Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Robert E. Lee to Mary Custis Lee, August 23, 1863

Camp Near Orange Court House, August 23, 1863

You may see that a distinguished arrival at Washington is chronicled in the papers of that city, Miss Catherine Burke.1 She is reported to have given interesting accounts of the Lee family.  My camp is near Mr. Erasmus Taylor's house, who has been very kind in contributing to our comfort. His wife sends us every day buttermilk, loaf bread, ice, and such vegetables as she has. I cannot get her to desist, though I have made two special visits to that effect. All the brides have come on a visit to the army — Mrs. Ewell, Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Heth, etc. General Meade's army is north of the Rappahannock, along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. He is very quiet.
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1 This was one of the colored servants from Arlington.

SOURCE: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 284-5

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