Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-04-22

selves, thought proper to represent the affair to the
parliament, and to the People os only Of but little
consequence. A %contrar; opinion being entertained
by General Lee and the friends of America, ne APP
peared again in the guise OF an author, and pub.
lished a pamphlet d~efcnlin. the interest of America,
showing the necessity Of snppressins the war,
which Brought down upon him the anathenas Of
The ministry, and forever put an end to his hopes oil
promotion in the British Army. We afterwards
find him in the service of Poland, Distinguishing
himself by his chivalry and noble daring. On the
breaking out of the war OF the Revolution, he srl-
barked for America, and at once became the champ.
ION of our cause and the defender of our liberties.
His early career in this country, was crowned with
the most abundant success; but in the latter part Of
the year l776, fortune seemed parsimonious
OF her favours and prodigal of her frowns. Early
in December of that year, in compliance with the
orders OF the commanding General, he was march,
ing with what men he could collect to assist Gen
eral Washington, who was then attempting, with
the militia Of Pennsylvania, to secure the banks of
the Delaware. Not suspecting immediate danger.
ee uh u sDnht
distance from the main body of the soldiery, which
circumstance being made known to Colonel Har-
court OF the British Dragons, he determined TO
take Lee a prisoner, and TO send him to England.
The plans Of Harcour. were but too well concerted,
and General Lee, in moment OF supposed security,
was taken at midnight IRON his quarters, and hand
ed over to the enemy*. After his exchange, he
was at the battle Of Monmouth, where he unfortu-
nately d'ssraced himself, by disobeying, a, it was
a~lledged, the orders of his commander, for which
offence he was tried by a court martial and .entsn-
ced to be suspended from the army for the term Of
year. But as he was dissatisfied with the decision.
ofthe c~ourt,and ~dissusted with his fortune, he never
afterwards resumed his commission. But locating
himself on a fertile farm in the county of Berkley.
Virginia, he sought in retirement, those sweets, and
that repo.e, which the pomp, parade, and ciroum-
stance, Of metropolitan lie has ncrsr yielded.
General Lee, was perhaps, less fortunate than
any other officer Of the American Army, but Us he
possessed a philosophical mind, he bore his misfor-
tunes with meekne~. though they evidently hast
ened him to the grave.
In his person he was naturally genteel, in his ad-
dress fascinating, in his principle, stern and infexi-
bic. As Il public writer, he held an enviable rank,
and some Of his performances bear the impress Of
unusual genius, as well as the graces Of a finished
education. The Letters of Junius were at one time
attributed to him, and however small his claims
might have been to the authorship of those celebrut-
ed performances, there is one of them at least-we
mean the last Letter of Junius, to Sir Willi-m Dra-
por, that bears strong marks Of identity.
After his disgrace and retiremen. from the Army,
he became negligent Of his dress-was frequently
known to wear his shirt a month without chang
ing, and was generally attended by a number of
dogs, which he would have near him, aud some.
times seated in chairs at the table, no matter whom
he dined with.
So notorious did he at last become, as a sloven,
that he was at length avoided by many Of his friends,
and particularly by the ladies, who if they suffered
themselvs to be caught in his society, were sure to
be offended by the indelicacy of his person.
A young Lady, a Jewess, Of Philadelphia, who
had long enjoyed his friendship, in one Of her Let
tiers to a irlend, described him as wearing green
breeches patched with leather, which called forth
the following philippe from the General, which we
here insert, not because it possesses any particular
literary merit, but because we think it will amuse
our readers. General Lee died at Philadelphia
October I'd, 1882. utter;ns as he expired, stand
by me my brave grenadiers." He was a single
man, and left the principal part of his large estate
to an old and confidential servant.-Ed. Lit. Cadet.
PHnLADELpHIA, Dec. 10Th, 1879.
.Nadam.-When an officer Of the respectable
| rank bear is grossly traduced and illuminated, it
| is cumbe on him to clear up the affair to the
| world, with as little delay as possible. The spirit
| of defamation and calumny q an sorry to say iD
| is grown to a prodigious and intolerable height on
| this continent. If you had accused me Of a design
| to procrastinate the war, or of holding a treason
| able correspondence with the enemy, | could have
borne it this am used to and this happened to
| the great Fabius Maximus. IL you had accused
me of getting drunk as often as could get liquor,
| as two Alexanders the Great have been charged
| with this vice, ! should perhaps, have sat patient,
under the imputation or, even If you had given
the plsinest hints, that | had stolen tho soldiers
shirts. this | could have put up with, as the great
Duke of Marlborough would have been an exam
pie or if you had contented yourself with asserting,
that | was so abominable q sloven as never to part
with my shirt, until my shirt parted with me, the
anecdotes of my i~llustrious name-sake OF Sweden
[Charles twelfth, would have administered some
comfort to me. But the calumny you have In the
fertility of your malicious w.t., chosen to invent, Is
Of so new, so unprecedented, and OF so hellish a KIND,