Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-08-23
Further Impressions of Lexing-
ton and RockbrIdge
RooKBR1peR BATHs, W, Aug. q.

ton and RockbrIdge
RooKBRIpeE BATHS, VA, Aug. %.
EDITOR GAzETTR-Upon receipt Of
your paper of the 18th OF July, found
that the two conditions precedent to
my writing you second letter have
been fulfilled; 1t is therefore up to me,
now, to make good the last sentence
of my former letter.
From the heading OF this letter you
will see that l have changed quarters,
and am now domiciled at the Rock
bridge Baths Hotel, which is owned
and managed by Mr.. G. E. Carter OF
New York City. Before saying good
by to the Rockbridge Alum, desire
to say that my short stay there was
exceedingly pleasant, that the manage
ment by the present proprietress is
perfect, but that the roads between
Lexington and the Alum are perfectly
awful. They have neither grade,
side-ditch nor bottOm-the engineer
In the location of this road. throug b
the Kerr's Greek Valley, was certainl y
impressed with the idea Of keeping
''near the water"
Upon my second visit to Lexington
was much impressed with the place
as a residential town. The location
OF Lexington is an ideal one. The
town is surrounded on every side by
beautiful grazing. rich agricultural
country, and right up to the streets
edge provender for both man and beast
are in abundant supply. Nature could
not have done better part, than has
been done to prepare town site.
Lexington has long enjoyed the repu-
tation among foreigners as the ATHENS
Of Virginia." and upon examination
of the University, the Military 1nsti-
tute and Public School, 1t is to the
writer reputation honestly acquired.
The new buildings, and new appara'
tus, In all the different branches that
are now taught, that have recently
been added 20 Washington and Lee
University show that this school is
rapidly forging to the front, and 10
now prepared to give as thorough
training as any school Of the South.
The Virginia Military Institute, with
It's grizzled old veteran at its head,
shows that hard work 10 being done
there, and had this school money to
provide better facilities, 1t would
be one OF the very first military
schools OF America.
The fact that adds the greatest
lustre to the reputation of Lexington
is, that the mortal remains OF the two
greatest heroes Of America, lie buried
within its precincts and. the monuments
that have been erected to the memory
of Robert Edward Lee and Thomas
Johnathan Jackson, are more widely
known than any other Of like charac-
ter in the United States.
Nor are the regulations Of these two
men confined to North America, for at
the maneuvers of the U. s. Army last
September, at Manassas, 1t was made
plain to the writer that the foreign
military experts who were attached to
Gen. Corbin's headquarters, by their
talk and questions placed Generals
Lee and jackson at the very head OF
all military men in the late Civil War.
Col. Dudley of New York, is mem
Der OF the Board OF Visitors OF the
West Point Military Academy and
as such was attached to Gen. Corbin'
headquarters. He told me that Gen.
Forster OF the English Army had talk
ed to him on this subject and had
| given the above opinion unqualiaedly,
viz. that Lee and jackson were the
two greatest heroes of our war.
The recumbent statue of Gen
Lee, is a beautiful spiece Of modern
art, SO simple. yet SO perfectly person
ating that great soldier, as he lies
asleep awaiting the final summons.
The bronze statue Of Gen. jackson,
that is in the public cemetery, show
him as engaged or about to engage IL
battle, his whole nature concentrated
N thought and action and just about
20 do some daring, desperate thing for
which he had such a reputation.
| In this cemetery found monument
to other great and good men, notably
! Gen. Pendleton, who was chief of thu
artillery service under Gen. Lee; John
Letcher, known as the war Governo
Of Virginia. When Gems. Curtain Of
}, Pennsylvania, Dennison OF Ohio
, Gates of Illinois and Morton OF In
diana, put their heads together for tn
invasion of Virginia, John Letcher
stood like bulwark for his Stat
Monuments to other men who wer
eminent in their professions are to b,
found here. Truly Lexington is rich II
memories" aud this thought should
be an incentln to the present genera
ton, for a high and noble purpose
life. AMRRICUs.