Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-09-30
REVOLUTIONARY MEN-RHMI-
NISCENGES.

writing from near Leetown, in this county.
seeds that paper an interesting letter about
Revolutionary men and "reminiscences. from
which the following isfextracted:
In The immediate vicinity of the spot from
which i address yoa these lines, are the dilap-
idated and antique residences of three distin-
guished Majors Generals of the American
Revolution. Within radius of ont; mile and
half lived, long and weary years, Charles
Lee, the sinister hero of Monmouth; Horatio
Gates, the loseS Of the battle of Camden and
the Southern campaign sand Adam Stephen,
the early friend of Washington. In this vii.
lage-under the shadows Of the great woods
here-remo'e from camps and the flashing
world, these three warriors rusted out the re-
mainder of their lives in inglorious repose,
their swordsin moth>eaten scabbards, mo more
to be drawn. Here, if / mistake not, two of
them died, and soon even these lingering mo
MORALS of them will crumble and disappear. as
their figures are fading from the general mind.
Lees house is hundred PAGES from the lit
tie sssenblsge of houses called by his name,
and is an oblong building of stone. with
cbimneys at each end and midway-low, with
rude porch, depending. as it were, above the
rough door. and with few out houses. Gates
lived somewhat further from the town, 10 a
plain. undecorated building; and Stephen oc-
cupied q mansion probably built by the earli-
est pioneers of the valley, in which eyery-
thing is small and confined but the fire. place.
But that is neither small nor confined. tbs
grand enormous. Around it how MANY good
companions must have gathered in the olden
dav, and what sounds of revelry shook the
rafters overhead You may read of Adam
Stephen in Sparks edition of the Writings of
Washington; and there you will find that
tba
der to shoulder with the young chiefat VIM
chester. when the Indians ravased the valley
hundred years ago, was Lieutenant Stephen.
A large landed proprietor hereabouts he doubt
less resenten the trespass of the Indians upon
his grounds. stretching towards the foot of the
great North Mountains-at least, we know
that he did good service. He was afterwards
an effective officer of the Revolutionary strug
gle. but left the army about the period Of the
battle Of Princeton, disguised at something or
other-and so came home and lived and died
Of Gates and Lee. more is known; the
story of the woful quarrel of the latter with
Washington at Monmouth. Won may read in
full in the recently published third volume of
Irvins's great work. It is probable that his
tory will finally show that Lee was not so
much in the wrong as the world suppcses.-
That he made biunder in ordering his for
nearly turned all the plans of Washington,
and lost US the battle-this is certain. But it
was probably an error of judgemnt-not
want of courage. In Leutz's great picture,
he sits his horse sullenly before the Chief,
whose hot anger flames out-all that he did
and said afterwards was sullen too, unfortu-
nately. HIGH words-indignant correspon>
dence-Washinetou cold and haugh,y-Lee
raging then court MARTIAL suspension for
year-snd Lee, in utter disgust, threw up
his commission, and came hither ..to hoe to.
hacco-that being the best school for Cen
eral" he said. with sneer at Washington
And here in this poor and obscure dwelling,
as [ have said. rusted out the sharp spirit of
Lee, and fell into dust and oblivion. With
few neighbors-no friends surrounded by
hounds and horses, and making the chase his
only occupation, nearly thus lived the Gep>
eral, and died. One day, long afterwards,
says tradition of the neighborhood, Wash,
ington sent his old adversary u note, saying
that he would call on certain morning and
see him-that he hoped all past contention
aud bitterness had been forgotten he was
coming to see him as an old comrade in arms
as friend.
On the day fixed for the visit, Lee sent
away all his servants-placed upon the locked
front door paper with "No meat cooked here
to- day written thereon and then followed
his servants, leaving Washington to knock in
vain. He never returned, and with the pas
sing year the eccentric soldier grew more
morose and repeling. The ground floor Of
his house was divided by chalk lines merely.
forming thus four compartments. In the first
he kept his books-in the second was his bed
his saddles and hunting gear in the third:
the fourth was used for a kitchen. He could
thus sit in one spot, he said with grim hu>
NOR, and overlook his entire house hold
Tired of his dogs and his silent misanthropv
at last he commenced HIS "Querries, Political
and Miltary"-an attack on Washington
But the world declined listening to him, and
then tired Of life, the cynical spirit of Charles
Lee fled to other realms. His last words were
-"stand by me, my brave grenadiers !" and
SO he ended.
A word now of the third of my triad of
warriors. Horatio Cater came to the old
house yonder after Camden. 1t was the Gates
who had taken hurgoype, aud whose popu>
larity at one time overshadowed Washipgton's.
But now. alas how fallen The breath of
an indignant public opinion had blas ted him:
and his iaurels were all scared and withered
He had lost the battle of Camden-apd been
deposed from the command Of the army of the
South, to make way for Greene over his head
lowered heavy cloud of public execration
almost; and Congress, it was said, had pre-
pared its thunderbolt to strike him. Buttbe
bolt never fell. The sad soldiers sorrow was
respected. They left him to die in peace
here-enough punishment that the magni6-
cent drama of the Revolution was paved out.
independent Of who had enacted SO splendid
part in the earlier acts.
These three old wooden houses are the WIS.,
IDLE remains Of three vigorous lives-in them
to the musing eye the spirits OF Gates, and
Lee, and Stephen hover around them still,
speaking IN every whisper OF the pine trees
aud the oaks-those ancient oaks of the no>
BILE Enuliah fnoE inr. ttah