Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee
by Captain Robert E. Lee, His SonOur objective is to make this site the WEB's most valuable source of Robert E. Lee material. For those that have asked for more in depth material, we present below an important source material, Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee, written by his son, in its entirety. Chapter headings
will take you to that chapter. There is perhaps no better single source to really understand General Robert E. Lee. Chapter I
Services in the United States Army
Captain Lee, of the Engineers, a hero to his child--The family
pets--Home from the
Mexican War--Three years in Baltimore--
Superintendent of the West Point Military Academy--Lieutenant-
Colonel of Second Cavalry--Supresses "John Brown Raid" at Harper's
Ferry--Commands the Department of Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter II
The Confederate General
Resigns from Colonelcy of First United States Cavalry--Motives for
this step--Chosen to command Virginia forces--Anxiety about his
wife, family, and possessions--Chief advisor to President Davis--
Battle of Manassas--Military operations in West Virginia--Letter
to State Governor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter III
Letters to Wife and Daughters
From Camp on Sewell's Mountain--Quotation from Colonel Taylor's
book--From Professor Wm. P. Trent--From Mr. Davis's Memorial
Address--Defense of
Southern ports--Christmas,
1861--The General
visits his father's grave--Commands, under the President, all the
armies of the
Confederate States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Chapter IV
Army Life of Robert the Younger
Volunteer in Rockbridge Artillery--"Four Years with General Lee"
quoted--Meeting between father and son--Personal characteristics
of the General--Death of his daughter Annie--His son Robert raised
from the ranks--the horses, "Grace Darling" and "Traveller"--
Fredricksburg--Freeing slaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Chapter V
The Army of Northern Virginia
The General's sympathy for his suffering soldiers--
Chancellorsville--Death of "Stonewall" Jackson--General Fitzhugh
Lee wounded and captured--Escape of his brother Robert--
Gettysburg--Religious revival--Infantry review--Unsatisfactory
commissariat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Chapter VI
The Winter of 1863-4
The Lee family in Richmond--The General's letters to them from
Camps Rappahannock and Rapidan--Death of Mrs. Fitzhugh Lee--
Preparations to meet
General Grant--The Wilderness--Spottsylvania
Court House--Death of General Stuart--General Lee's illness . . . 112
Chapter VII
Fronting the
Army of the Potomac
Battle of Cold Harbour--Siege of Petersburg--The General intrusts
a mission to his son Robert--Battle of the Crater--Grant crosses
the James River--General Long's pen-picture of Lee--Knitting socks
for the soldiers--A Christmas dinner--Incidents of camp life . . . 128
Chapter VIII
The Surrender
Fort Fisher captured--Lee made Commander-in-Chief--Battle of Five
Forks--The General's farewell to his men--His reception in
Richmond after the surrender--President Davis hears the news--
Lee's visitors--His son Robert turns farmer . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Chapter IX
A Private Citizen
Lee's conception of the part--His influence exerted toward the
restoration of Virginia--He visits old friends throughout the
country--Receives offers of positions--Compares notes with the
Union General Hunter--Longs for a country home--Finds one at
"Derwent," near Cartersville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Chapter X
President of Washington College
Patriotic motives for acceptance of trust--Condition of college--
The General's arrival at Lexington--He prepares for the removal of
his family to that city--Advice to Robert Junior--Trip to "Bremo"
on private canal-boat--Mrs. Lee's invalidism . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Chapter XI
The Idol of the South
Photographs and autographs in demand--The General's interest in
young people--His happy home life--Labours at Washington College--
He gains financial aid for it--Worsley's translation of Homer
dedicated to him--Tributes from other English scholars . . . . . . 198
Chapter XII
Lee's Opinion upon the Late War
His intention to write the history of his Virginia campaigns--
Called before a committee of Congress--Preaches patience and
silence in the South--Shuns controversy and publicity--Corresponds
with an Englishman, Herbert C. Saunders . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Chapter XIII
Family Affairs
The General writes to his sons--To his wife at Rockbridge Baths--
He joins her there about once a week--Distinguised and
undistinguished callers at his Lexington home--He advocates early
hours--His fondness for animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Chapter XIV
An Ideal Father
Letters to Mildred Lee--To Robert--To Fitzhugh--Interviewed by
Swinton, historian of the Army of the Potomac--Improvement in
grounds and buildings of Washington College--Punctuality a
prominent trait of its President--A strong supporter of the
Y.M.C.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Chapter XV
Mountain Rides
An incident about "Traveller"--The General's love for children--
His friendship with Ex-President Davis--A ride with his daughter
to the Peaks of Otter--Mildred Lee's narrative--Mrs. Lee at the
White Sulphur Springs--The great attention paid her husband
there--His idea of life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Chapter XVI
An Advisor of Young Men
Lee's policy as college president--His advice on agricultural
matters--His affection for his prospective daughter-in-law--
Fitzhugh's wedding--The General's ovation at Petersburg--his
personal interest in the students under his care . . . . . . . . . 280
Chapter XVII
The Reconstruction Period
The General believes in the enforcement of law and order--His
moral influence in the college--Playful humour shown in his
letters--His opinion of negro labour--Mr. Davis's trial--Letter to
Mrs. Fitzhugh Lee--Intercourse with Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Chapter XVIII
Mrs. R. E. Lee
Goest to Warm Springs for rheumatism--Her daughter Mildred takes
typhoid there--Removes to Hot Springs--Her husband's devotion--
Visit of Fitzhugh and bride to Lexington--Miss Jones, a would-be
benefactor of Washington College--Fate of Washington relics
belonging to Mrs. Lee's family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Chapter XIX
Lee's Letters to His Sons
The building of Robert's house--The General as a railroad
delegate--Lionised in Baltimore--Calls on President Grant--Visits
Alexandria--Declines to be interviewed--Interested in his
grandson--The Washington portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Chapter XX
The New Home in Lexington
Numerous guests--Further sojourns at different Baths--Death of the
General's brother, Smith Lee--Visits to "Ravensworth" and "The
White House"--Meetings with interesting people at White Sulphur
Springs--Death of Professor Preston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Chapter XXI
Failing Health
The General declines lucrative positions in New York and Atlanta--
He suffers from an obstinate cold--Local gossip--He is advised to
go South in the spring of 1870--Desires to visit his daughter
Annie's grave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Chapter XXII
The Southern Trip
Letters to Mrs. Lee from Richmond and
Savannah--From Brandon--
Agnes Lee's account of her father's greetings from old friends and
old soldiers--Wilmington and
Norfolk do him honour--Visits to
Fitzhugh and Robert in their homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Chapter XXIII
A Round of Visits
Baltimore--Alexandria--A war-talk with Cousin Cassius Lee--
"Ravensworth"--Letter to Doctor Buckler declining invitation to
Europe--To General Cooper--To Mrs. Lee from the Hot Springs--Tired
of public places--Preference for country life . . . . . . . . . . 412
Chapter XXIV
Last Days
Letter to his wife--To Mr. Tagart--Obituary notice in "Personal
Reminiscences of General Robert E. Lee"--Mrs. Lee's account of his
death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 |
