Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-03-30
arts RECONNAISSANCE will never be fog
rotten by military men. !

and the disadvantages Of poor equip
irnnent and scanty food "Little Fitz'aud
"Beauty Stuart, !" as tho army called
them, rode laughing and singing into
the thickest Of the fight. None Of
these young cavalrymsn ever asked or
claimed promotion tneywon it many
times, bat waited patiently until it
was offered. IL
One Of the amdsements in which
they delighted when the two close
friends came to town was, Il they were
intimate with the people they were
visiting, to put an absurd little efigy
Of negro set eon bsistlea on the
sounding board Of a piano, and as the
little thing danced about in . wild way
the two gay young friends, inspired
by the toy danced together. booted
and spurred, in their stained
toggery, with the abandon Of children.
Once when Little Fitz" came to
ask the President for horses, and the
two sat long and gravely weighing the
chances for fresh mounts for the
cavalry. the President said: ;.
} II do not see how you are to ride
ont the campaign on these horses 'un-
less we are more successful in getting
t6thers than weseem to promise to. be-"
.Neyer mind, SIR said the strong
hearted, cheerful young fellow |; "whsn
my <trigade mounts the horses have
just got to goi
Thssnd pf: the war found the two
officers without money and without the
power to engage in the only pursuit for
which they we're fitted by education
and habit. Rooney, somewhat more
fortunate than his cousin in worldly
possessions, took his ancestral farm.
"The White House., strightehed out
the tangled underground, sowed and
reaped the crops, and, his FIRST beauti-
full wife having died when he wes in
prison, he married second time one
Of the beauties Of Virginia, and took
her Home to the old house Of his father,
where be had personally made rose
garden unequalled in the countryside.
There he lived with his wife and brought
up his stalwart, handsome boya, until
that heart which the labors, the fierce
conflicts. and the long imprisonment
and hardships in the Federal lines had
weakened, failed at last to do its Office,
and he died, as he had lived, without
repining, doing his duty while his
strength lasted, I believe his widow
now cultivates the roses he loved, in
the same place.
General Fitz, borne up by bis joyous
temper, inherited from both parents,
set himself in earnest to hew out his
fortune from the inchoste mass of
difficulties which environed him. he
also married a charming woman in
Alexandra, and together they began
their frugal lives. equally intent upon
doing their whole duty, maintaining in
spotless honor the great name he had
won. The people Of Virginia knew
him well and conferred upon him one
and another digni6ei position, and
finally he received the highest honor in
their gift-the gubernatorial chair.
Here he acquitted himself as well as he
had in the field, and the respect of his
people was reflected back again by the
people Of the North.
Among his companions in arms who
knew his "outgoings and mornings"
he was best beloved. Is there q sure,
verdict upon mans sterling worth
than mankind can pronounce
Some years after the war there Wal
a grand parade here Of tho gray and
the blue on some public occasion. Oul
splendid General Gordon came by invi
tation, with Fitz Lee and many othel
Confederate officers. They rode il
procession as southern men can ride
They expected silent and respectful
| attention, but as Gordon rode By, tai
and part OF his horse, like centsur,
composed and grimly observant. shout
after shout rose from the immense
multitude. Lee followed, looking
cheeriully about him. land I'm blest.
said y 1T they did not cheer me, too
to the echo. My own division could
have done no better"
| After his gubernatorid tour OF duty
had expired, and tho rumblings and
atrocities OF civil war in Cuba began te
shock the world, Americans looked on,
conscious Of unspoken sympathy and
duty to shield the helpless in their bit
Il l. ~