Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-04
4. GAZETTE l. VIRGINIA ADVERTISER.
REVOLUTIONARY "REMINISCENCES
From the Charlcstown Spirit of JEFF.

writing from near lIectOWn, ID sCnlS county,
sends that paper an interesting letter about
Revolutionary men and "reminiscences, from
which the following is extracted:
In the Immediate vicinity of the spot from
which address you these lines. are the dilap
idated and antique residences Of three dstln
guiShed Major Generals of the American Rev
oIulion. Wlthin radius OF one mile and a half
lived, long aud weary years, Charles Lee, Ho-
ralo Gates, the loser of the battle Of Camden
aud the Southern campaign; aud Adam Steph
en-, the early friend of Washington. In this
village--under the shadows of the great woods
here-rcmote from camps AMI the flashing
world, these three warriors rused out the re-
maiuder OF their lives In lnglorous reposc, their
swords in moth-eaten scabbards, no more to be
drawn. Here, if mistake not, two of them
died and soon even these lingering memorials
OF them will crumble and disappear, as
L their figures are fading from the general mind
-. Lees house Is hundred PAGES from the lit
tie assembiage of houses called by his uame,
and is an oblong building cf stone, with chin
neys at each end and mldway-low, with rude
porch. depending, as it were, above the rough
door, and with few out houses. Gates lived
somewhat further from the town, in plain,
undccorated building; and Stephen occupied Il
mansion probably built by the earliest pioneers
of the valley, in which everything is small and
confined but the fire place. But that is neither
sua nor couhued 1t is graud-enormous.
Around it how many good companions must
have gathered in the oiden day, and what
sounds Of revelry shook The ratters overhead!
You may read of Adam Stephen in Sparks
edition Of the Writings OF Washington; and
there you will fud that among the hardy gen
temen who stood shoulder to shoulder with
the young chief at Winchester, when the In
dams ravaged the valley 4 hundred years ago,
was Lieutenant Stephen. A large landed pro-
pretor hereaboutS. he doubtless resented the
ueSpass of the Indians upon his grounds,
stretching towards the foot Of the great North
NIouutaluS-at least, we know that he did
good service He was afterwards an etfec-
tive officer Of the Revolutionary struggle,
but lett the army about the period of the bat
tie OF Princeton, dlsgusted at something or
other and so came home, and lived and died.
Of Gates and Lee, more is known; the story
Of the wotul quarrel Of the latter with Washing
ton at Moumoutn, you may read IN full IN the
third volume Of Irving great work. 1t Is pro-
bable hat history will finally show that Lee was
no! so much 10 the wrong as the world supposes.
That he made blunder in ordering his forces
to retreat-and that this retreat very nearly
turned all the plans Of Washington, and lost us
the battle-this is certain. But it was proba-
bly, an error of jadgment-not want OF cour-
age In Leutz's great picture, he sits his
horse su|lenly before the Chiet, whose hot an
ger flames out-all that he did and said after
wards was sullep too, unfortunately. High
wurdS-ludignant correspondence IVY ashlngton
cold and haughty-Lee raging; then court
martial-suspension for year-and Lee, 10 ut
ter disgust, threw up his commission, and came
bither ito hoe tobacco-that being the best
school for General he said with a sneer at
Washington. Aud here 10 this. poor and OBJ
scurc dwelling, as | have said, rustcd out the
sharp spirit OF Lee, and fell into dust and obli-
Won With few neighbors-no friends; sur.
rounded by hounds and horses, and making
the chase his only occupation, nearly; thus lived
the General aud died. Onc day, long after
wards, says a tradition of the neighborhood,
Washington sent his old adversary note say
ing that he would ca on certain morning
and see him---that he hoped all past con-
tcntion and bitterness had been torgotten--he
was coming to see him as an old cOmrade IN
arms as u friend
Ga the day fixed for the visit, Lee sent away
all bis servants-p placed upon the locked: front
door paper with mo meat cooked here to-
day, written thcreoD-and then followed his
servants, leaving Washington to knock in vain,
He never returned, and with the passing years
the eccentric soldier grew more morose and re
pvIling The ground floor of his house was dl-
vided by chalk lines merely, forniug thus four
compartments. In the first he kept his books
in the second was his bcd-his saddles and
hunting gear iu the third ; the fourth was used
for kitchen. He could thus sit IN one spot
he said with grim humcr, and overlook hls en-
tire household. Tired of his dogs and bis silent
miSanrhropy at last he commenced his "Qucr-
rics, Political and Military''-an attack on
Washington. But the world declined listening
to him, and then tired Of life, the cynical spirit
OF Charles Lee fed to other realms Ills last
words we're Stand by me, my brave grcna-
ders - aud so he ended
\ word now of the third Of my triad OF war
rlOrs. Horatio Gates came to the old house
yondcr after Camden 1t was the Gates who
had taken Burgoyne,. and whose popularity at
one time overshadowed Washington But now
alas ! how fallen The breath Of an indignant
public opinion had blasted him and; his
laurrls were all scared and withercd. He had
lost the battle OF Camden-and been deposed
from the command of the army of the South,
to make way for Grecne-over his head
lowered heavy cloud of public ezecration
almost; and Congress, it was said, had prepared
never fell. The sad soldiers sorrow was re-
Spected. They left him to die 10 peace here,
cnough punishment that the magnificent drama
OF the Revolution was played out, independent
OF who had enacted so splendid part in the
earlier acts y
These three old wooden houses are the Wis
lbIe remains of three vigorous liyes-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 noble, Eng
nS'-ICoking CHASE" which n.urmur yonder
brncath the wiudow-through whose leugthen-
ea vista appears the lone mansion of General
Adam Stephen. Here, within a gun shot
a'moSt of each other, these men of history re-
possd-though not happily, We must conclude
0Nalter all their struggles. The. current Of the
1pequon, resonant in old days with savage
shouts and dyed with blood, murmured by them
anu perhaps spoke to their minds of other days