Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-11-15
VIRGINIA FREE PRESS.
(. I. & \. Y. D. GALLAHBh. editors.
Jharlestown, Jefferson Co., w. Va.
OFFICE JEFFERSON BUILDING
Saturday, November l5, 1879.
"The Three Sisters OF the South" "

One Of ,otona ras Jirs. Dorsegs Mother.
The third coald Rerer mHry until sac had
refused 100 ogerS-which she did. Her
l0lst
T Mss Gru1dy ia The Philadelphia Times. ]
Since there has been 50 mnsh discussion IL
print about the will Of the late Mfs. DJrsey,
Of Mississippi, making 50 large Del oest 10
Jefferson Ds,is, tbink your fcadefs may be
interested 10 hear moro Of the donors family
and their eccehtiiclies ! have known aud
nov know several menboss of thiS very tai
en,ed family. whose talent 10 tco 90 tb,co Ia
stances have been inisdifected by M erratie
tendency. which was skIlllulJ portrayed by
oos Of the family, Mrs Wsffcli, in tho well
knops novel The Household of BoGvefio.
was assured by etc Of The family not loes
ATE, tho novel appeared that, strange as is
characters seem, tao story was really founded
on a family history, and that Mrs. Wafisld's
father. tho grandiathcr Of The recently deceased
Mrs. Dotsey. was the ecertric old man Of tho
story. I, is easy 10 SEQ how thinly Beau
voir." the name OF the family fesdence. Is
disguised In " Bouvef!e.' There wore ttrse
Misses Percy, who were, maby years ago,
arca,Iy admired bellies in Mississippi. and who
also had literary tastes. They published their
poetry Jointly as the production of the Three
Sisters of the South" as rcarly as | can re-
member the wording Of the title as repeated
10 me. for never saw one Of the volumes
one sister became first Mrs Ellis lthe mother
Of Mrs. Dorsey and Of Mr. Percy Ellis, Of
Brooklyn. aud Mrs lnez Peckham, Of Louisi-
ana aud subseq qacntly married Gen. Charles
Dahlgren, who was the brother Of the late
Rear Admiral DAhlgren She also had other
children than those named. Another sister
became Mrs Wariie!d, 10 whose novel have
alluded. She died two or three years ogO at
her country place near Louisville, Kentucky
The third sister, though whether the young
est or not cannot say, was so fully persuaded
Of her powers Of conquest as 10 declare sue
would never marry until she had refused one
hundred Offers, and have been assured she
kept her word. She declined that number,
but must have had at least a sentiment IN Ia
vor Of No 100. for hare been Informed that
she always kept lis portrait hanging over her
led even after marriage to NJ. lOl, which must
have been comfort to the latter. / think
No. 100 died young, aud before Miss Percy had
her romantic meeting with her late. That
rencontre occurred after the fashion so favored
in novels. Tho fair piercer Of one hundred
hearts rode forth on her spirited s'eed alone
one day from her fathers plantation. near
Jackson. Miss. Her eorse became unmanaec-
able when she was urging him 10 cross .ba-
YOU and forthwith beFo 10 the shape Of
= solitary horseman appeared % rescue the
maiden. and rode beside her after the horse be-
clne disobe1ient to bis mistress the stran-
GER gave good account Of himself, and being
a handsome man made such good use Of his
time that the courtship began before they
reached her fathers house, He was invited %
be- guest th5re, and honorably confessed that
he was too poor to venture 10 ask Miss Percy to
wed him. But she said she bad enough for
both. and her father gave them bis blessing
and plantation near Greenyi.le, Mississippi.
where they resided after Miss Percy welded
Major Lee for that was the name Of the one
hundred and first who sought her hand. ]
used % know two OF the children Of this mar
rage. One, Kate, married. about the time
the war broke out, South Carolinian, who
became colonel Of a cavalry regiment of the
Confsderacy His wife, as spirited an oqnos-
trienne O. hcr mother, used b ride beside her
husband when bis regiment was marching
Her mother Mrs Lee, died long before The war.
attended, rs a schoolgirl in Louisville, the
second wedding Of Major Ice, who was then
married 10 Hiss Emma knight, well-kno|D
belle Of that city. Both are now dead, but
left children.