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18 - Recollections And Letters Of General Robert E. Lee by Robert E. Lee, Jr. · Recollections And Letters Of General Robert E. Lee

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Speaker 1: Chapter eighteen of Recollections and Letters of General Robert E.
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Speaker 1: Lee by Robert E. Lee Junior. This LibriVox recurting is
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Speaker 1: in the public domain. Chapter eighteen. Missus R. E. Lee
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Speaker 1: goes to Warm Springs for rheumatism. Her daughter Mildred takes
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Speaker 1: typhoid there, removes to Hot Springs her husband's devotion, visit
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Speaker 1: of Fitzhugh, and bride to Lexington. Miss Jones a would
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Speaker 1: be benefactor of Washington College fate of Washington relics belonging
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Speaker 1: to Missus Lee's family. That summer, my father determined to
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Speaker 1: take my mother to the Warm Springs in Bath County, Virginia,
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Speaker 1: hoping that the baths there might be of service to her,
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Speaker 1: and purposing if she was not benefited to go to
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Speaker 1: the Hot Springs five miles distant. He was most anxious
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Speaker 1: that his new daughter should join her there and go
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Speaker 1: with him to any place she might select, and come
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Speaker 1: back with them to Lexington. In the following letter to
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Speaker 1: his son, he tells of his plans for the summer, Lexington, Virginia,
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Speaker 1: July one, eighteen sixty eight. My dear FITZU, I received
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Speaker 1: yesterday your letter of the twenty eighth Ultimo, and I
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Speaker 1: regret very much to learn of Tad's indisposition. I hope
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Speaker 1: that she will soon be well, and I wish very
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Speaker 1: much she would join us in the mountains and return
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Speaker 1: here with us. In my letter to her about the
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Speaker 1: time when she went to her sister's wedding, which I
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Speaker 1: hope she got, I told her of my wishes on
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Speaker 1: this subject, and believe gave her our general plans. I
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Speaker 1: can now say with more distinctness that unless something now
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Speaker 1: unforeseen should prevent, I will take your mother to the
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Speaker 1: warm springs from the tenth to the fifteenth instant, and
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Speaker 1: after trying the water there about two weeks, if not favorable,
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Speaker 1: will take her over to the hot after seeing her
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Speaker 1: comfortably established. I will then go anywhere tab desires, to
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Speaker 1: the healing or the white sulfur or sweet I intend
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Speaker 1: to go myself to the white Sulfur for about a
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Speaker 1: fortnight to drink the water, and will take Mildred with me. Agnes,
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Speaker 1: having gone last summer, will not care to go, I presume,
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Speaker 1: and can remain with her mother. Mildred has been quite
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Speaker 1: sick for the past week, but is now much better,
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Speaker 1: and in a week will be strong enough for the journey.
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Speaker 1: I think, if not, we shall have to delay our
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Speaker 1: departure a little. Agnes was also sick on the eastern
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Speaker 1: shore of Maryland about three weeks, and I am told
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Speaker 1: looks badly. She is now at the University of Virginia
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Speaker 1: and will be home in a few days and go
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Speaker 1: with us to the springs. You must arrange your plans
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Speaker 1: to suit your interests and convenience, coming to us when
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Speaker 1: you can, and staying as long as you can. You
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Speaker 1: know the interest I take in your prosperity in advancement,
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Speaker 1: which cannot be assured without earnest attention to your business
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Speaker 1: on your part, and therefore I never urge you to
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Speaker 1: act contrary to your own judgment in reference to them.
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Speaker 1: As to my daughter, TAB tell her if she will
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Speaker 1: trust herself to her papa, she shall never want anything
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Speaker 1: he can do for her. And I think she will
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Speaker 1: find a prediction in my letter to her verified she
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Speaker 1: might join us at Goshen and go with us, or
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Speaker 1: come here. Why did she not come up with her father?
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Speaker 1: I went to see him last evening, but he was out.
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Speaker 1: Your mother, I presume, has told you of home affairs.
