Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-11-29
REVOLUTIONARY MEN AND REM
INISCENGES

ces, from which we make the following ex-
tract.
10 the immediate vicinity Of the spot from
which address you these lines, are the dilap-
idaied and antique residences Of three disiin-
guisheJ Major Generals Of The American Rev
oluion. Within a radius of one mile aud a
half lived, long and weary years, Charles Lee,
the sinister hero Of Monmoulh lIurauo Gales,
the loser Of the battle Of Camden aud the South
ern campaign and Adam Siephsn. ihc early
friend of Washington. Ia this little village
on whuse golden forests ] am gazng-u'dei
the shadows Of the grcai woods here-rcmuie
from camps and the flashing world these ihree
warriors rusied out the remainder of their lives
in ingloTious repose, their sw ords in moth-caicu
scab1ards no more To be dram. Here, if
mistake not, two Of them died, aud soon even
these lingering memorials Of them will ciumble
and disappear as their figures are fading from
the general mind
Lees house is hundred PAGES from the lit
tie assemblage Of houses called By his name,
and is an oblong building Of stone, with chin
neys a, each end and midway-low, with
rude porch, depending. as il were, above The
rough door. and with few oui-hogses. Gates
lived somewhat further FROM the town, in
plain, undecoraied building and Stephen oc-
copied nansnn probably buili by the earliest
pioneers Of the valley, in which everything is
small and confined but the Fireplace But lha,
is neither small or confined. II is sgrand--enor-
nous, Around it how many good companions
mus, have gathered in the oldco day, and what
sounds Of reyelry shook the raliers overhead
You may read of Adam Stephen in Sparks edi-
iion OF the Writings Of Washington aud tliere
you will find that among the hardy genlemen
who stood shoulder TO shoulder with the young
chief at Winchester, when the Indians ravaged
the valley hundred yfars ago, was Lieutenant
Stephen. A large landed proprietor herca-
bouts, he doubtless resented the irespass Of the
! Indians upon his grounds. stretching towards
I the foo; Of the great North Mountain-ai least
we know that he did good service. He was
afterwards an effective officer OF the Revolu-
I liouary sirut gle. but leli the army about the
period Of the battle or Princeton, diseusted at
something or oiher-and so came nome, and
lived and died.
OF Gates and Lee, more is known; the sio-
ry or the uOful quarrel Of the latter with Wash
ingion at Monmouth, you may read in full in
The recently published third volume Of lrvine's
great work. 1t is probable that history will
finally show that Lee was moi so much in the
wrong as The world supposes. That he made
blnnder IN ordering his forces to reireai-aud
that this retreat very nearly turned all the plans
Of Washington, and Lost US the baue-ths is
certain. But it was probably an error Of judy
meni-not want of courage. In Leuz' 5
l. -. I.F
the Chief, whose hot anger flames out-out--
all that he did and said afterwards was snllen
too, unfortunately. High words-indienanl
correspondence-W Washington cold and haugh-
ty-Lee raging thcn a court mar,ial-suspen-
sion for a year-and Lee, in utter disgust,
threw up his commission, and came hilheT ''lo
hue iobacco-that being the best school for a
General" he said with sncer at Washing.
ton. And here in this poor and obscure dwell
! ling, as ! have said Iusied out the sharp spirit
Of Lee, and fell irio dust and oblivion. With
few neighbors-no friends surrounded by
hounds and horses, and making the chase his
only occupation, nearly; thus lived the Gen
eral and died. One day, long afterwards says
tradition Of the neiehborhood Washington
sent his old adversary note, saying that he
would call on certain morning and see him
that he hoped all past contention and bitterness
had been forgoiien-he was coming 10 see him
as an old comrnde in arns-as a friend.
= On the day fixed for the visit, Lee sent away
: all his servanis-placed upon the locked front
door paper with "No meat cooked he'e IL
) day." written thereon-and then followed hi;
> servants, leaving Washington TO knock 10 vain
= IL. ffl,t
the eccentric soldier grew more moroso aud re-
: pelling The ground floor Of his honse Wa'
divided BY chalk-lines merely forming thus iouI
5 compartments 10 The first he kept his books
\ in the second was his bed-his saddles and
E hunting gear in the third ; the fourth was us
5 ed for kitchen. lie coud thus sit in ont
spot, he said with grim humOr, and overlook
his entire household. Tired of his dogs anc
his silent misanihropy at last he commenced
n his "Qneries, Political aud Miliiary"-an al
q tack on Washington. But the world decline,
t listening to him. and then, tired of life, ih'
+ cynical spirit of Charles Lee ned 10 othe
4 realms. His last words were-"Siand by me
c my brave grenadiers % and so he ended.
A word now of the third day Of my tIiad o
d warriors. IIoralio Gates came to the old hous'
e Wonder afier Camden. II was the Gates VII,
y had taken Bureoyne, aud whose popularity a
u one time overshadowed Washingion's Bu
= now, alas how fallen! The breath Of an in
y dienani public opinion had blasted him; AM
n his laurels were all scared and wiiheIed. Ill
+ bad lost the battle of Camden--and been depos
J. ed from the command Of The army Of the Snuih
Q to make way for Greene over his head lower
Is ed a heavy cloud of public exeeralon almost
and Congress, ii was said, had prepared ii
o ihunderboll to strike him. But The bolt nove
d fell The sad soldiers sorrow was respected
> They left him 10 die in peace here
,f punishment that the magnificent drama Of th
,. Revolution was played out, independent of on
-e who had enacted SO splendid part ia the ea