Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-12-11
Richard Henry Lee, Of Clarke
County, Virginia, 20 read the
Declaration at the
Centennial.

mittee of the United States Centennial
Commission, in arranging for the great
CONNIE lucrative celebration of the 4th
of July, next year, at Philadelphia, has
selected, the distinguished advocate
WILLIAM NJ. EvERrs, of New York, to
deliver the Oration; HENRY w. LONG
FELLOW, of Massachusetts, to prepare
the Poem and RICHARD HENRY LEE,
of Virginia, to read the Declaration.
The last named gentleman is a younger
brother of our respected fellow towns
man Edmund |. Lee, Esq, and as ne
formerly resided in this place, is
well known To many of our citizens.
But, inasmuch as there are those
amongst our readers who have not the
pleasure of his acquaintance and who
now, will naturally desire to know all
about him, we take occasion to state
the following facts Of his personal his
tory.
He was born in 1920 at Alexandria,
Virginia, is a son of the late Edmund
Jennings Lee "a distinguished lawyer
of that city, and grandson OF the
Richard Henry Lee Of Virginia, who,
ON the 9TH of June l776, moved in the
Continental Congress, the celebrated
resolution That, these United Colonies
arc, and of right ought to be, free and
independent States; that they are ab-
solved from all allegiance to the British
crown; and that ali political connection
between them and the State of Great
Britain is, and ought to be, totally dis
solved.
He is a nephew of Charles Lee, who
was Attorney General of the United
States during part of Washingtons
Administration and nephew also, OF
General Henry Lee, ('Light Horse
Harry of the Revolution) who, in Con
gress, prepared the resolutions on the
death of Washington containing the
memorable sentence so often quoted
.First in war, first in Peace and first
in the hearts of his Countrymen, and
who was selected by Congress TO deliv-
err the eulogy on that occasion, being
both an author and orator of marked
ability and CAST but by no means least)
the father of the great and good Robert
E. Lee, whose memory is 20 deservedly
dear to every true Virgiuian.
He received his academical education
at Alexandria, where he also studied law
and was admitted to the bar, in the
District of Columbia, by Judges Cranch,
Tburston and Morsell. He commenced
the practice OF his profession in this
(Jeferson) county ard, in 1860, was
elected its Commonwealth Attorney.
In politics he was always ian Old
Line Wing" and opposed to disunion;
but when the State of Virginia seeded,
he promptly joined the Southern Army
as a Lieutenant in the Second Virginia
Infantry commanded by Col. Allen,
which was Jefferson county Regiment
and one of those composing the glori.
Gus OLD "Stonewall Brigade" Having
been seriously wounded and captured
at the battle of Kernstown, ON the 23d
of March 1862, he was for some months
held as prisoner OF war on Johnsons
Island. In the engagement referred TO
he behaved with great gallantry,-the
color bearer near him having been shot
down lie caught up the flag and carried
it forward through the thickest OF the
fight until he himself fell wounded,
when it was seized by Col. Allen who
successfully bore it through the charge.
In 1861 he was elected to the Vir-
ginia Convention in the place OF Col.
Alfred Nj. Barbour, who had resigned
his seat in that body to accept posi-
ton on the staff of Gen. Joseph Z.
johnson. Towards the latter part Of
1862 he received staff appointment,
with the rank of Colonel, in the Second
Corps OF the Army of Northern Virgin
il and he remained in the service, with
that Corps until its surrender at Apo
mattox 4. H.
At the close of the war he returned
to Jefferson county, which, in the mean
time had been annexed to the newly
made State of West Virginia; but he
was not allowed to practice bis profess
sion here because of the Radical test
oath, which excluded from the bar
every lawyer in the State, who had
espoused the Southern cause-save only
one conspicuous exception !-conse-
quently, he removed to his present resi-
dence, near Wildwood, Clarke county,
Virginia, where he is now engaged in
the successful prosecution of his profes
SION. His wife is daughter of Will
liam Byrd Page of page Brook, Fred
erick county, Virginia, and has Ave