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Speaker 1: She has become nervous of late and bruise over her troubles,
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Speaker 1: so much that I fear it increases her sufferings. I
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Speaker 1: am therefore the more anxious to give her new scenes
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Speaker 1: and new thoughts. It is and the principal good I anticipate.
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Speaker 1: Love to Rob Custus still talks of visiting you, but
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Speaker 1: I have not heard of his having fixed the day
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Speaker 1: of his departure. He is quite well. With my best
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Speaker 1: love to my daughter Tea, and the same to yourself.
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Speaker 1: I am most affectionately your father R. E. Lee. The
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Speaker 1: morning he left Lexington, he, while waiting for the stage,
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Speaker 1: writes as follows to a great favorite of his, a
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Speaker 1: friend of Mildred's, who had been on a visit to
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Speaker 1: her that summer, Lexington, Virginia, July fourteenth, eighteen sixty eight.
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Speaker 1: The stage is at the door to carry us to Goshen,
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Speaker 1: and if missus Lee's strength permits, we hope to reach
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Speaker 1: the warm springs to night. After two or three weeks
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Speaker 1: trial of its waters, we shall go to the hot where,
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Speaker 1: leaving Agnes to take care of her mother, I shall
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Speaker 1: take Mildred to the White Sulfur, and hope to meet
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Speaker 1: you at Cmington and carry you along, will you not come?
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Speaker 1: Mildred is quite well again and is flying about this
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Speaker 1: morning with great activity. Agnes is following with slower steps.
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Speaker 1: Missus Lee is giving her last injunctions to Sam and Eliza.
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Speaker 1: Letitia footnote, my mother's maid EndNote, is looking on with
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Speaker 1: wonder at the preparations and trying to get a right
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Speaker 1: conception of the place to which she is going, which
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Speaker 1: she seems to think is something between a steel trap
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Speaker 1: and a spring gun. Custus is waiting to help his
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Speaker 1: mother into the stage, and you see how patient I
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Speaker 1: am to add interest to the scene. Doctor Barton has
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Speaker 1: arrived to bid adieu and to give Mildred an opportunity
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Speaker 1: of looking at her best. I believe he is the
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Speaker 1: last rose of summer. The others, with their fragrance and thorns,
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Speaker 1: have all departed. A few days after their arrival at
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Speaker 1: the Warm Springs, Mildred was taken ill with typhoid fever,
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Speaker 1: and during many anxious weeks, my father and Agnes were
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Speaker 1: her only nurses. My mother's room was on the first
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Speaker 1: floor of the Brockenborough cottage, my sisters in the second,
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Speaker 1: so she could not get upstairs to her room Mildred
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Speaker 1: was very fancible, would have no one but my father
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Speaker 1: to nurse her, and could not sleep unless she had
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Speaker 1: his hand in hers. Night after night he sat by
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Speaker 1: her side, watching over her and attending to every want
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Speaker 1: with gentleness and patience. He writes to the same young
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Speaker 1: lady at Mildred's request, Warm Springs, Virginia, July thirty, eighteen
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Speaker 1: sixty eight. She, Mildred, has been so anxious to write
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Speaker 1: to you, and so uneasy at her inability to do so,
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Speaker 1: that I hope you will permit me to tell you
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Speaker 1: the reason. She has been quite sick and is so
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Speaker 1: still confined to her bed with low fever, which retains
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Speaker 1: its hold very pertinaciously. She took cold a few days
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Speaker 1: after our arrival from some imprudence, and is now very
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Speaker 1: much enfeebled. She has been more comfortable the last day
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Speaker 1: or two, and I hope is better, but I presume
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Speaker 1: her recovery will necessarily be slow. You know, she is
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Speaker 1: very fanciful, and as she seems to be more accessible
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Speaker 1: to reason from me, I have come to be her
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Speaker 1: chief nurse and am now writing in her room while
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Speaker 1: she is sleeping. This is a beautiful valley, and we
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Speaker 1: have quite a pleasant company, mister Missus Chapman and their
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Speaker 1: three daughters from Alabama, Missus Coleman and her two daughters
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Speaker 1: from Baltimore, some ladies from Richmond, Washington, Kentucky, Iowa, et cetera,
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Speaker 1: and an ever change scene of faces. As soon as
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Speaker 1: Mildred is strong enough, we will go to the Hot,
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Speaker 1: after which, if she desires it, I will take her
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Speaker 1: to the White. Missus Lee and Agnes are improving slightly.
