The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-25
REVOLUTIONARY MEN AND REM
SCIENCES.

son county, Virginia" sends that paper an
interesting letter about revolutionary men
and "reminiscences, from which we make the
following extract
ain the immediate vicinity of the spot
from which l address you these lines, are
the dilapidated and antique residences of
three distinguished Major Generals of the
American Revolution. Within a radius of
one mile and half lived long and weary
years, Charles Lee, the sinister hero of
Monmouth Horatio Gates, the loser of the
battle of Camden and the southern cam
paign; and Adam Stephen, tho N,.rly friend
of Washington. In this little village-on
whose golden forests | am gazing-under
the shadows of the great woods here-re,
mote from camps and the flashing world,
these three warriors rusted out the remain
der of their lives in inglorious reposc, the
swords in moth-eaten scabbardS, no more to
them died, and soon even these lingering
memorials of them will crumble and disap-
pear as their figures arc fading from the
general mind.
Lees house is a hundred PAGES from the
little assemblage of houses called by his
name, and is an oblong building of stone,
with chimneys at each end and midway
low, with a rude porch, depending, as it
we're, above the rough door, and with few
outhouses. Gates lived somewhat further
from the town, in plain, undecorated build
ing; and Stephen occupied a mansion, pro-
badly built by the earliest pioneers of the
valley, in which everything is small and
confined but the fire place. But that is
neither small or confined it is grand-en-
ormous. Around it, how many good COM
panions must have gathered in the olden
day, and what sounds of revelry shook the
rafters overhead! You may read of Adam
Stephen in Sparks edition of the writings
of Washington, and there you will find that
among the hardy gentlemen who stood
shoulder to shoulder with the young chief
at Winchester, when the Indians ravaged
the valley hundred years ago, was Lieu
tenant Stephen. A large landed proprietor
hereabouts, he doubtless resented the tres
pass of the Indians upon his grounds,
stretching toward the foot of the great North
mountain-at least we know that he did
good service. He was afterwards an effec
tive officer of the revolutionary struggle,
but left the army about the period of the
battle of Princeton, disgusted at something
died.
Of Gates and Lee more is known. The
story of the woeful quarrel of the latter with
Washington at Monmouth, you may read
in full in the recently published third vol
ume of Irying's great work. 1t is probable
that history will finally show that Lee was
not so much in the wrong as the world sup
poses. That he made blunder in ordering
his forces to retreat-and that this retreat
very nearly ruined all the plans of Wash
in gton, and lost us the battle-this is GER
tain; but it was probably an error of judg
ment-not want of courage. In Leutz's
great picture, he sits his horse sullenly be-
fore the chief, whose hot anger flames out.
All that he did and said afterwards was sui
len, too, unfortunately. High words
indignant correspondence w ashington
cold and haughty-Lee raging; then court
for year-and Lee,
in utter disgust, threw up his commission,
and came hithcr ''to hoe tobacco that be-
ing the best school for general" he said,
with q sneer at Washington. And here, in
this poor and obscure dwelling, as l have
said, rusted out the sharp spirit of Lee, and
fell into dust and oblivion. With few neigh
bors-no friends-surroundcd by hounds
and horses, and making the chase his only
occupation nearly-thus lived the General,
and died. One day, long afterwards, says
u tradition of the neighborhood, Washing
ton sent his old adversary note, saying
that he would call on a certain morning, and
see him-that he hoped that all past contcn-
ton and bitterness hadsbecn forgotten-hc
was coming to see him as an old comrade
in arms-as a friend.
On the day fixed for the visit, Lee sent
away all his servants, placed upon the lock
ed front door paper with mo meat cook
ed here to-day written thereon, and then
followed his servants, leaving Washington
to knock in vain. He pevcr returned; and
with the passing year, the eccentric soldier
grew more morose and rcpelling. The |
ground floor of his house was divided by
chalk lines merely, forming thus four COM
partments. In the first lie kept his books;
in the second was his bed; his saddles and
hunting gear in the third; the fourth was
used for kitchen. He could thus sit in
one spot, lie said, with grim humor, and
overlook his entire household. Tired of
his dogs and his silent misantlropy at last,
lie commenced his Queries, Political and
an attack on Washington; but
the world declined listening TO him; and
then, tired of life, the cynical spirito Charles
Lee fed to other realms. His last words