Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-09-24

keeps very well, from the fact that they are
picked before they ara as ripe as the Abe
August 20, ever fourteen l0iles Of sandy
road, to visit s rat'ord, on the Potomac riv-
er, four miles from Wes,moreland court.
house. Ii was midday when we beheld the
towering grove Of sugar maple tire s, which
6etokened our proximity to the object o.
our search. la q few moments more we halt
ed before the door of the venerable mansion,
and were courteousy conducted up the
mssslve stone steps TO the. platform Of the
same heavy material from which a wide
door admitted US into the airy aud spacious
ball. Hcrp tbs carved weinscot aud other
devices upol the wall added, a yet more
vivid impression TO the sepse Of the antiq.
uity Of the place, which we bad received
IRON hurried notice Of the m lssive walls
around the garden, the enormous brick sta.
Bile, and other buildings as We approached
the house. The formation of the main
building is peculiar, there being, as 1t we're
tFp houses sixty feet ia length aud forty In
w'd h. parallel to each other aud 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 OPP n upon passages which
divide the side buildings and terminate
upon their sides in out doors, with baico
MES in front aud staircases to the ground,
where are nineteen rooms iu the house
which for the most part are very large.
Two groups Of fonr cbimneys each esscnd
from the center of the maia buildings.
r ,ilings connect these chirneys on the top
of the hou 'es, thus forming two separate
observatories for fair weather. The srbors
aud parterrers of Il ,sers which beautfed
the yard IN other days are not 10 be seen
now though ornaments of another species
remain in the stately and wide-spfeading
English hickory trees, which most iDvit-
ing shade. The exact date Of the building
of Stratford Is not known to tie writer. IL
was early, hover, in the lifetime Of Thomas
Lee, President of the g uncl, wi died
about the middle of the las. century, at the
moment whom no had been commissioned as
Governor of the colony. The office OF
r cbard Henry LIE, the distinguished son
Of the protector Of Strstford, is still to be
seen in the yard here. Herr, doubtless,
wore nodded many Of thnso eloquent
thoughts which secured for him the TILE of
the Cicero of Am rica," aud which called
forth from Lord Chatham the memorable
encom ums upon the papers of which Lse
snd were the authors: III have read Thuci-
dides and admired the master statesmen Of
the earth, and must say that none have sur
pass d the men assembled at Philadelphia
in odd y Of reasoning, force Of sagacity,
and wisdou Of conclusion, under such com
plcation of circumstances" S.ratford was
also the birthplace of Francis L'ghtfost Lee
who, with his brother Richard Henry, was
a signer of the Declaration of 1ndepend.
ence. Arthur, the youngest Of the iilustri
ouS f.mily was born here also, In the year
l740. He has been styled "the scholar,
the writer, the philnso pher, and negotiator."
His career as student AT Egon, where he re.
ceived poma, aud at Z liubu gh, where
be gained o medal asa successful lawyer
.f,ei W ards 10 London as the agent OF Mas
sachnsetts as Commissioner at the courts
of E gland, France, Spain and Russia as
intim ate associate of Sir Willism Jones, and
core spondept with Burke, Wyndham, Col.
Barre, the Earl Of Llnsdowne, the Duke de
Rochefoucauld, the Biran de Brevetil, and
other Distinguished literary characters, both
10 England and on the Continent, not to
mention his varied and important pablo r.
vices at home, invests his history with an in
terest scarcely second to that of his older
bro hers. Jnnius wrote of him as "man
| of abilities" on paper from his pen was
for long time attr blted to that Of the
eloquent Chatham. Passing over less im'
| portant characters associated with the histo-
| ry Of SlratfOrd, We next notice the family
who have added lu,tre to the military an-
| nails of the country as their cousins had
done to the departments of literature and
statesmr nShip. Stafford was the home OF
| Henry L-e, whose achievements during the
war of 1875 gavs such celebrity to Lees
/ L"ginn." General Greene wrote to him :
81 believe that f W officers ethics 10 Europe
nr America, are bel 10 So h'gN point OF
| c,tim lriou az yOn are " aud Washington
| in. LAT 4. in ayn SSH \
OF Cove aud thanks" u was while a
member Of Congress- 10 1863, that he intro
duced a series of resolutions upon the &C.
castor of WaNhington's death, in which &C.
ours the fsmous eulogium First in war,
first in peace, and first in the hearts OF his
cOuptrymen." His public services, apart
from his brilliant military career aud the
varied fortunes of his later years, form a
subject Of great interest, and We hail with
| delight the announcement that his Me-
moirs of tie War of the Southern De.
partment Of the United Safes" is soon tC
he rrpublished revised, and enlarged, with
a biographical sketch by his distinguished
son, the president of Washington College
La TO DO mentioned iD the st of great
names associated with Stratford 10 that o.
the commander of the S ,uthern army in
the late struggle. Here be was born aud
lived until his hflh year. Yonr readers are
familiar with his subsequent his Org. We
were gratiaed to 6od, contrary TO our ex'
pectatious, that the building here arc IN
an excellent state of preservation. The pill
grim children of coming generations may
sit beneath the shadow Of these venerable
walls and gather lessons Of duty and imbbt
a spirit Ot generous emulation from the
memories with which they are so touching
ly eloquent. The hours glided rapidly
while we Ing red among the objects of 10
terest at Stratfjri, aud the rays of the de
seen ling sun were already shut out from
and tie twilight dsws falling upon our path
way, when the chimneys and tall trees o
the ol mansion faded from sight on GU
homeward journey.