The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-10-21
THE DAILY DISPATCH.


THE DAILY DISPATCH.
Tuesday MorninG, October N. lhnE.
-.,>>>-~-@~-~~-s.--.-...
Revolutionary Men ana Reminiscenr :.
A correspondent Of the Petersburg Erpress.
writing from .'near Leesown, Jefferson co,ntv
Virginia" sends that paper an Interesting Latter
about Revolutionary men and reminiscences. from
which We make the following extract:
In tne immediate vicinity OF ths spot from wbirh
aaaarsss you these lines, are the dilapidased and
Generals of the American ReyoInt;on W;.,.;.l lo.
radius Of one mile and halflived, long and wearv
yeArs, Cnariss Lee, the sinister hero of Monmouth
horat'o Gates, the loser Of the battle of Camdan
.na IN. .ne southern campaign; and Adam Stephen
zoe early friend Of Washington In this LITTLE viii
l.ge-ou whose golden forests am pazine-undar
me snaoows Of The great woods here-remote from
camps and tue flashing world, these three warriors
rusted out the remainder of their lives in In slori
gus repose. the swords Ia moth-eA.en scabbards
no more TO Dc drawn Here, If mistake not TIVE
OF them died, and soon even these lingering me
morials OF them will crumble and disappear IA
their figures are fading from the general mind
Lees house is hundred PAGES from the little
assembiage Of houses called by bis name and Is
an oblopg building of stone, with chimnevs At
each end and midway-low, with . rude porch
depending, as 1t were, above the rough door and
with few ont houses Gates lived somewhat fpr
tuoE ifoni tno toWu, III plain, un10cOTat6d buid.
ing and Stephen occupied a mansion prohahIv
built by the earliest pioneers of tho va Iiav n
which everything Is small and confined hut tbe
hre place. But that is neither small or confined
Is 10 grand-ehormous Around 1t how many
good companions must have gathered In the olden
day, and what sounds of revelry shook tbs raftsrs
overhead You may read of Adam Stephen in
Sparks edition Of the writings of Washiugton
and there you will fnd that among the nsrdy
gentlemen who stood shoulder TO Shoulder with
ubon% y.
ravaged the valley . hundred years age was
Lieutenant Stephen. A large landed proprietor
hereabouts, he doubtless resented the A of
the Indians upon his grounds, stretching toward
the foot of the great North Mountan-at least. we
know that he did good service. He was after.
wards an effective officer of the Revolutionary
struggle, but left the army about the period of the
battle OF Princeton, disgusted at something or 9TH
er-and so came hither, and lived and died
OF Gates and Lee more 10 known the story of
the woful quarrel of the latter with Washington at
Monmouth, yen may read In full in the recently
published third volume of lrvings great work 1t Is
probable that history will finally show that Lee was
not 80 much in the wrong the world supposes
That he made bunder in ordering his forces TO re-
treat--and that this retreat very nearly ruined all
the plans of Washington, End losr the batte--this
is certain. But IL was probably error of judg-
nens1not want OF courage. IN Leuiz's great pc
whose hot anger flames out-sl that he did and said
afterwards sullsu too, unfortunately. High
words-indisn snant CORE Observation-Disclosures ston cold
and, baugh.y--Lee ragiug; then q court martial
suspension Tor yssr--and Lee In utter disgust
New up bis commission, and came hither ITO hoe
- ~co-that being the best school for General -
ooA With q sneer at washir gton. And here in
,e SAID, I'D obscure dwelling, es have said rust
nus poorA >rp spirit OF Lee, and tel into dust and
oblivion With dorses, and making tbs chase bis
ied by MOUNDS sno "; thus lived the General and
'i.S 0ue Say. long atss wssds says tradition Of
he neshborhood, Washing iii on q osrtain morn.
rote, saying that he would III psst contention
md bitterness had besn foreotten--n, fisnd
lee hi - an cid eomrade In arms-asa ysy ell hi,
On the day 8 ,sd tor the visit, Lee sent q psper
upon the locked front door Esr.,
With " No meat cooked here to-day" whttsnt :,
'n-and then followed his servants, leaving Washil
on to knock in vain. He never returned, and with ,
he passing the eccentric soldier grew more mo-
oss and repsilinS.A The ground floor Vf his house
divided BY chalk lines merely forming thus four
In the first he kept his books-in the
econd his bed--hls saddles and hunting gear in
he third; ths fourth was used for kitchen. He
suld thus sis in ono spot, he said with grim humor,
md overlook his entire household. Tired Of his dogs
md his silent mssnthropy at last, be commenced his
Queriss. Political and Military "-an attack on
Washington. But the world declined Listening to
.ia. and then. tired Of life. the cynical aptrit Of
,harfes Leo fed to other realms. His last words
vers." stsna BY me, my brave srensdien" and %
10 ended.
word now OF the third ay of my triad Of wsrri-
,rs Horatio Gates cam to the old houss yondsr AZ
er Camden. 1t was the, Gates who had taken Bur
Ioyne. and whose popularity at one time oysrsha-
1CWcU w hsuiRBbVd5 nut nov aits. now fAIloR -
rhe breath of nd public opinion had blasted
him; and his laurels were all scared and wthersd He
,ad lost the battle of Camdenhad been dsposed from
he command of the arr ~ of the South, to make way
IJr Greene-ovsr his he I'D lowered heavy eioud Of
public execution almost; and Congress it wss said
lad prepared its thundeIbot to strike him. But the
,oIt never fsI The aad soldiers respected.
They left him to die in peace hers-enoush punish
nent that the mssnife snt drama of the Revelation
Was played out independents of enc who had enacted
10 spienaid part in the earlier acts.
These three old wood On HOUSES the visible
mains of three vigorous ives-in thsm to the musips
,ye the spirits of Gates and Lee and stephen hover
.round them stil speaking in every whisper of the
Pine and tho oaks those ancient oaks of the
Die English looking "ch ase" which murmur yonder
beneath the wndsw--through whoss heightened Wis
3 appears the lone mansion of General Adam Ste
,hsn. Here within gun ahot almost Of each other,
hose men of history fepossd-though not happily We
must concude-ats all their struggles. The currsnt
If the Opequons nant In old days with savage
houts and dyed with blood, murmured by them; and
'erhsps spoke to their minds of other days-typyng
auman things ch bud and flow; and change like
'hs sties of Autumn yonder-the gorgeous lssves,
" hose colors vary with each day.
10