Tuesday, January 21, 2014

General Robert E. Lee to Mary Custis Lee, October 28, 1863

Camp Rappahannock, October 28, 1863.

I moved yesterday into a nice pine thicket, and Perry is today engaged in constructing a chimney in front of my tent, which will make it warm and comfortable. I have no idea when F.1 will be exchanged. The Federal authorities still resist all exchanges, because they think it is to our interest to make them. Any desire expressed on our part for the exchange of any individual magnifies the difficulty, as they at once think some great benefit is to result to us from it. His detention is very grievous to me, and, besides, I want his services. I am glad you have some socks for the army. Send them to me. They will come safely. Tell the girls to send all they can. I wish they could make some shoes too. We have thousands of barefooted men. There is no news. General Meade, I believe, is repairing the railroad, and I presume will come on again. If I could only get some shoes and clothes for the men, I would save him the trouble.
__________

1 William H. Fitzhugh Lee

SOURCE: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 290

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