REMINISCENCES OF SEVENTY YEARS 245 the English peace commissioners on that battle. One of the English lords, after the treaty of peace was signed, said, "I will now bet a thousand guineas that New Orleans is in pos- session of Lord Pakenham." Henry Clay said, "Draw your check for that amount. Here is mine." Now I will go back and fetch up the mother's side of the house. My grandfather Lee was a thoroughbred Protestant Irishman. Had it not been for the great rivalry between the Catholics and Protestants, Ireland would have been an inde- pendent state long before our Revolutionary War. Great-grandfather Lee fought clear through the Flanders war, seven years for the crown, then rebelled and fought seven years against the crown. At the end, he and many others were overpowered and surrendered as prisoners of war. All the offi- cers of high rank had to lie in a dungeon one hundred feet under ground and live on half an allowance of bread and water for one year. All who lived the time out and could pay 500 pounds sterling to the crown could go free. Great-grandfather was one that lived the time out and was able to pay the fine. He called his two sons, William and Frank (William was my grandfather) to his bedside, as he was yet too feeble to be out. He said : "My sons, I am getting old and feeble ; I am broke down and almost broke up. I will have to stay here, but I want you both to go right to America. Some day that will be a free and independent country. It is too large and there are too many independent, free-thinking people there to be corralled by any of the King George tyrants. Scotch, Irish and English Liberals are getting over there as fast as they can, and they are just the material that will fight for freedom." So when the Declaration of Independence was declared Grandfather Lee was one of the first to volunteer for service during the war. He was lieutenant of a home-made battery in Charleston, South Carolina, and when the British fleet came into the harbor he was ordered to swab and test one of the new castings. Unfortunately it burst all to pieces and shattered one of grandfather's legs, so he, was disabled for the balance of the war. He got well enough, however, to raise a hearty and hardy
