The General declines lucrative positions in New York and Atlanta--He
suffers from an obstinate cold--Local gossip--He is advised to go South
in the spring of 1870--Desires to visit his daughter Annie’s grave
After General Lee had accepted the presidency of Washington College, he
determined to devote himself entirely to the interest and improvement of
that institution. From this resolution he never wavered. An offer that
he should be a the head of a large house to represent southern commerce,
that he should reside in New York, and have placed at his disposal an
immense sum of money, he declined, saying:
“I am grateful, but I have a self-imposed task which I must accomplish.
I have led the young men of the South in battle; I have seen many of
them die on the field; I shall devote my remaining energies to training
young men to do their duty in life.”
To a request from some of his old officers that he should associate
himself with a business enterprise in the South, as its president, he
replied with the following letter:
“Lexington, Virginia, December 14, 1869.
“General J. B. Gordon, President, “Southern Life Insurance Company,
Atlanta, Georgia.
“My Dear General: I have received your letter of the 3d inst., and am
duly sensible of the kind feelings which prompted your proposal. It
would be a great pleasure to me to be associated with you, Hampton,
B. H. Hill, and the other good men whose names I see on your list of
directors, but I feel that I ought not to abandon the position I hold
at Washington College at this time, or as long as I can be of service
to it. Thanking you for your kind consideration, for which I know I am
alone indebted for your proposition to become president of the Southern
Life Insurance Company, and with kindest regards to Mrs. Gordon and my
best wishes for yourself, I am,
“Very truly yours,
“R. E. Lee.”
His correspondence shows that many like positions were made to him.
The Christmas of ‘69, neither my brother nor myself was with him.
Knowing of our plans in that respect, he wrote before the holidays to
Fitzhugh, wishing us both the compliments of the season and a pleasant
time in the visits we were going to make:
“Lexington, Virginia, December 18, 1869.
“My Dear Fitzhugh: I must begin by wishing you a pleasant Christmas and
many, many Happy New Years, and may each succeeding year bring to you
and yours increasing happiness. I shall think of you and my daughter
and my grandson very often during the season when families are generally
united, and though absent from you in person, you will always be present
in mind, and my poor prayers and best wishes will accompany you all
wherever you are. Bertus will also be remembered, and I hope that the
festivities of ‘Brandon’ will not drive from his memory the homely board
at Lexington. I trust that he will enjoy himself and find some on
to fill that void in his heart as completely as he will the one in
his--system. Tell Tabb that no one in Petersburg wants to see her half
as much as her papa, and now that her little boy has his mouth full of
teeth, he would not appear so LONESOME as he did in the summer. If she
should find in the ‘Burg’ a ‘Duckie’ to take his place, I beg that she
will send him up to me.
“I duly received your letter previous to the 12th inst., and requested
some of the family who were writing about that time to inform you. When
I last wrote, I could not find it on my table and did not refer to it.
‘The Mim’ says you excel her in counting, if you do not in writing, but
she does not think she is in your debt. I agree with you in your views
about Smith’s Island, and see no advantage in leasing it, but wish you
could sell it to advantage. I hope the prospects may be better in the
spring. Political affairs will be better, I think, and people will be
more sanguine and hopeful. You must be on the alert. I wish I could go
down to see you, but think it better for me to remain here. To leave
home now and return during the winter would be worse for me. It is too
cold for your mother to travel now. She says she will go down in the
spring, but you know what an exertion it is for her to leave home, and
the inconvenience if not the suffering, is great. The anticipation,
however, is pleasing to her and encourages hope, and I like her to enjoy
it, though am not sanguine that she will realise it. Mildred is probably
with you, and can tell you all about us. I am somewhat reconciled to her
absence by the knowledge of the benefit that she will be to Tabb. Tell
the latter that she [Mildred] is modest and backward in giving advice,
but that she has mines of wealth on that subject, and that she [Tabb]
must endeavour to extract from her her views on the management of a
household, children, etc., and the proper conduct to be observed toward
husbands and the world in general. I am sure my little son will receive
many wise admonitions which he will take open-mouthed. I have received
a letter from your Uncle Carter telling me of his pleasant visit to you
and of his agreeable impressions of his nephew and new niece. He was
taken very sick in Richmond and delayed there so long that he could not
be present at Wm. Kennon’s wedding, and missed the festivities at his
neighbour Gilliam’s and at Norwood. Indeed, he had not recovered his
strength when Lucy wrote a few days ago, and her account makes me very
uneasy about him. I am glad Rob has so agreeable a neighbour as
General Cooke, and I presume it is the North Carolina brigadier [A
Virginian--son of General St. George Cooke, of the Federal Army, who
commanded a North Carolina brigade in A. P. Hill’s corps, A. N. Va.].