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Speaker 1: I am glad to say we hear of many friends
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Speaker 1: at the Hot, healing and white, and hope we shall
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Speaker 1: reach these respective waters before they depart. The Harrisons have
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Speaker 1: written me that they will be here on the fourteenth Proximo,
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Speaker 1: but unless Mildred's recovery is much retarded, it will be
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Speaker 1: too late for me to see them. The Caskeys will
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Speaker 1: be at the Hot about the same time. I am
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Speaker 1: yours most sincerely, R. E. Lee. On August third, from
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Speaker 1: the same place, he writes to my brother fitz Hugh,
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Speaker 1: this was the day I had appointed to go to
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Speaker 1: the Hot, but Mildred is too sick to move. She
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Speaker 1: has taken more than a fortnight since, and her attack
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Speaker 1: seems to have partaken of a typhoid character. She has
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Speaker 1: had since a low and persistent fever, which retains as whole.
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Speaker 1: She is very feeble, but in the doctor's opinion, somewhat better.
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Speaker 1: I myself see little change, except that she is now
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Speaker 1: free from pain. I cannot speak of our future movements.
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Speaker 1: I fear I shall have to abandon my visit to
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Speaker 1: the White. Your mother and Agnes are better than when
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Speaker 1: they arrived. The former bathes freely, eats generously, and sleeps sweetly. Agnes,
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Speaker 1: though feeble, is stronger. I am the same and can
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Speaker 1: see no effects of the waters upon myself. Give much
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Speaker 1: love to my sweet daughter, and dear sons. All unite
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Speaker 1: with me in this message. I am as ever and
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Speaker 1: always your father are e Lee. Another letter to my
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Speaker 1: brother fitz Hugh from the Warm Springs tells of his
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Speaker 1: daughter's convalescence. Smith's Island, of which he writes, belonged to
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Speaker 1: my grandfather's estate, of which my father was executor. He
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Speaker 1: was trying to make some disposition of it so that
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Speaker 1: at my yielder revenue. It is situated on the Atlantic,
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Speaker 1: just east of Cape Charles in Northampton County, Virginia. Warm Springs, Virginia,
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Speaker 1: August fourteenth, eighteen sixty eight. My dear fitz Hugh, I
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Speaker 1: received yesterday your letter of the ninth, and as your
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Speaker 1: mother informed you of Mildred's condition, I deferred replying to
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Speaker 1: it until to day. I am glad to inform you
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Speaker 1: that she is better, and that the doctor pronounces her
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Speaker 1: convalescent this morning. He says her progress must necessarily be slow,
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Speaker 1: but with care and prudence, he sees nothing to prevent
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Speaker 1: her recovery unless something unforeseen occurs. I hope, therefore we
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Speaker 1: may dismiss our anxiety. As regards Smith's Island, I should
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Speaker 1: be very glad if you could go over and see it, and,
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Speaker 1: if you think proper, make such disposition of it as
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Speaker 1: you and Robert think most advantageous. See mister Hamilton s Neil, Eastville,
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Speaker 1: Northampton County, Virginia, and consult with him on the subject,
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Speaker 1: and let me know your determination. I think you will
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Speaker 1: find him kind and intelligent. I have visited the island
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Speaker 1: twice in my life a long while ago, and thought
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Speaker 1: that if a person lived on it, he might, by grazing, planting,
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Speaker 1: and fishing, make a comfortable living. You and Robert might,
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Speaker 1: if you choose buy the island from the estate. I
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Speaker 1: fear the timber et cetera has been cut from it.
