Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-19
A COLONIAL MANSION.
Visit 20 the Home of the Lees In VIr-
ginia-Interesfing "Reminiscences of
Of Its Masters I'm the OIden Times.

n COLON1AL MANSION.
Visit 10 the Home Of the Lees In VIr.
gInia-Interesfing "Reminiscences Of
Of Its Masters I'm the OIden Times.
Correspondence of the Petersburg Va.) Index.
HAGUE, Va, August 28.-The
extensive scale upon which the
old colonial edifces were construc-
ted, by greatly increasing the cost
of. preserving them in a state OF
repair, seems in these times OF
poverty to threaten as, general a
ruin upon the cherished homes OF
our ancestors as that which has
Overtaken their yet more cherished
political institutions. This refecS
ton increased our natural desire
to see an old mansion of historic
interest, and led US, in company
with nearly q score of ladies and
gentlemen, among whom were sew
eral from your city, to brave the
power of the sun on August 20,
over fourteen miles of sandy road,
to visit Stratford, on the Potomac
river, four miles from Westmore-
land Courthouse. 1t was midday
when we beheld the towering
grove of sugar-maple trees, which
betokened our proximity to the OBJ
ject of our search. In q few
minutes more we halted before the
door of the venerable mansion, and
were cautiously conducted up the
massive stone steps to the platform
of the same heavy material, from
which a wide door admitted US
into the airy and spacious hall.
Here the carved wainscot and other
devices upon the wall added q yet
more vivid impression to the
sense of the antiquity of the
place, which we had received
from q hurried notice OF the mas
sive walls around the garden, the
enormous brick stable, and other
buildings, as we approached the
house. The formation of the main
building is peculiar, there being, as
it were, two houses sixty feet in
length, and forty in width, parallel
to each other, and connected by
central building thirty feet square,
of which the hall, which we enter
from the front, forms the chief
apartment. Opposite doors in the
hall open upon passages which di-
vide the side buildings, and termin-
ate upon their sides in out doors,
with balconies in front and stairs
cases to the ground. There are
nineteen rooms in the house, which
for the most part are very large.
Two groups of four chimneys each
ascend from the center of the main
buildings. Ratings connect these
chimneys on the top Of the houses,
thus forming two separate observa-
tories for fair weather. The arbors
and parterres of flowers, which
beautifed the yard in other days,
are not to be seen now; though
ornaments Of another species remain
in the stately and wide-spreading
beech and English hickory trees,
which afford most inviting shade.
The exact date of the building of
Stratford is not known to the writer.
1t was early, however, in the
lifetime of Thomas Lee, President
of the Council, who died about the
middle of the last century, at the
moment when he had been commits
stoned as Governor of the colony.
The office of Richard Henry Lee,
the distinguished son of the pros
iector of Stratford, is still to be seen
in the yard here. Here, doubtless,
were moulded many of those elO-
quent thoughts which secured for
him the title of the "Cieero of
America" and which called forth
from Lord Chatham the memorable
encomium upon the papers of which
Lee and Jay were the authors: 81
have read Thucydides and admired
the master states of the earth, and
must say that mono have surpassed
the men assembled at Philadelphia,
in solidity of reasoning, force OF
sagacity, and wisdom of conclusion,
under such complication of circums
stances" Stratford was also the
birthplace of Francis Lightfoot
Lee, who, with his brother Richard
Henry, was signer of the Declare
ton of independence. Arthur, the
Youngest of the illustrious family,
was born here also in 1740. He
had been styled "the scholar, the
writer, the philosopher, and nego-
tiator." His career as student
at Elton, where he received di-
ploma, and at Edinburgh, where
he gained medal as q successful
LAWYER afterwards in London; as
the agent of Massachusetts, as COM
missioner at the courts of England,
France, Spain and Russia; as init
| mate associate of Sir William Jones
| and correspondent with Burke
Wyndham, Col. Barre, the Earl o.
| Lansdowne, the Duke de RochefOu
cauld, the Baron de Brevetil, anC
other distinguished literary charac'
ters, both in England and on tn
| Continent, not to mention hi
varied and important public ser
wees at home, invest his his
tory with an interest scarcely
second TO that of his olde
brothers. Junius wrote of him a
a "man Of abilities" and q pape
from his pen was for long tim
attributed to that of the elOquen