The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-24
COL. WILLIAM FIrzHucH.cAvALInR
His Way of Counting the object OF
His LOve-A Novel Duel.

aristocrat of aristoerats, eyes that look
you bravely in the face with a glitter Of
mischief in their blue-gray depths; pow
dered hair brushed smoothly back from
the broad forehead, with its deicately-
arched and penciled eyebrows. A mouth
firmly closed, but looking ready for a
smile, or laugh, or song, or perhaps q
good round oath Long, tapering fingers
that clasp the jeweled handle of a sword,
and head thrown proudly back as if he
faced and detied some enemy.
So the Flemish artist, Hesselins, paint
ed him in the scarlet uniform of a Brit
ish officer, and so he stands to-day look
ing out from the background of faded
vanvas into the faces of his descendants
Col. William Fitzhugh of Calvert coun-
ty, Maryland, or, in the familiar parlance
of his contemporaries, Fighting Billy"
who lived and fought in those glorious
times that tried mems souls"
Searching the musty pages of Old fam
lily records we find dimly outlined by an
ecdote and "reminiscences a character that
matches the face and form of the por-
trait, and brings before us the courtly
gentleman, the fearless soldier of Old co.
| lonial days.
Col Fitzhugh was born in Virginia
The name of one of Nirgnias late gov
ernors Fitzhugh Lee, suggests relation
ship between these two distinguished FAM
lies-a relationship brought about by Col.
Fitzhughs first marriage to Mrs. Martha
| TurberVille (nee Leo, a sister of Gen.
Robert e. Lees grandfather, and daugh-
ter of the Hon. Richard Henry Lee of
Westmoreland. OF her the record says
that she bore four sons.
Unlike the elder Weller, Col. Fitzhugh
had no fear of 'Vdders," for his second
wife was also widow, Nine. Ronsby of
Ronsby hall. The story of his second
| courtship is very characteristic of the bold
colonel, and would form capital plot for
an old-time story. Having heard much of
the wit and beauty of Nine. Ronsby, ne
resolved TO go accounting without any of
the usual preliminaries. Accordingly, he
presented himself one day at the young
widows door with the startling announce
ment that he had come to WOO and win
her. Another sutton was already on the
ground, and Col Fitzhugh peremptorily
demanded OF his hostess that her time
should be impartialy divided between the
two gentlemen. After visit of a few
days the gallant lover executed a grand
coup detat On the morning of his de-
parture his hostess accompanied him to
the river bank. where his whaling boat,
manned by slaves, was waiting to carry
/ him across. After making his adieuX in
courtly fashion, the colonel caught Mrs.
Ronsby's little daughter up in his arms,
slipped on the boat, and babe the boatmen
| half amused, Nine ROnsby called TO him
to bring her child back. mot till you
promise to marry me- was the reply.
The mother implored, the child wept but
! the boatmen made good speed, and the
colonel was obdurate. Thus, with the
sutton in midstream, his lady love on shore
| and the weeping child as a sort of medl-
/ ator between them, a promise of mar
rage was made, and the sequel to this
! singular courtship was a long and happy
! welded life
Col. Fitzhugh won considerable distinc-
: ton in his military career and did good
| service in the West India expedition. Early
| in life he had entered the British army,
and served with Admiral Vernon in his
attack on Carthagena. In that expedition
| he was the friend and companion of Law
renee Washington, elder brother of
| George Washington. When hostilities
began between the colonies and the moth
| er country he was receiving a coloners
half-pay and living on his wifes estate
at Ronsoy hall, near the mouth of the
! PatuXent river. England offered him a
| continuance of his half-pay if he would
remain neutral, but he rejected the of
| fer with Indignation and openly declared
| his allegiance to the land of his BIRTH
AT this time old age and blindness pre-
vented him from bearing arms, but ne
/ sent his two sons into the army, COM
! manding them to be true to the interests
| of their country. Though debarred from
military service he could not remain pas
sive, and his voice was heard a every
! public meeting, as he wenl from place 20
| place throughout the country devoting all
his energies to the task of rousing the
| people to fight for Their liberties.
| He was a member of the Maryland leg
| islature, and when that body wavered be-
tween submission and resistance it was
| his influence that made a majority on the
eli do Of fpaa md foyhf
American independence rendered the ven
cradle patriot very obnoxious to the Brit
! ish. AT one time, having disregarded a
warning sent by some unknown hand,
| Mrs. Fitzhugh was surprised during his
absence by the approach of party of
British soldiers. Being Ike her husband
| OF heroic mold, she instantly decided on
her course in this emergency. Collecting
the slaves, she furnished them with such
arms as she could find; then filling her
apron with cartridges she placed herself
at the head Of her little band and marched
out to meet the enemy resolved TO give
them at least one good round of shots by
way Of welcome. Finding resistance where
they had expected none, the soldiers re-
tired without doing any damage
At another time they received informal
| ton of the encmy's design 10 attack the
| house by night. take Col. FItzhugh pris-
oner. lay waste the premises and carry off
4
onel's friends dissuaded him from making
any resistance. arguing that if the enemy
met with no opposition they would per-
haps he content with piundering the
/ house. They counseled him to leave the
! place, and this he reluctantly did. The
next morning nothing remained OF the
mansion but heap Of smoking ruins.
The family then removed 20 Upper MARI
| boro, fifty miles farther up the river.
Even here he was not safe In the fan
! before peace was declared. he was again
attacked by the British. IL was midnight
when he and his wife we've reused from
sleep by a loud knocking a the door
Col. Fitzhugh raised a window aud SIX
| ed. "who is thcre?'
Friends was the reply.
Friends to whom" he again asked.
Friends 10 King George. was houtcd
| back open TO ms at once"
Knowing that resistance and remon-
STRANGE were alike useless. the colonel
told them that NE being blind. mis- wife
would Immediately descend and
admit them. Parting the cur
tains, Mrs. Fitzhugh looked
out and discovered the courtyard 10 be
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