When you go to Petersburg, present my kind regards to Mr. and Mrs.
Bolling, ‘Miss Melville,’ and all friends. All here unite with me in
love to you, Tabb, and the boy, in which Mildred is included.
“Your affectionate father,
“R. E. Lee.
“General William H. F. Lee.”
In a note, written the day after, acknowledging a paper sent to him to
sign, he says:
“...I wrote to you yesterday, Saturday, in reply to your former letter,
and stated the reasons why I could not visit you. Your mother has
received Mildred’s letter announcing her arrival in Richmond and will
write to her there. I can only repeat my love and prayers that every
blessing may attend you and yours. We are as usual.
“Truly and affectionately,
“R. E. Lee.
“General William H. F. Lee.”
The attack of cold from which my father suffered in October had been
very severe. Rapid exercise on horseback or on foot produced pain and
difficulty in breathing. After he was considered by most of his friends
to have gotten well over it, it was very evident to his doctors and
himself that there was a serious trouble about the heart, and he often
had great weariness and depression. He complained but little, was often
very bright and cheerful, and still kept up his old-time fun and humour
in his conversation and letters, but his letters written during this
year to his immediate family show that he was constantly in pain and
had begun to look upon himself as an invalid. To Mildred, who was in
Richmond on a visit to friends, he writes jokingly about the difficulty
experienced by the family in finding out what she meant in a letter to
him:
“Lexington, Virginia, January 8, 1870.
“My Precious Life: I received you letter of the 4th. We held a family
council over it. It was passed from eager hand to hand and attracted
wondering eyes and mysterious looks. It produced few words but a deal of
thinking, and the conclusion arrived at, I believe unanimously, was that
there was a great fund of amusement and information in it if it could
be extracted. I have therefore determined to put it carefully away till
your return, seize a leisure day, and get you to interpret it. Your
mother’s commentary, in a suppressed soliloquy, was that you had
succeeded in writing a wretched hand. Agnes thought that it would keep
this cold weather--her thoughts running on jellies and oysters in
the storeroom; but I, indignant at such aspersions upon your
accomplishments, retained your epistle and read in an elevated tone
an interesting narrative of travels in sundry countries, describing
gorgeous scenery, hairbreadth escapes, and a series of remarkable
events by flood and field, not a word of which they declared was in your
letter. Your return, I hope, will prove the correctness of my version
of your annals.... I have little to tell. Gaiety continues. Last night
there was a cadet hop. Night before, a party at Colonel Johnston’s. The
night preceding, a college conversazione at your mother’s. It was given
in honour of Miss Maggie Johnston’s visit of a few days to us. You
know how agreeable I am on such occasions, but on this, I am told, I
surpassed myself.
“On New year’s Day the usual receptions; many of our friends called.
Many of my ancients as well as juniors were present, and all enjoyed
some good Norfolk oysters. I refer you to Agnes for details. We are
pretty well. I think I am better. Your mother and sisters as usual.
Custis busy with the examination of the cadets, the students preparing
for theirs. Cadet Cook, who was so dangerously injured by a fall
from his window on the 1st, it is hoped now will recover. The Misses
Pendleton were to have arrived this morning, and Miss Ella Heninberger
is on a visit to Miss Campbell. Miss Lizzie Letcher still absent.
Messrs. Anderson, Baker, W. Graves, Moorman, Strickler, and Webb have
all been on visits to their sweethearts, and have left without them.
‘Mrs. Smith’ is as usual. ‘Gus’ is as wild as ever [“Mrs. Smith” and
“Gus” were the names of two of the pet cats of my sister. “Gus” was
short for Gustavus Adolphus.]. We catch our own rats and mice now, and
are independent of cats. All unite in love to you.
“Your affectionate father,
“R. E. Lee.
“Miss Mildred Lee.”
A month later he writes again to this daughter in the same playful
strain, and sends his remembrances to many friends in Richmond:
“Lexington, Virginia, February 2, 1870.
“My Precious Life: Your letter of the 29th ultimo, which has been four
days on the road, reached me this morning, and my reply, unless our
mails whip up, will not get to you before Sunday or Monday. There is no
danger, therefore, of our correspondence becoming too brisk. What do the
young girls do whose lovers are at Washington College or the Institute?
