Monday, February 3, 2014

General Robert E. Lee to Margaret Stuart, December 29, 1863

CAMP, ORANGE CO., 29th December, 1863.

MY DEAR COUSIN MARGARET:

I received today your note of the 11th with a present to Butts, for which he returns his warmest thanks. He is not, however, a soldier and you must not consider yourself obliged to work for him. Captain Randolph's corps is fortunate in having your mother and her daughters to provide for them. I think many will join it. I fear from what Mrs. Randolph said when she was in Richmond that you never heard that the bucket of pickle you were so kind as to send us reached me safely. I requested little Carrie at the time to thank you when she wrote. We have enjoyed it very much and yet have a supply. You will probably hear by the time this reaches you of the death of our dear Charlotte. I know you will sympathize with us. I loved her with a father's love and grieve for her as only a father can grieve for a daughter. She was inexpressibly dear to me and held in my heart an equal place with dear Fitzhugh. How keen will be his anguish and how bitter to him his captivity. May God give him strength to bear this affliction and sanctify to him the blow thus unexpectedly dealt! The ties to earth are taken, one by one, by our Merciful God to turn our hearts to Him and to show us that the object of this life is to prepare for a better and brighter world. May we all be there united to praise and worship Him forever and ever!

With affectionate regards to your father and mother,

I am most sincerely yours,
R. E. LEE.
MISS MARGARET STUART.

SOURCE: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 297

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