Tuesday, November 26, 2013

General Robert E. Lee, August 17, 1862

Camp near Orange Court House, August 17, 1862.

Here I am in a tent instead of my comfortable quarters at Dabbs's1. The tent, however, is very comfortable, and of that I have nothing to complain. General Pope says he is very strong, and seems to feel so, for he is moving apparently up to the Rapidan. I hope he will not prove stronger than we are. I learn since I have left that General McClellan has moved down the James River with his whole army. I suppose he is coming here too, so we shall have a busy time. Burnside and King from Fredericksburg have joined Pope, which, from their own report, has swelled Pope to 92,000. I do not believe it, though I believe he is very big. Johnny Lee2 saw Louis Marshall2 after Jackson's last battle, who asked him kindly after his old uncle, and said his mother was well. Johnny said Louis looked wretchedly himself. I am sorry he is in such bad company, but I suppose he could not help it.
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1 His headquarters in front of Richmond.

2 Louis Marshall was General Lee's nephew, the son of the sister who lived in Philadelphia, and Johnny Lee was his nephew who met his cousin under the flag of truce which the Federals had to bury their dead just after the battle of Cedar Run.

SOURCE: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 190

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