Their tender hearts must always be in a lacerated and bleeding
condition! I hope you are not now in that category, for I see no pining
swains among them, whose thoughts and wishes are stretching eagerly
toward Richmond. I am glad you have had so pleasant a visit to the
Andersons. You must present my regards to them all, and I hope that
Misses Ellen and Mary will come to see you in the summer. I am sure
you will have an agreeable time at Brook Hill. Remember me to all the
family, and tell Miss Belle to spare my friend Wilkins. He is not in
a condition to enjoy the sufferings which she imposes on her Richmond
beaux. Besides, his position entitles him to tender treatment.
“I think it time that you should be thinking of returning home. I want
to see you very much, and as you have been receiving instruction from
the learned pig, I shall expect to see you much improved. We are not
reduced to apply to such instructors at Lexington. Here we have learned
professors to teach us what we wish to know, and the Franklin Institute
to furnish us lectures on science and literature. You had better come
back, if you are in search of information on any subject. I am glad that
Miss ‘Nannie’ Wise found one occasion on which her ready tongue failed
her. She will have to hold it in subjection now. I should like to see
Miss Belle under such similar circumstances, provided she did not die
from suppressed ideas. What an awful feeling she must experience, if
the occasion should ever come for her to restrain that active member!
Although my friend Wilkins would be very indulgent, I think he would
want her to listen sometimes. Miss Pendleton has just been over to give
us some pleasing news. Her niece, Miss Susan Meade, Philip’s daughter,
is to be married next month to a Mr. Brown, of Kentucky, who visited her
two year ago upon the recommendation of the Reverend Charles Page, found
her a school-girl, and has waited until she became a woman. He is rich,
forty-nine, and has six children. There is a fair start in the world for
a young woman! I recommend her example to you. We are all as usual,
and ‘Mrs. Smith’ is just the same. Miss Maggie Johnston, who has been
staying with us occasionally for a few days at a time, is now on a visit
to us. There is to be an anniversary celebration of the societies of the
Institute on Friday, and a student’s party on Monday night, and a dance
at the College Hotel. To-morrow night your mother has an evening for
some young students. Gaiety will never cease in Lexington so long as the
ladies are so attractive and the men so agreeable. Surprise parties
are the fashion now. Miss Lucy Campbell has her cousin, Miss Ella
Heninberger, staying with her, who assists her to surprise and capture
too unwary youths. I am sorry to hear of Mrs. Ould’s illness. If you
see her, present me most kindly to her; also to Mrs. George Randolph. Do
beware of vanilla cream. Recollect how far you are from home, and do not
tamper with yourself. Our semi-annual examination has been in progress
for a fortnight. We shall conclude on Saturday, which will be a great
relief for me, for, in addition to other things, I have to be six hours
daily in the examination rooms. I was sorry that I could not attend Mr.
Peabody’s funeral, but I did not feel able to undertake the journey,
especially at this season. I am getting better, I hope, and feel
stronger than I did, but I cannot walk much farther than to the college,
though when I get on my horse I can ride with comfort. Agnes accompanies
me very often. I must refer you to her and your mother for all local
news. Give my love to Fitzhugh, and Tabb, and Robert when you see them,
and for yourself keep an abundance. I have received letters from Edward
and Blanche. They are very anxious about the condition of political
affairs in France. Blanche sent you some receipts for creams, etc. You
had better come and try them.
“Your affectionate father, R. E. Lee.
“Miss Mildred Lee.”
The following letter to his son, Fitzhugh, further shows his tender
interest in his children and grandson:
“Lexington, Viriginia, February 14, 1870.
“My Dear Fitzhugh:...I hope that you are all well and that you will not
let any one spoil my grandson. Your mother has written all the family
and Lexington news. She gathers much more than I do. I go nowhere but to
the college, and when the weather permits I ride in the mountains. I am
better, I think, but still troubled. Mildred, I hope, is with you. When
she gets away from her papa, she does not know what she wants to do,
tell her. You have had a fine winter for work, and later you will have
a profitable season. Custis is well and very retired; I see no alarming
exhibition of attention to the ladies. I have great hopes of Robert.
Give much love to my daughter Tabb and to poor little ‘Life.’ I wish I
could see you all; it would do my pains good. Poor little Agnes is not
at all well, and I am urging her to go away for a while. Mary as usual.
“Affectionately your father, R. E. Lee.
“General W. H. F. Lee.”
After waiting all winter for the improvement in his health, my father,
yielding at last to the wishes of his family, physician, and friends,
determined to try the effect of a southern climate. It was thought it
might do him good, at any rate, to escape the rigours of a Lexington
March, and could do no harm. In the following letters to his children he
outlines his plans and touchingly alludes to the memory of his daughter
Annie, who died in 1862 and was buried at Warrenton Springs, North
Carolina:
“Lexington, Virginia, March 21, 1870.
