Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-03-05
A Strange Story Of Gen. Lees Mother.

to writer fond OF dslVlng among
forgotten lore the little known fact
that the famous southron was born
more than year after his mother
had been buried, furnishing to the
world one of the most astonishing
cases Of reviviscence on record.
Gen. Lees mother was by no means
an entirely healthy woman, and the
physician at Stratford, Va, the home
OF Henry Lee Light Horse Harry,
was kept in almost constant attend
ance. Mrs. Lee suffered from cata-
lepsy, and during prolonged trance
she was pronounced dead. The body
was prepared for intermsnt, and the
morning of the third day after her
supposed death the remains were laid
to rest in the family vault in the
graveyard of that pretty little Virgin.
ia village.
While the sexton was cleaning up
and arranging some fresh flowers to
be placed on the casket, he heard
faint voice as though of some one
calling for assistance.
Of course, the old man was soms-
what alarmed, but as he had seen
many years of service in the "city of
the dead" he did not leave the vault.
he listened closely and the voice was
distinctly heard again.
Becoming satisfied that the voice
came from within the casket, he at
once set to work and opened it, dis
covering that Mrs. Lee was alive.
Re then summoned assistance and
within short time she was safe in
bed at her own home.
Mrs. Lees recovery was slow, but
she did regain good health and lit
tie more than year after she was
buried alive her youngest son, Robert
E., was born, and thus came into the
world one OF her bravest men and
greatest generals.
But there have been a number Of
cases Of reviviscence, and Gen. Lee
was not the only celebrity who was
actually born after the burial of his
own mother.
Sir Richard Edgecumbe's mother,
after brief illness, was believed to
have expired, and she. too, was laid
away in the family vault. About
week after her supposed death the
sexton, from motives sufficiently OBJ
vious, and entirely too often exercised,
entered the vault and tried to take a
valuable ring from Lady Edgecumbe'S
finger. During the sexton 8 efforts to
secure the ring by pressing and squeez-
ing the finger, the body moved al
most to one side. This sudden awsk-
ening of the dead caused the sexton
to flee in terror, leaving his lantern in
the vault.
Lady Edgecumbe succeeded in ex-
tricating herself from the casket, and
taking the lantern which the fright
ened sexton had left in his fight, she
walked to her home. Under careful
treatment she regainsd her health,
and FIVE years after this Sir Richard
was born.
Another notable case Of reVivis-
cencs was that Of Ebenezer Erskine,
one of the founders of the United Free
Church, of Scotland, who was born
after the burial of his mother. Mrs.
Erskine, while in trance, was pro-
nounced dead, and was buried in a
grave, there being no vault. The
gravedigger had noticed a very costly
diamond ring on the finger Of Mrs.
Erkskine and he determined that be
would that night open the grave and
secure the ring. Stealhily he re-
moved the dirt from the newly-made
grave and opened the coffin. The
lady's hand had swollen and the
grsvsdigger could not get the ring of
the finger, so he was in the act Of cut
ting off the finger when the supposed
corpse gave loud shrek. Perhaps
no man ever vacated a graveyard
quicker than did that graVedigger,
and Mrs. Erskine arose from her cof-
I'm, hurried to her home, and lived
to become the mother of one of the
greatest pulpit orators Scotland ever
produced.
Henry F. Hupers. at one time q
large planter and cattle owner Of
Beaumont, Texas, was born after the
supposed death of his mother. Mrs.
Hupers, like Mrs. Lee. suffered from
catslspsy, and while in a long trance
her physician pronounced her dead.
She was placed in a coffin, but Just