Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-08-01
of Ex-senator
FOOte-DescriptiOn Of Mrs. Gen.
Lee i'm Youth.

"reminiscences of Ex-senator
FOOte-DescriptiO Of Mrs. Gen
Lee i'm Youth.
Mr. Foote in his "Reminiscences, pub
lished in the Washington Chronicle, give'
an account Of his presence at the deliver,
of great speech by Mr. l'errien, of Geor
gia, before the Supreme Court in 1926
and then goes on to say
| When this speech was brought to close,
I looked round upon that quiet and refined
assemblage and saw unmistakable tokens
of approval upon all faces. A goodly mum
Der of those present were then known to me.
Among the auditors I we'll remember a
bevy of fair ladies and handsome. we'll
dressed gentlemen, who occupied sofa to
the left of the bench upon which the
Judges sat will mention one or two oil
them, beginning with William H. Fitzhugh
of Ravensworth, in Virginia. This gen.
tleman possessed a noble and prepossessing
exterior. His face was marked alike with
benevolence and intellect He was reputed
to be wealthy and doubtless was so. He
was generally looked upon as decidedly the
most rising young statesman in the Old
Dominion, now that Armistead G. Mason
was in the grave He had for some years
honorably occupied seat in the Senate Of
Virginia, and stood high both as speaker
and as sound, practical legislator. He
was born and reared to manhood, as I have
learned, in noble mansion, yet standing
upon the bank of the Rapahannock, just op.
posite fredericksburg, and in sight of the
neat and comely dwelling in which the
childhood and youth of the great Washing
ton, received that training and nurture that
fitted him for the glorious part he was to
! take in his countrv's history. Mr. Fitzhugh
| was himself possessed of as much of the
ueWasshiugtoniau spirit as any man then
living He died very suddenly year or
two after the scene which have been desert
bling, leaving behind him wife, who, I re-.
joice to learn, is still living. This lady
was also prescott during the speech of Mr.
Berrien. as was also Mrs GUSTS. the wife
of George Washington Parke GUSTS, for
merly so W. IL known in Washington and
SO much beloved and vanera ell
Seated near these ladies was one whom I
am tempted more particularly to describe
ajlude to the only daughter of Mrs. Gus.
It's. the present Mrs. Lee She was then
about sixteen years of age, and was indeed
'the observed Of all observers Her per
sonal charms were such as must inevitably
have commanded admiration and sympathy
independent of the adscititous advantages
which SO richly clustered about her. No
one. | am confident, has ever beheld a
more placid and willing face than that which
was now presented to my gaze. She was
richly and plainly attired. as was her moth
CT, and there was modest and reserved
dignity about both them that significant.
" bespoke their rank and bringing up
Miss Gusts was described to me by those
who knew her best as a young lady Of sound
and vigorous intellect, 10 which judgement
and discrimination decidedly predominated
Her education had been in all respects such
as was best calculated to make herself
happy, and the source of abundant utility
and happiness to others Those who had
ever beheld her venerable ancessress the
wife Of Washington, often pointed out the
striking resemblance which they supposed
themselves to have discerned between this
noblest Of American women and the youth.
full representative of her virtues and her
blood Miss Gusts was the heiress expect.
ant Of two of the largest estates that Vir.
GINA could then boast, ard it is rather a
curious and interesting fact that her uncle,
VIM. Fl. Fitzhugh, already spoken of, was
one Of the first large owners Of slaves in
Virginia who provided for their emauc
patton by will, and provided literally for
their future education and support.
[ had not the honor Of forming Mrs
Lees personal acquaintance in 1925, and
the various accidents OF vexed and tumul.
tuous life Withheld from the enjoyment Of a
blessing which should have alwaysso highly
priced until the l,pse OF thirty seven years
had proved to both ofus how stime steals
on us and steals from US; snatchng fire
from the mind and vigor from the limit. .
When met her by accident in Richmond
one morning in the year 1862 I found her
pale and attenuated, and hobbling on
crutches She was then the mother of a
numerous and worthy offspring. and the
most dutiful and loving wife Of one Of the
most renowned military commanders Of the
age. How my heart sorrowed over the
troubles and sufferings which I was told
she had been compelled to endure as the
result Of most calamitous and wasting
war, in the bringing on of which, perhaps,
no two persons on this broad continent
had less participancy than her noble bus.
band and herself. I was able to see but
little Of this excellent lady afterward but
| rejoice to learn from the lips of many
who held familiar Intercourse with her that
though daily and hourly enduring discom-
forts and privations such as war alone can
iuAict. though suffering under the torturcs
of a malady than which not one can BE-
mentioned more painful and humiliaiing
though az 'nized with sights of desolation
and anguish which it is not 10 the power o.
human language to describe, yet that sht
ever maintained cheerful serenity of tenn
per; was never heard to utter the language
of complaint or of decrial occupied herself
night and day in deeds Of charity and love
and up even to the end of that unhapp,
conflict so demeaned herself as to show tina
in all things she was just such matron a
either Greece or Rome would have beef
proud to recognize, and as all Americ,
might well admire and love
The Trial of Capt. Jack-Hi
Speech.
The California papers are reporting th
trial of Capt Jack for the murder Of Gen
l N II