Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-09-25
jackson and Lee.

The Richmond correspondent of the New
York Times visited Lexington on the occasion
of the reinPuguration of the statue of Wash
ington. Whilst there he wrote, letter to
that paper, from which we take the following
extract:
. Putting the greater before the less, brings
tho dead jackson before the living Lee Tie
cemetery where the greater lies is on the
edge of the struggling town opposite the
College and Institute; it is small, very small.
not more than a. dozen acres should Judge.
and of the corift1oti type ;of country church
yards the world over In itsid4act centre Is
small lot about twenty feet squares surrouud-
ed by one Of those hidsots iron feuces that
the purer taste of the present is SO rapidly
driving from our cities of the dead. There
is OF course gate in this palisade of iron,
The gate bears plate, and on it, in simple
Roman characters, the single word 81 Jackson. -
Within this enclosure, with the great eyerlast-
ing mountains looking down upon him from
the dim distance on every side, sleeps be
whom this people style the great StonewaIl
An ascetic taste has been shown in the sur
roundihgs of this sepulchre. A plain marble
slab three feet IN height, slightly curved at
the top, and bearing nothing more than the
words General Thomas j. Jackson" and
an upright foot:stone of a foot and a half in
height, with nothing more in way of legend
than I.J. J:zE-these are all of words or
morutnents' there are about the grave of
Jackson.N But there are other visible signs
and more Significant: y. esterday morning
was the holy Sabbath, but the green turf was
covered with the rarest flowers. At.the head
OF the grave was an elaborate wreath, and
almost every inch from atepee.tto stones,b6+e
fowery tribute, u the sleeper bsneastu Nearly
all these flowers We're as fresh as. if pulled
from the stalk but an hour before; and the
villagers bear witness that they are renewed
almost every day .
Thus sleeps jackson where he lived and
was loved so long, and the kindly hearts that
each day deck his grave are mourning for
thechivarous gentleman, the kindly Christiiais,,
and loving neighbor and friend, rather than
for dead hero aud the cause for which he
died. This is their own explanation
~. ?. THE LIVING LEE, 80
misnomeT, however, for his is rather a life.
n-death-in. less degree holds the affections
of this people in the hollow of his hands. for
similar reason. No man more courteous than
he, none more highbred, noiie more generous.
none more kindly in his intercourse with his
neighbors. And Lee lives peaceful. cheer
ful, unobtrusive life among these mountains,
So far as he is himself cofcernvd. he wonld
prefer that his name should be, e,dropped.From
present talk and current news. = History
must mentionahim, he knows, but that time
has not yet Comes. Lee holds himsgae utts+jE
aloof from the disputes and passions of the
hours and here is proof: 0nlSaturdav night
be. was at Rockbridgei Baths. Stalwart, and
erect as over whitelhaired and v.bneds
his eye still bright and kindly, as of old. he
sat among the ladies of the, neiehborhe5d,
chatting as,auy dthsrihahi might ti0;i but with
him, with his pas; and present hanging about
him. it seemed Ike the dead past holding
converse with the Museslo Presently thers
was the contusioh sf the. nightly arrival rom
RichmOnds and one. gentleman, bting 5lGc-
quainted with the Gepstsl, greeted; it1ix aud
after the common places, rendered hin the.
newspapers of the day. 'sThank YOU said
Lee Ybnt 1 never read any of them. - = ?
Lee lives here comfortably aud caImly5 viii,
his family, and many of his former friends
around. His'son Custis Lee is a professor
in the Institute here. and, his fermer chief.oa
staff, General PendIeton, is the Episcopal
clergyman Of the town. Fully absorbed in
the duties of his college presidency, the, man an
who once welded the military ,5ioyysr 5v ~ az