Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
JOHN L. cooNTz.

U~ HANTILLY, Mount Pleasant,
ssf Wakefield are now no
more! Stratford alone re-
~ MAINS"
Thus wrote the veneer
able Bishop Meade, whose chronicles OF
early Virginia are classics. He loved
the old homes, the hospitality that ever
lowered over them, the courtly social
life within their portals, the dignified
air and manner of those who presided
cver them. He contemplated with. deep
feeling their passing. One catches a
faint cry of joy bruised out OF lie IN
that last line-"Stratford alone re-
mains"
What joy and peace would it bring
TO the romantic heart of the old bishop
could be know today that "Stratford
still remains! Aye, more than that;
1t shall continue to remain. For the
old manor-aneestral home of the Lees
In America-situated on the lower Po-
tomac in Virginia, has been acquired
by the William Alexander, Jr., Chapter,
United Daughters of the Confederacy
of Connecticut, and is to be for all time,
SO long as one stone rests upon another
and food and fire harm it not, a monu-
ment and a memorial to a name n a
cause. The chapter in announcing its
purchase announces also its preServa-
ton as a shrine of the Confederacy
and a national memorial, after the man
ner of Mount Vernon and Monticello, to
Robert E. Lee.
There have been woven into the his
tory of Stratford Hall the names of so
Lees. Beginning with Thomas, the
grandson of the founder of the name in
America, the first native Governor TO
Virginia, the list runs down through
distinguished son to sire and sire to
son until it eliminates in the greatest
of all of the names-the beloved chief
tain Of the ~Confederacy.
Richard Henry Lee 1732-94) was
born at Stratford. His father was the
Thomas mentioned. He was one Of the
first Delegates to the Continental Con-
gress from Virginia, a signer of the
immortal Declaration Of Independence
and one of the first Senators from the
State to the newly formed Congress of
the Union.
He it was who proposed in the Con-
tinental Congress at Philadelphia in
June, 1916, as a member sitting from
Virginia, that "these united colonies
are. and of right ought to be, free and
independent States, absolved from all
allegiance to the British Crown" He
possessed unusual powers of oratory,
dLQ WdS SpOkCII VI DIS blG StIlOUIIl-
tongued chief, from whose persuasive
lips. sweeter than honey, flowed the
stream of speech"
Light Horse Harry" Lee, descendant
of the first Richard. founder of the
family in America, made Stratford his
home after his marriage to his cousin,
Matilda Lee, the daughter of Philip
Ludwell Lee, brother of Richard Henry
He also wa a statesman as well as sol
dier, a signer Of the Declaration Of
Independence. Born in 1855, he served
through the Revolutionary War, where
scouting and outpost duty won him the
dashing sobriquet Of Light Horse
Harry" His military genius was estab-
lished as head of Lees Legion"
cavalry unit which did yeornan services
as rear guard to Greene in his master.
full retreat before the British in thu
Ca-olinas.
He is further remembered for hi
famous first in peace, first in wal anc
first in the hearts of his countrymen'
eulogy Of Washington, spoken on thu
occasion of memorial exercises in behal
of the great chief in Congress. Col
Lee at the time was Speaker Of thu
House of Representatives, and wa
chcsen to deliver the funeral grafton b
~@sE%A-Ns