The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1867-12-20
LEXINGTON ,coRREspUNDENcE.
LEXINGTON, VIZ Dec. l6, 1867.

lIEAlNulONS v Ar1 DCCs ~, lOOfs
EDITOR OF NATIVE VRGINIAN ~ have
thought that perhaps an occasional line
from our little "Village of the hills"
would not be uninteresting to your
many readers in Eastern Virginia; for,
as they all know, the town has been
rendered more than historic of late
years, as being the one which contains
the ashes of him whose NINE is alike
revered in Eastern and Western Vir-
ginia, and by all who love liberty eve
rywhere the very Mecca of all pious
pilgrims who followed Jackson in I" the
land where we were dreaming" and
loved the cause which many think was
buried in his grave. A very modest
grave it is, enclosed by a plain iron
railing, and designated by an unpre-
tending tombstone; the epitaph on
used to tell of his glorious victories
with no vain show OF words. His name
engraved on the marble, with the date
of his birth and death, constitute his
epitaph, (assimilated in this to that of
your own Madison;) but we will travel
far before we find another so eloquent of
grand deeds. so sublime in its very sim
plcity. In the same cemetery, and not
far removed from Jackson's, is another
grave, which certainly no citizen of
Orange would pass without a feeling
alike of sorrow and of pride--the grave
of one of the noblest officers of the
famous 18th Virginia infantry, and a
member of the Montpelier Guard. y
They have found their last camping
ground upon earth; but we will hope,
when the bugle's notes shall ring out o
reveille on the morning of the Resur-
reetion, that they will be in line, to re-
ceive that reward tor thei! tathtulness
which ansuntoward fate denied them
here.
Washington College and the Military
Institute attract quite number OF
young gentlemen here from all parts of
the South, and even from "Puritanic
Boston," there comes a single disciple
to sit at the feet of our learned CANA
liels. The College is in a flourishing
condition as to the number of its stu
dents, but it is noticeable that they are
not SO well advanced in years as we
would hope they are in attainments, or
as we al used to see in young gentle
men tCollege-some of them certainly
having.donned the " toga virilis at an
earlier age than that at which the Ro-
mans thought prudent to invest their
youth with that robe of dignity.
Our masters at Washington have pos
itively declined to allow the cadets to
have arms. Whilst this fact is to be re-
GREETED in the main, yet, from the APP
pearanee of some of them, one would
think that they would find great diff
Guilty IN shouldering" them, even If
they were only musquetoons, as they
were before the war. Doubtless, tho,
like King Pepin of old, if they are pig
MES in stature they possess the souls of
giants. -...
The Barracks, under the energetic
supervision of Gen. Smith, are being
rapidly repaired, and in short time
there will be nothing on the ground to
remind us of the vandalism of Hunter
in burning them.
Gossip about General Lee would of
course be entertaining to all your read
ers, but he doesn't give the news-catch-
ers many opportunities to collect this
gossip. 1 suppose his duties as Presi-
dent of the College engage great por-
ton of his time. We see hlm occa-
sionally up town, but if | were asked
to tell "a stranger how he would most
probably see him without paying a
special call, / should certainly advise
ilillt W WALL tuibll anu bhCh ~
to the Episcopal Church. If he is in
town he is always there on any occasion
of worship. ~ 33s
Other celebrities we have here, in the
way of generals, naval officers, ex-
governor, ex-judges ofU. S. Courts,and
savans, SO that our good cIIizens would
fain call Lexington the "a thens of Vir-
ginia;" but | suppose your "Orpheans"
Correspondent will contest this point in
favor of Gordonsville.
Judge Brockenbrough's we'll known
and popular I" Law School" is still
open for those who wish to revel in the
''gladsome light of Jurisprudence" and
really it is gladstone, as dispensedby
the learned and courteous judge.
Altogether, Lexington is fine place,
and is especially appreciated by young
ladies in want of beaux.
STOwELL.