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Speaker 1: I never thought it as valuable as your grandfather did.
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Speaker 1: You will have to go to Norfolk, take the steamer
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Speaker 1: to Cherrystone, where I suppose you can find a conveyance
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Speaker 1: to Eastville. You know Cobb's Island has been a fashionable
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Speaker 1: bathing place. John Lewis wrote that the beach was delightful
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Speaker 1: and fair excellent, and that they had sail vessels there
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Speaker 1: at the disposal of visitors. But mister Neil and mister
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Speaker 1: John Simpkins, the present agent, can put you in the
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Speaker 1: way of visiting the island. And you might carry my
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Speaker 1: sweet daughter tab over and give her a surf bath.
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Speaker 1: But do not let the mosquitoes annoy her. Give her
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Speaker 1: much love from me. I am writing in Mildred's room,
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Speaker 1: who is very great for your interest in her behalf.
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Speaker 1: She is too weak to speak. I hope Rob had
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Speaker 1: a pleasant trip. Tell me Cussus's plans. I have not
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Speaker 1: heard from him. Your mother and Agnes unite in love
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Speaker 1: to you Rob and Tab. I have a fan in
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Speaker 1: one hand, while I wield the pen with the other.
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Speaker 1: So excuse brevity. Most affectionately, Yours R. E Lee. P s.
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Speaker 1: George and Eleanor Goldsborough and Miss Mary g express themselves
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Speaker 1: as much pleased with Cobb's Island. I do not know
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Speaker 1: how far it is east of Smith's Island. R. E Lee.
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Speaker 1: His daughter being convalescent, he carried out his plan and
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Speaker 1: went over to the White Sulfur Springs after he had
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Speaker 1: placed my mother and sisters at the Hot Springs. In
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Speaker 1: a letter from there on August twenty eighth, he writes,
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Speaker 1: the place looks beautiful, the bells very handsome, and the
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Speaker 1: bows very happy. All are gay, and only I solitary.
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Speaker 1: I am all alone. There was a grand fancy, asked Paul.
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Speaker 1: Last night. The room was overflowing, the music good, as
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Speaker 1: much spring in the boards as in the conversation, and
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Speaker 1: the German continued till two o'clock this morning. I returned
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Speaker 1: to the hut next week and the following to Lexington.
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Speaker 1: Mildred is much better, but says she has forgotten how
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Speaker 1: to write. I hope that she will be strong enough
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Speaker 1: to return with me. I am truly unaffectionately yours R.
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Speaker 1: E Lee. They all returned to Lexington early in September.
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Speaker 1: In time for the opening of the college. Mildred was
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Speaker 1: still weak and nervous, nor did she recover her normal
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Speaker 1: strength for several months. She was always my father's pet
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Speaker 1: as a little girl, and during this illness and convalescence
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Speaker 1: he had been very tender with her, humoring as far
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Speaker 1: as he could all of her fancies. Not long before
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Speaker 1: that Christmas, she enumerated just and fun all the presence
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Speaker 1: she wished a long list. To her great surprise, when
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Speaker 1: Christmas morning came, she found each article at her place
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Speaker 1: at the breakfast table, not one omitted. His sympathy with
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Speaker 1: all who were suffering, ill and afflicted was warm and sincere.
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Speaker 1: Colonel Ship, now Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, was
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Speaker 1: the common bond of cadets. When my father came to Lexington,
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Speaker 1: he tells me that he was ill for some weeks,
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Speaker 1: laid up in his room, which was next to that
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Speaker 1: of my brother Custus. He hardly knew General Lee and
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Speaker 1: had spoken to him only a few times, but my
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Speaker 1: father went to see him quite often and would sit
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Speaker 1: by him, talk to him, and seemed much interested in
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Speaker 1: his getting well. He said he would consult Missus Lee,
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Speaker 1: who is a great doctor and he finally brought a
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Speaker 1: bottle of something in which sudorberries were the chief ingredient.
