The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-12-03
II "a n kssf - - -. 3. ,.a,s,,
0HARLkS LIRE d the REY0LUTION.
MS LIFE AND DE1TH.
YlnalxfA. Oelcber. |

lice 10 which General H0rnGio Gates, after
his defeat At Camdon, retiredsin snllen des-
pair. To the left ~ / enteRnd, was large
apartinest, apparently designed for dining
room, and sweeping clear from wall to wall
Of the building On the right was smaller
10 I'M With three front windows There was
here curl ,as old print, entitled 1.-THE FOw.
Or Of New York ifl rcmeniber rightly, and
opposite another sketch, highly colored, Of
IN American dsagoOn in pursuit OF an English
man from whose unfortunate back protrudes
the bait ola bayonet. which has pierced him.
bat the object Of most interest in the old
Apartment was . window name, on which was
scratched, with diamond ring. the inisials,
III. g., :" sarmoantcd by i coat Of arms; and
on another pane, in the round, unmistakable
handwriting Of the men Of the Revolution,
was the inscription General c." At the
letter &c" the hand of tue writer had sud
denly paused. and to one un familiar with the
former tenants Of that ancient mansion the
rest Of the name would remain mystery
There IL, however, no reason to doubt upon
the subject Local history informs us who
Visited Gates constantly vt his house, here,
in the far past. II was the hand Of the victor
ct Saratoga which, in all probability, traced
those letters on the pane, leaving the name
un6nished. That name was General
Charles Lee, Of Monmouth memory-the
friend, then the enemy Of Washisgton.
His life was q strange One-as strange as
the character of the man The general
reader knows. probably, very little about the
individual, beyond the fact that he was Ma
Jor General in the American Revolution, and
that he very nearly ruined tho cause which
ne upheld, by his rctreat at Monmouth. An
old and curious Volume, which have lately
secured, communicates mass Of matter upon
the subject Of his antecedents, and his
strange adventures II is entitled Mem.
oirs Of the Life Of the late Charles Lee, Esq,
Lieut. Colonel of the Forty fourth Regiment,
Colonel in the Portuguese service, Major Gen.
eral and Aid de Camp to the King Of Portu.
gal and second in command ia the SER
vice of the United States Of America,
during the Revolution. London, 1861" The
volume is entertaining in Il high degree, and
contains q complete picture Of the man. The
main points are worthy of embodiment in a
sketch. n Born Of parents who ranked with
the gentry Of England--for his father was
JOIN. Lee, Esq, OF Dernhill, in the county of
his mothera daughter of Sir Hen.
~ bunbury, Eart--young Lee entered life
under the most favorable auspices, some
where abotu the year 1880. From his earli-
est years military tactics was his favorite
study, and the least discerning could see that
the boy was, sooner or later, to adopt the
career Of arms. At an early age we accord
lngly find him commanding company Of
Grenadiers Of the Forty-fourth Regiment, as
the battle of Ticondcrogs. where he was shot
through the body in adasperase charge. On
his death bed he remembered that charge,
and murmured, deliriously, "Stand by me,
my brave GrenadiersT' We next hear of
him, after the reduction Of Montreal, as re-
turning to England and attacking the minis.
try in pamphlet, whic espoused the Amer.
can side SO war;aly that it entailed the praise
and thanks of DIR. Franklin. Then we hear
OF him in Portugal, under General Burgoyne,
with the rank of Coloncl-defeating the
enemy at Villa Ve!ha, by arecklcss assault,
accompanied with great slaughter. This
service secured for him splendid military
distinction, and the public thanks of his
Portuguese Majesty. Again returning to
England, he seemed on the high road to tame
and fortune. Recommended warmly to the
attention of the ministry, and backed doubt,
less by family influence, he would have risen
rapidly, says his biographer, but for his old
weakness in savor of America. The Indian,
or Pondiack war broke out, and his scathing
pen again assaulting the ministry, he was
ruined Desparng OF Advancement in the
English service, he then looked around him
for some other field in which his militay
talents might secure reward Poland = "a
selected, and thithcr he accordingly ysenl
His military reputation had preceded him
he soon secured the high respect ani war;
friendship Of Stanislas who ntruste
him with responsible employments and i'm
portant undertakings Fighting Diploma
tizicg, hurrying from place to Pile ce-now e
ward Turkey, then into Russia thus passe
some years Then driven b. y his rockies
spirit, We find him securing Eurone. Th
years III, - and '7,S wv re- spent in th
manner, and his ad',entur. % were manifol,
In Italy he fought more the n one duel. Frol
every capital Which he paused in, issue
bitter attacks ON the Ell .giish ministry; 4
Litter and terrible that they raised the SUI
pioion OF the Identity Of Lee with Junius :
In lt!3 ne returned to England, and in Il
month OF ugust Of the same year embarl
ed Tor Ne " York, which he reached on tt
~ OF y ovcmber. He had long fcrsecn Il
breaI ing out of the American Revolution
AS tar lack AS May, l767, he had written
friend from Warsaw IL have an ur
speakable curiosity of seeing this campaig
/ rish, Ly practice, to make myseJa sOtdse
for purposes honest, but achich shall 10
mention" There is little reason to dou
that he had conceived the bold and chara,
; teristic idea of Offering his military exper
edce to the North American rebels wi
|, whose temper he was perfectly familiar
Indeed, there are but two hypothesis to e.
, : plain Lees career up to the time when
embarked for America. He was either q
brayest and most disinterested friend Of Ii
! erty or he promised himself rich rewa
h for his adhesion to the American cause, L
: leadership of three millions of men agar
Q the empire which he had grown to hate b
: terly, was a glittering bait for simple G
. onel and soldier Of fortune. An ex&mihasl
of all the circumstances leads the prese
writer to believe that Lees daring poiiti,
I! philosophy, moulded upon that of the Fren
= school, united to his restless ambition, eal
. pointed out this dazzling future. His rect
- ton did not disappoint him. The Anerlc
. leaders clearly ioresaw the impending CO
l. 1iict and hailed the pre,ence Of man VIII
military genius had been widely brui'
ID throughout Europe and America. A n
IN ough trained soldier was an invaluable |
Il cession to cause which needed above
III the aid of men skilled in martial tactics, q
re Lee immediately found himself in ,app
OF with the first men OF the continent. Hev
nd ted Philadelphia, Maryland, Virginia,
in Mount Vernon, pushing onward with
nd conversation. and his ever active pen,
n. minds # all toward the contest At Mo
Vernon he met with Horatio Gates, anot
r military adyenturer Of high rank and repr
ton Suaye, polite, cautious, dipiom'
=. and plausible in his manners, Gates pres
- ed a strong contrast to the bitter and Gym
!. IL partisan who, with his dogs trooping q
At him, to the great disgust Of Mrs. Washing
b., strobe through the apartments OF hls
III breaking jests and saroasms upon all wa
uct came in his way. The two men and t
ess future military superior consulted long
'e- profoundly upon the aspect OF affairs.
and Gates had been old comrades, and
son were doubtless impelled by the same amb
SEQ that Of leading the revolt OF the Colo
~ against the Crown. The thoughts and
tiyes Of the third of the trio-the great
triot who had no ambition to CRAFTY, no
% to accomplish, who looked to the good Q
mr. land alone, and never for . moment Y