“My Dear Daughter: The doctors and others think I had better go to the
South in the hope of relieving the effects of the cold, under which I
have been labouring all the winter. I think I should do better here, and
am very reluctant to leave home in my present condition; but they seem
so interested in my recovery and so persuasive in their uneasiness that
I should appear obstinate, if not perverse, if I resisted longer. I
therefore consented to go, and will take Agnes to Savannah, as she seems
anxious to visit that city, or, perhaps, she will take me. I wish also
to visit my dear Annie’s grave before I die. I have always desired to do
so since the cessation of active hostilities, but have never been able.
I wish to see how calmly she sleeps away from us all, with her dear
hands folded over her breast as if in mute prayer, while her pure spirit
is traversing the land of the blessed. I shall diverge from the main
route of travel for this purpose, and it will depend somewhat upon my
feelings and somewhat upon my procuring an escort for Agnes, whether I
go further south.
“I am sorry not to be able to see you before I go, but if I return, I
hope to find you here well and happy. You must take good care of your
mother and do everything she wants. You must not shorten your trip on
account of our departure. Custis will be with her every day, and Mary is
with her still. The servants seem attractive. Good-bye, my dear child.
Remember me to all friends, and believe me,
“Your affectionate father, R. E. Lee.
“Miss Mildred Lee.”
“Lexington, Virginia, March 22, 1870.
“My Dear Fitzhugh: Your letter of the 17th inst. has been received. Lest
I should appear obstinate, if not perverse, I have yielded to the kind
importunities of my physicians and of the faculty to take a trip toward
the South. In pursuance of my resolution, I shall leave here Thursday
next in the packet-boat, and hope to arrive in Richmond on Friday
afternoon. I shall take with me, as my companion, Agnes, who has been my
kind and uncomplaining nurse, and if we could only get down to you that
evening we would do so, for I want to see you, my sweet daughter, and
dear grandson. But as the doctors think it important that I should reach
a southern climate as soon as practicable, I fear I shall have to leave
my visit to you till my return. I shall go first to Warrenton Springs,
North Carolina, to visit the grave of my dear Annie, where I have always
promised myself to go, and I think, if I accomplish it, I have no time
to lose. I wish to witness her quiet sleep, with her dear hands crossed
over her breast, as if it were in mute prayer, undisturbed by her
distance from us, and to feel that her pure spirit is waiting in bliss
in the land of the blessed. From there, according to my feelings,
I shall either go down to Norfolk or to Savannah, and take you if
practicable on my return. I would ask you to come up to Richmond, but my
movements are unknown to myself, as I cannot know the routes, schedules,
etc., till I arrive there, but I have promised not to linger there
longer than necessary; so I must avoid temptation. We are all as usual.
Your mother still talks of visiting you, and when I urge her to make
preparations for the journey, she replies rather disdainfully she has
none to make; they have been made years ago. Custis and Mary are well,
and Mildred writes that she will be back by April 1st. We are having
beautiful weather now, which I hope may continue. From
“Your affectionate father, R. E. Lee.”
To his daughter Mildred he writes again, giving her the minutest details
as to the routes home. This is very characteristic of him. We were
always fully instructed, all the roads of life were carefully marked out
for us by him:
“Lexington, Virginia, March 23, 1870.
“My Dear Daughter: I wrote to you the other day, telling you of my
intention of going South and of my general plan as far as formed. This
morning your letter of the 21st arrived.... I hope you will get back
comfortably and safely, and if you can fall in with no escort, you had
better go as far as Alexandria, the first stage of your journey. Aunt
Maria, Cassius Lee, the Smiths, etc., would receive you. If you wish
to come by Goshen, you must take the train from Alexandria on Tuesday,
Thursday, or Saturday, so as to arrive here about twelve o’clock at
night. By taking the train from Alexandria on the alternate days,
Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, you will reach Staunton that evening by
four P. M., remain all night, and come over by daylight the following
day in the stage. By taking the train from Alexandria to Lynchburg,
Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays, you will reach there the same
afternoon, about four P. M., then go IMMEDIATELY to the packet-boat, and
you will arrive here next morning. This last is the EASIEST route, and
the best if you find no escort. Tell all the conductors and captains
that you are my runaway daughter, and they will take care of you. I
leave to-morrow evening on the packet-boat. I told you that Agnes would
accompany me. Tell my cousins Washington, Jane, and Mary that I wish I
were going to see them. I should then anticipate some pleasure. But the
doctors say I must turn my face the other way. I know they do not know
everything, and yet I have often had to do what I was told, without
benefit to myself, and I shall have to do it again. Good-bye, my dear
daughter. All unite in love.
“Your affectionate father, R. E. Lee.
“Miss Mildred Lee.”