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Speaker 1: Colonel Ship found out afterward that the suitor berries had
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Speaker 1: been sent from the White House, and that my mother
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Speaker 1: had concocted the medicine. On one occasion, calling at Colonel
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Speaker 1: Preston's hest two little boys in the family circle who
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Speaker 1: were great favorites of his, and on asking for them,
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Speaker 1: he was told that they were confined to the nursery
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Speaker 1: by Kroup. The next day, though the weather was of
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Speaker 1: the worst description, he went trudging in great storm boots
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Speaker 1: back to their house, carrying in one hand a basket
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Speaker 1: of pecan nuts and in the other a toy, which
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Speaker 1: he left for his little sick friends. To my mother,
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Speaker 1: who was a great invalid from rheumatism, for more than
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Speaker 1: ten years, he was the most faithful attendant and tender nurse.
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Speaker 1: Every want of hers that he could supply, he anticipated
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Speaker 1: his considerate forethought saved her from much pain and trouble
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Speaker 1: during the war. He constantly wrote to her, even when
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Speaker 1: on the march and amidst the most pressing duties. Every
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Speaker 1: summer of their life in Lexington, he arranged that she
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Speaker 1: should spend several months at one of the many medicinal
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Speaker 1: springs in the neighboring mountains, as much that she might
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Speaker 1: be surrounded by new scenes and faces, as for the
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Speaker 1: benefit of the world. Whenever he was in the room,
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Speaker 1: the privilege of pushing her wheel chair into the dining
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Speaker 1: room and out on the verandas or elsewhere about the
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Speaker 1: house was yielded to him. He sat with her daily,
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Speaker 1: entertaining her with accounts of what was going on in
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Speaker 1: the college and the news of the village, and would
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Speaker 1: often read to her in the evening for her. His
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Speaker 1: love and care never ceased, his gentleness and patience never ended.
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Speaker 1: This tenderness for the sick and helpless was developed in
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Speaker 1: him when he was a mere lad. His mother was
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Speaker 1: an invalid, and he was her constant nurse in her
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Speaker 1: last illness. He mixed every dose of medicine she took,
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Speaker 1: and was with her night and day. If he left
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Speaker 1: the room, she kept her eyes on the door till
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Speaker 1: he returned. He never left her, but for a short
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Speaker 1: time after her death, the health of their faithful servant,
15:51
Speaker 1: Nat became very bad. My father, then just graduated from
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Speaker 1: West Point, took him to the south, had the best
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Speaker 1: medical advice, a comfortable room, and everything that could be
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Speaker 1: done to restore him, and attended to him himself. I
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Speaker 1: can find very few family letters written by my father
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Speaker 1: at this time. Those which have been preserved are to
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Speaker 1: my brother fitz Hugh, and are mostly about Smith's Island
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Speaker 1: and the settling up of my grandfather's estate the last
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Speaker 1: of September, he writes, Lexington, Virginia, September twenty eighth, eighteen
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Speaker 1: sixty eight. My dear Fitzhugh, your report of the condition
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Speaker 1: of Smith's Island corresponds with my own impressions based upon
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Speaker 1: my knowledge of the island and the reports of others.
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Speaker 1: I think it would be advantageous under present circumstances to
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Speaker 1: make sale of the island as soon as a fair
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Speaker 1: price can be obtained, and I have so instructed mister
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Speaker 1: Hamilton s Neil, who has consented to act as my agent.
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Speaker 1: I should like this whole matter arranged as soon as possible,
16:51
Speaker 1: for my life is very uncertain and its settlement now
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Speaker 1: may avoid future difficulties. I am very glad to hear
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Speaker 1: that you and Rob have continued, you dwell, and that
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Speaker 1: my daughter is improving. Give my love to them. Both.
