, 1857-02-13
From the Petersburg Gazette.
Interesting "reminiscences Of Revolutionary
Men.


town, Jefferson county, Virginia, are the
dilapidated and antique residences of three
distinguished Major Generals of the Ameri
l can revolution Within n radius of one
mile and half lived long and weary
years, Charles Lee, the sinister hero O
T. Monmouth, HOratio Gates, the loser O
= the battle of Camden and the Southerl
campaign and Adam Stephen, the early
friend of WASHINGTON. In this little vii
lage, on whose golden forests am gazing
under the shadows of the great wood;
here-remote from camps and the flashing
world, these three warriors rusted out the
remainder Of their lives in inglorious re.
pose, their swords in moth eaten scabbards,
no more to be drawn. Here, if | mistake
not, two Of them died, and soon even these
lingering memorials of them will crumbe
and disappear, as their figures are fading
from the general mind
Lees house is hundred PAGES from the
little asscmblage of houses called by his
name, and is an obong buildng of stone,
with chinneys at each end and midway
low, with rude porch, depending, as it
were, above the rough floor, and a few out
houses. Gates lived somewhat further
from the town, in a plain, undecorated
building aud Stephen occupied mansion,
built probably by the earliest pioneers of
the valley, in which everything is small and
confined but the fireplace. But that is
neither small nor confined it is grand
enormous. Around it how many good
companions must have gathered in the
olden day, and what sounds Of reyelry shook
the rafters over head. 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 Indi-
ans ravaged the valley a hundred years
ago, was Lieut. Stephen. A landed pro
pretor hereabouts, he doubtless resented
the trespass Of the Indians upon his
grounds, stretching towards the foot OF
the great North Mountain-at least we
know that he did good service. He was
afterwards an elective officer of the revolu-
tionary struggle, but left the army about
the period of the battle of Princeton, dis
gusted with something or other-and SO
come hither and lived and died.
OF Gates and Lee more is known The
story of the wonderful quarrel Of the latter
with WASHINGTON at Monmouth, you may
read in full in the recently published third
volume Of Irving'S great work. 1t is prob
able that history will show that Lee was
not SO much in the wrong as the world
supposed. That he made a blunder in
ordering his forces 10 retreat-and that
this retreat very nearly ruined all the plans
Of WASHINGTON, and lost us the battle
this is certain but it was probably an
error Of judgment-not want Of courage
In Leutz's great picture, he sits his horse
sullenly before the chief, whose hot anger
flames out All that he did and said after
was sullen, too, unfortunately. High words
Indignant correspondence WASHINGTON,
cold and huughty-Lee raging; then a
court martial-suspenson for year-and
Lee, in utter disgust, threw up his COM
mission, and came hither "to hoe tobacco
that being the best school for General" !"
he said, with a sneer at WAsHISGroN.
And here, in this poor and obscure dwell
ing, as l have said, rusted out the sharp
spirit Of Lee, and fell into dust and oblivion.
With few neighbors no friends = sur
rounded by hounds and horses, and making
the chase his only occupation nearly-thus
lived the General, and died. One day,
long afterwards, says a tradition of the
neighborhood, WASHINGTON sent his old
adversary a note, saying that he would call
on certain morning and see him-that he
hoped all past contention and bitterpess
had been forgotten-he 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
locked front door paper with +" No meat
cooked here today" written thereon, and
then followed his servants, leaving WASH
INGToN to knock in vain. He never re-
turned and, with the passing year, the
eccentric soldier grew more morose and
repelling. The ground floor Of his house
was divided by chalk lines merely, forming
thus four compartments. In the first he
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, he said with grim
humor, and overlook his entire household.
Tired of bis dogs and his silent misanthro-
py at last, he commenced his Queries,
Political and Military, an attack on VASE
1NGroN but the world declined listening
to him and then, tired of life, the cynical
spirit Of Charles Lee fed to other realms.
His last words were "Stand by me, my
brave granadiers |" and SO he ended.
A word now of the third of my triad Of
warriors. Horatio Gates came to the old
house yonder after the death at Camden
the Gates who had taken Burgoyne-
whose popularity at one time overshadowed
WAsnINGToN's. But now, alasl how fallen
The breath Of an indignant public opinion
had blasted him, and his laurels were all
scared and withered. He had lost the
battle of Camden-had been deposed from
the command of the army Of the South, tc
make way for Greene over bis head low