To the editor:

Where on Earth did you get the idea that the statue of a Confederate soldier at Prince and Washington streets was of Robert E. Lee? Have you ever looked at it? Moustache but no beard, a soldier’s uniform, not a general’s really no resemblance at all.

No one with even the most rudimentary knowledge of the city, its landmarks and its history could make such an absurd mistake. For the editor of what apparently aspires to be our newspaper of record it is beyond belief. For a brief education on the monument, see http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=8605. Or consult the Alexandria Library Special Collections librarian, or the Office of Historic Alexandria or any of the many resources that abound here. 

Or do just the tiniest bit of fact-checking, as any reporter, much less an editor, should.