Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-11
revolutionary We. a.a Rem,ns-e.ner..

/ dated and antique residences Of three distinguish.
I'd Major Generals Of the American Revolution.
Within n radius Of one mile aud half ls we'd long
aud weary years. Charles Lee, the sinister hero
of Monmouth; Horntio Gates. ihs loser of the
battle of Camden and the southern campaign; ;
and Adam stephen, the early friendof Washing.
ton. In this little village --on whose golden for
esi- am gazing under the shadows of the great
wonds herc-remote from camps and the flashing
world these three warriors .rusted out the re-
mander Of their lives in ingorous repose. their
swords in moth eaten scabbarIs, no more 10 he
drawn Here. IL ] mistake not, two Of them died.
and soon even these lingering memorials of them
will ctunh 10 and disappear, their figures are
fading from the general mind
Lees house is a hundred PAGES from the little
assemhlage Of houses called by his name. and is
an oblopg building of stone. with chimneys at
each end aud midway-low. with rude porch.
! depending, as it were, above the rough door, and
with few outhouses. Gates lived somewhat
! further from the town, in u plain, undpcorated
building; and Stephen occupied mansion, pro
badly built by the earliest pioneers of the valley.
| in which everything is small and confined but the
fire place. But that IL neither small or confined;
! ii IA grand--enormous. Around it, how many
good companions must have gathered in the OIL
den day, and what sounds of revelry shook tho
rafters overhead You may read Of Adam Ste
phen in Sparks edition of the writings of Wash.
ton, aud there you will find that. among the har-
! dy gentlemen who stood shoulder to shoulder with
the young chief at Winchester, when the indians
| ravaged tho valley hundred years ago, was
| Lieutenant stephen. largo landed proprietor
herealouts. he doubtless resented the trcsspass
Of the Indians upon his grounds, stretching to-
ward tho foot of the great North mouniain--at
least we know that he did service. lie was af.
forwards an effective officer of tho revolutionary
struggle but left the army about the period of
the butle Of Princeton, Disguised ut something or
other-and 80 came hither. and lived aud died
OF Gates and Lee more is known. The story
of the woeful quarrel of the latter with Washing
ton ut Monmouth. you may read in full in the re-
Gently published third volume Of Irving's great
work. Ice WAS not 40 much ia the wrong the
world -upposss. That he made blunder in offer
ing his forces to retreat, and that his retreat
very nearly ruined all tho plans Of Washing
ton and lost US the bnttle this Is certain; hut
| 1t was probably an error of Judgment, not
want of courage. In Leutz great picture.
/ he sits on his horse sullenly before the chief
whose hot anger flames out. All that he did and
said afterwards was sullen, too, unfortunately.
High words. indignant correspondence Washing
ton cold and naughty, Lee raging. then a court
| martial, suspension for year. and Lee, in utter
disgust threw up his commission and came hth
or ITO hoe tobacco that being the best school for
General" he said with sneer at Warrington.
And here. in this poor and obscure dwelling, as
have said, rusted the sharp spirit of Lee and
fell into dust and oblivion With few neixhbors,
no friends, surrounded by hounds and horses and
making the chase his only occupation nearly,
thus lived the Gen. and died. One day long nf-
forwards, says tradition of tho neighborho cd.
Washington sent his old adversary a note saying
that ha would call on n certain morning and see
him that he hoped all past contention and bit
terness had been forgotten-he was coming to see
him as an old O. mrade in arms as IA friend
On the day fixed for the visit Leo sent away
all his servants pacea upon the locked front door
II paper with mo meat cooked here to day" writ
ten thereon and then followed his servants leav-
ing Washington to knock in vain. lie never re-
turned and with the passing year thu eccentric
soldier grew more morose and repalling. The
ground ioor of his house was div ided by chalk.
lines merely, forming thus four compartments
In the first he kept his books; in tho second was
his bed, his saddles aud hunting gear in the third;
'he fourth was fora kitchen. lie could thus sit
in one spot. he said. with grim hnmor and
overlook his entire household.
Tirea of his dogs and his silent misanthropy
at last he commenced his"Queres, Political and
Military" an attack on Washington; but the
world declined listening to him; and then. tired
of life. the cynical spirit of Charles Lee fled to
other realms. His last words were. stand by
me. my brave grenadicrs" and 40 he ended
word now of the third ono Of my triad of war.
riors ioratio Gates came to the old house yon
der after Camden. 1t was tho Gates who had
taken '0"rgoyne, and whose popularity at one
tme over-hadowed Washington's. But now,
alas. how fallen! The breath of an indignant
public opinion had baste. him; and his laurels
were all scared and withered. He had lost the
battle of Camden-had been doposed from tho
command of the army of the South, to make way
for Greene over his head lowered cloud of
public execration almost, and Congress, it was
said had prepared its thunderbolt TO strike him.
But the bolt never fell The sad soldiers SCR
row respected. They left him to die in peace
hore-- enough punishment that the magnificent
drama of the Revolution played out. indie
pendent of one who had enacted splendid a
part in the earlier acts.
! These three old wooden houses the visible
remains of three vigorous lives-in them to the
musing eye. tho spirits of Gates, and Lee. and
| stephen, hover around them still, speaking in
every whisper of the pine trees and the oaks
those ancient oaks of the noble, English looking
"chase" which murmur yonder beneath the win
dow through whose heightened vista appears
| the lone mansion of General Adam Stephen.
Here, within gunshot almost Of each other, these
| men OF history reposed-though not happily we
must conclude-after all their struggles. The
current of the Opequon. resonant in old days
with savage shouts and dyed with blood, muir
INJURED by them, and perhaps spoke to their minds
OF other days-typfying human things which
ever bud and flow. aud change like the skies of
| autumn yonder-the gorgeous leaves whose col
vary with each day.
| Boiiomlcss Pit.
! The BOttomloss PIT in the Mammoth Cave of