RECOLLECTIONS AND LETTERS

OF

GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE

by Captain Robert E. Lee, His Son

CONTENTS

Chapter I — Services in the United States Army

Chapter II — The Confederate General

Chapter III — Letters to Wife and Daughters

Chapter IV — Army Life of Robert the Younger

Chapter V — The Army of Northern Virginia

Chapter VI — The Winter of 1863-4

Chapter VII — Fronting the Army of the Potomac

Chapter VIII — The Surrender

Chapter IX — A Private Citizen

Chapter X — President of Washington College

Chapter XI — The Idol of the South

Chapter XII — Lee's Opinion upon the Late War

Chapter XIII — Family Affairs

Chapter XIV — An Ideal Father

Chapter XV — Mountain Rides

Chapter XVI — An Advisor of Young Men

Chapter XVII — The Reconstruction Period

Chapter XVIII — Mrs. R. E. Lee

Chapter XIX — Lee's Letters to His Sons

Chapter XX — The New Home in Lexington

Chapter XXI — Failing Health

Chapter XXII — The Southern Trip

Chapter XXIII — A Round of Visits

Chapter XXIV — Last Days

DETAILED CONTENTS

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 ...