified to learn that breakfast would be ready at seven o'clock and each member of the household was expected at family prayers promptly at 6:45.

The first morning, the new arrival jumped into her clothes and hastened down to the parlor to find that the General had finished the "lesson" and was well into the "prayers."  As she slipped in and knelt by his side she felt his arm about her. Without interruption the prayer went on and was concluded.

Next morning the new daughter did not get down to prayers at all, but did manage to be on hand at breakfast. After the meal the General approached and quietly remarked that no day should be lived unless it was begun with a prayer of thankfulness and an intercession for guidance.  "And now, my child," he softly concluded, "unless you get down to morning prayers your old father will give you no more kisses." The punishment was adequate. Thereafter the new daughter was on time for prayers.

R.E. Lee's funeral

The evening of September 28 was raw, damp and unseasonably cold. At that unpropitious hour the vestry of Grace Church met in the unheated building. Lee was sitting in one of the pews, wrapped in his military cloak, and saying little during the meeting that lasted from four till seven o'clock.Some of those present noticed that his face seemed more than ordinarily flushed, but they did not sense anything wrong. The meeting was then adjourned and the general went outdoors to face the rain. It was very dark, for the sun had long since set, and it was the time of the dark of the moon, so there was not even a glimmer of light behind the scudding clouds racing across the sky.

After presiding at the extended session the General walked up the hill to his home. When Lee entered the house, he took off his rain-soaked hat, cloak and overshoes. Tea awaited him. Mrs. Lee asked where he had been, saying that he had kept them waiting for a long time. He did not answer. Slowly moving to his pace at the head of the table, he stood, as was his custom, to ask the blessing. But no words came. His tongue failed to function, and he almost collapsed when he tried to sit down.

The summons had come. Alarmed now, the family sprang into action. The stricken man was stretched out on a couch, and two doctors, who had been at the meeting in the church, were sent for. 

When they arrived and started to remove their patient's outer clothing, he complained that they were hurting his arm. The doctors ordered a bed to be brought down and placed in the dining room. The dying general was put to bed in a comatose condition. He was never to leave the room alive.

September passed, and the golden days of October began. The physicians treated him for venous congestion of the brain, and, at first, held out hope for recovery. The symptoms were favorable. He was not paralyzed and could move his arms, legs and body, though with pain. He slept most of the time; when awakened, he took medicines and food as directed, but he showed little interest in what was going on around him. When he was awake, he was entirely conscious. Sometimes he spoke. He answered questions, but in monosyllables and did not want to talk or listen. His mind was clear and seemed independent of his body.

One day the doctor, seeking to cheer him, referred to Traveller. The General must make haste and get well; Traveller was lonely and was looking for him. The sick man shook his head and closed his eyes.

He was like one already half-dead; undoubtedly he knew that he was going to die.But he was reconciled to that and did not seem to care.

During the final days there was no death-bed scene, no posing, no sadness of farewell. 

During the afternoon of October 10, the general's hold on life began to weaken rapidly. His pulse became feeble, and his breathing was labored.

Toward midnight he was seized with a fit of violent shivering, after which his physicians told the family that the end was near. But he lingered on through the next day and night, barely conscious, but still clinging to life.

Lee's Casket

Silence filled the sorrowing chamber. Toward the end chilliness set in. Powerful restoratives were then administered. The intellect was dimmed. The poise and self-restraint of a life-time vanished. During the last morning his mind was evidently again on the battlefield, astride his war-horse, for he said audibly, "Tell [General A. P.] Hill he must come up.". Then he lapsed into unconsciousness again. In his dark dreams he may have been bringing his last campaign to a close because those around him heard him say with a tone of finality: "Strike the tent."  After that he sank down into a silence which was never broken.

Lee's Tomb

At 9:30 on the morning of October 12 the heart ceased to beat, and a great gentleman, please God, was dead. He had crossed the river to rest under the shade of the trees where his companion in arms [Stonewall Jackson] had preceded him."

Sources: Philip Van Doren Stern, Robert E. Lee, The Man and the Soldier (Bonanza Books, 1963), 243-244); Robert W. Winston, Robert E. Lee: A Biography (William Morrow and Company, 1934) 411-413).