HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
Letters by Robert E. Lee
These Letters appearing courtesy of Stratford Hall Plantation. Please use the link below to visit this wonderful Lee Site.
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This is a letter from Robert E. Lee to one of his daughters written on Christmas Day.
"My Dear Daughter: Having distributed such poor Christmas gifts as I had to those around me, I have been looking for something for you. Trifles even are hard to get these war-times, and you must not therefore expect more.
I have sent you what I thought most useful in your separation from me, and hope it will be of some service...To compensate for such ‘trash,'[money] I send you some sweet violets, that I gathered for you this morning while covered with dense white frost, whose crystals glittered in the bright sun like diamonds, and formed a brooch of rare beauty and sweetness, which could not be fabricated by the expenditure of a world of money. ...Among the calamities of war, the hardest to bear perhaps, is the separation of families and friends."...
A Letter from Lee to his wife written on the same day.
"I cannot let this day of grateful rejoicing pass without some communion with you. I am thankful for the many among the past that I have passed with you, and the remembrance of them fills me with pleasure.
As to our old home, if not destroyed it will be difficult ever to be recognized. ... It is better to make up our minds to a general loss. They cannot take away the remembrances of the spot, and the memories of those that to us rendered it sacred. That will remain to us as long as life will last and that we can preserve.
In the absence of a home I wish I could purchase Stratford. It is the only other place I could go to now acceptable to us, that would inspire me with pleasure and local love. You and the girls could remain there in quiet. It is a poor place, but we could make enough cornbread and bacon for our support, and the girls could weave us our clothes. ..."
A Letter from Lee to his daughters.
"Savannah 22 Nov 1861
My darling daughters
I have rec[eive]d your joint letter of the 24th Oct: from Clydale. It was very cheering to me & the affection & sympathy you expressed were very grateful to my feelings. I wish indeed I could see you, be with you & never again part from you. God only can give me that happiness. I pray for it night & day. But my prayers I know are not worthy to be heard.
I rec[eive]d your former letter in Western Virginia but had no opportunity to reply to it. I enjoyed it nevertheless. I am glad you do not wait to hear from me, as that would deprive me of the pleasure of hearing from you often. I am so pressed with business.
I am much pleased at your description of Stratford & your visit. It is endeared to me by many recollections & it has always been a great desire of my life to be able to purchase it. Now that we have no other home, & the one we so loved has been so foully polluted, the desire is stronger with me than ever. The horse chesnut you mention in the garden was planted by my mother. I am sorry the vault is so dilapidated. You did not mention the spring, one of the objects of my earliest recollections.
I am very glad my precious Agnes that you have become so early a riser. It is a good habit, & in these times for mighty works advantage should be taken of every hour.I regretted much at being obliged to come from Richmond without seeing your poor mother. I hope she is well & happy with her gr[an]dchild.
Fitzhugh you may have heard has come in to see his little wife.
This is my second visit to Savannah. I have been down the Coast as far as Amelia Is[lan]d to examine the defenses. They are poor indeed & I have laid off work enough to employ our people a month. I hope our enemy will be polite enough to wait for us. It is difficult to get our people to realize their position.
I have seen good old Mrs MacKay, now 83, & her daughters Mrs. Joseph Stiles (the mother of your friends) & Mrs. Elliott. Mrs Wm H Stiles is in Cass with her gr[an]dchildren. Henry & Robt Stiles are here. You may have heard that Mr. Lowe has been captured on his way from England & that Mrs Lowe is with the Glens in Baltimore. She I presume will soon be here, but he will be detained by our Yankee enemies. Give much love to all with you. Lucien Innes is here,
Your affectionate
R E Lee "
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