The Newtown bee., 1897-08-20

Md, 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 fly records we find dimly outlined by an ecdotes and "reminiscences a character that matches the face and form of the portrait, and brings before us the courtly gentleman, the fearless soldier of old colonial days.
 Col Fitzhugh was born in Virginia. The name of one of Virginia's late gov ernors, Fitzhugh Lee, suggests relation ship between these two distinguished families-a relationship brought about by Col Fitzhugh's first marriage to Mrs Martha Turberville (nee Lee), sister of Gen Robert E. Lees grandfather, and daughter 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 ''vidders," for his second wife was also widow, Mime Ronsby of Ronsby hall. The story of his second courtship is very characteristic Of the bold colonel, and would form a capital plot for an old-time story. Having heard much of the wit and beauty of Mime Ronsby, he resolved to go a-courting without any of the usual preliminaries' Accordingly he presented himself one day at the young widows door with the startling announcement that he had come to woo and win her. Another suitor was already on the ground, and Col Fitzhugh peremptorily demanded of his hostess that her time should be impartially divid- ed between the two gentlemen. After visit of few days the gallant lover exe- cuted grand coup detat. On the morn ing of his departure his hostess accom- panied him to the river bank, where his whaling boat, manned by slaves, was waiting to carry him across. After mak- ing his adieux in courtly fashion, the colonel caught Mrs Ronsby's little daughter up in his arms, slipped on the boat, and bade the boatmen push of from the shore. Half frightened, half amused Mme Ronsby called to him to bring back her child. "Not till you promise to mar ry me-" was the reply. The mother i'm
 plored, the child wept, but the boatmer made good speed, and the colonel wal l. obdurate. Thus, with the suitor in mid
 stream, his lady love on shore and thu
 weeping child as sort of mediator be n tween them, promise of marriage wa q made, and the sequel to this singula
 courtship was a long and happy wedde
 life.
 t Col Fitzhugh won considerable distln1 a tion in his military career and did goo
 service in the West India expedition
 Early in life he had entered the Britiss
 army, and served with Admiral Verno
 in his attack on Carthagena. In tha
 expedition he was the friend and con
 panion of Lawrence Washington, eide F brother of George Washington. Whe L. hostIlities began between the colonie
 and the mother country, he was recel'
 ing colonels half-pay, and living o J his wife's estate at Ronsby Hall, nea
 the mouth of the Patuxent river. Eng land offered him continuance of hi Y half-pay if he would remain neutral, br
 he rejected the offer with indignation an openly declared his allegiance to the Ian
 of his birth.
 At this time old age and blindness prt vented him from bearing arms, but D
 sent his two sons into the army, con
 manding them to be true to the interest of their country. Though debarred froi : military service he could not renal .s passive, and his voice was heard at ever
 public meeting, as be went from plae t- to place throughout the country devo ' ing all his energies to the task of rousin :, the people to fight for their liberties.
 He was member of the Marylan 7, Legislature, and when that body wave