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Speaker 1: The loss of your fine cows is a serious one,
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Speaker 1: and I believe you will have to procure them in
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Speaker 1: your vicinity and improve them. Get some calves this fall
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Speaker 1: of a good breed. We hope that we shall see
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Speaker 1: you this fall. Your mother is as comfortable as usual,
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Speaker 1: and Mildred is improving. Custus, Mary and Agnes are well,
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Speaker 1: and all would send love. Did they know I was
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Speaker 1: writing very affectionately your father are E Lee. This autumn
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Speaker 1: he had a visit from his nephew, Edward Lee Child.
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Speaker 1: Edward lived in Paris and had crossed over in the
17:38
Speaker 1: summer to see my father and mother. He made a
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Speaker 1: very pleasant impression on everybody, and was much pleased with
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Speaker 1: his visit. Here is a letter written by my father
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Speaker 1: to my brother, just after Edward left Lexington, Virginia, October fourteenth,
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Speaker 1: eighteen sixty eight. My dear Fitzhugh, I have returned to
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Speaker 1: mister Hamilton s Neil the advertisement of the sale of
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Speaker 1: Smith's Island with my approval, and have requested him to
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Speaker 1: advertise in the Northern Enrichmond Papers, et cetera, and to
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Speaker 1: send out such other notices as he seems best calculated
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Speaker 1: to attract attention to the property, and to take every
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Speaker 1: measure to enhance the value of the island, and to
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Speaker 1: procure for your grandfather's estate the full benefit of the sale.
18:20
Speaker 1: I have heard from mister Compton that my daughter tab
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Speaker 1: has returned to the White House in improved health, which
18:26
Speaker 1: I am very glad of. I hope that you will
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Speaker 1: soon be able to bring her up to see us.
18:30
Speaker 1: Do not wait until the weather becomes too cold. Our
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Speaker 1: mountain atmosphere in winter is very harsh. So far the
18:37
Speaker 1: weather has been delightful. Your cousin Edward left us last
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Speaker 1: Thursday evening on his way to see you. We enjoyed
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Speaker 1: his visit greatly. Agnes and I rode down to the
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Speaker 1: Baths last Saturday to see the Harrisons, and returned Sunday evening.
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Speaker 1: They were well and somewhat benefited by their visit. Mister
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Speaker 1: George Ritchie's death, no doubt, threw a shade of sadness
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Speaker 1: over the whole party. On missus Harrison's account, though all
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Speaker 1: were charming and miss Bell very sweet, we are about
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Speaker 1: the same, your poor mother, comfortable, Mildred improving. All would
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Speaker 1: unite in love to you and yours. Did they know
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Speaker 1: I was writing, give much love to my dear daughter
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Speaker 1: tab and tell her that I want to see her
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Speaker 1: very much, truly and affectionately your father are E Lee,
19:21
Speaker 1: General W. H. Fitzhugh Lee. In a few days he
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Speaker 1: writes again, still about Smith's Island, but adds much about
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Speaker 1: the family and friends. Lexington, Virginia, October nineteenth, eighteen sixty eight.
19:34
Speaker 1: My dear fitz Hugh, I received your letter of the twelfth,
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Speaker 1: the day I last wrote to you. I am glad
19:40
Speaker 1: we agree that blank should be the minimum limit for
19:43
Speaker 1: the price of Smith's Island. You will see by my
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Speaker 1: letter referred to that it has been so fixed. December
19:50
Speaker 1: twenty second is the day proposed by mister Neil as
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Speaker 1: the time of public sale, which was approved by me.
19:57
Speaker 1: Though I feared the notice might be too short. Still well,
20:00
Speaker 1: there are good reasons for the sale being made without
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Speaker 1: unnecessary delay. I think November, which you suggest, would not
20:07
Speaker 1: afford sufficient notice. I would recommend that you and Robert
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Speaker 1: attend the sale and be governed by circumstances in what
20:14
Speaker 1: you do. I would go myself, but it would be
20:17
Speaker 1: a long, hard journey for me at that season of
20:19
Speaker 1: the year, and I do not see any material good
20:22
Speaker 1: that I can do. Mister Neil kindly offered to meet
20:25
Speaker 1: me at Cherrystone Landing and take me to his house,
20:29
Speaker 1: but I shall decline in your favor. I am sorry
20:32
Speaker 1: that Edward did not get down to see you, for
20:34
Speaker 1: I wanted him to see my daughter Tab. I am
20:37
Speaker 1: sure he has seen none like her in Paris. He
20:40
Speaker 1: left here with the purpose of visiting you and his
20:43
Speaker 1: uncle Smith, and I do not know what made him
20:46
Speaker 1: change his mind. I hope that you will get in
20:48
Speaker 1: a good crop of wheat and get it in well.
20:51
Speaker 1: The latter is very important, and, unless accomplished, may deprive
20:55
Speaker 1: you of the whole benefit of your labor and expense.
20:58
Speaker 1: We shall look anxiously for your vis vi it do
21:00
Speaker 1: not put it off too late, or the weather may
21:03
Speaker 1: be unfavorable. Our mountain country is not the most pleasant
21:06
Speaker 1: in cold weather, but we will try and make you warm.
21:10
Speaker 1: Give my love to Tab and tell her I am
21:12
Speaker 1: waiting to see her all the time. All unite in
21:15
Speaker 1: love to her and you. Your mother is about the same,
21:18
Speaker 1: very busy and full of work. Mildred is steadily improving
21:22
Speaker 1: and is able to ride on horseback, which she is
21:25
Speaker 1: beginning to enjoy Mary and Agnes very well. We see
21:29
Speaker 1: but little of Custus. He has joined the mess at
21:32
Speaker 1: the Institute, which he finds very comfortable, so that he
21:35
Speaker 1: rarely comes to our table to breakfast. Now the rest
21:38
Speaker 1: of the time he seems to be occupied with his
21:40
Speaker 1: classes and studies. Remember me to Rob. I hear of
21:44
Speaker 1: a great many weddings, but his has not been announced yet.
21:47
Speaker 1: He must not forget his house. I have not, and
21:51
Speaker 1: am going to take up the plan very soon. Mildred
21:54
Speaker 1: says a good house is an effective card in the
21:56
Speaker 1: matrimonial game. She is building a castle in there. The
22:00
Speaker 1: Harrisons propose leaving the baths tomorrow. George arrived a week ago.
22:05
Speaker 1: I did not get down Saturday to see them as
22:07
Speaker 1: I wished. I hope the health of the whole party
22:10
Speaker 1: has been improved. I wish I could spend this month
22:13
Speaker 1: with Hugh. That lower country is delightful to me at
22:16
Speaker 1: this season, and I long to be on the water again,
22:19
Speaker 1: but it cannot be. With much love, R. E. Lee,
22:24
Speaker 1: General William H. Fitzhugh Lee. The last of October he
22:29
Speaker 1: went to Staunton on some business. He rode traveler and
22:32
Speaker 1: Colonel William Allen rode with him. It was the time
22:35
Speaker 1: of the Augusta Agricultural Fair, and while there he visited
22:39
Speaker 1: the exhibition and was received by the people with great
22:42
Speaker 1: demonstrations of delight. A student standing by remarked dryly, I
22:47
Speaker 1: don't see why the Staunton people make all this to
22:49
Speaker 1: do over General Lee. Why in Lexington he sends for
22:53
Speaker 1: me to come to see him. In a letter of
22:56
Speaker 1: November second, he mentions his little journey. I have reached
23:00
Speaker 1: decently paid a visit to Staunton and saw the young
23:02
Speaker 1: people there. They seemed very happy in their fare and
23:05
Speaker 1: the bows with their bells. I rode over on traveler
23:08
Speaker 1: and was accompanied by Colonel Allen. The former was delighted
23:12
Speaker 1: at the length of the road, and the latter relieved
23:15
Speaker 1: from an obstinate cold from which he was suffering. On
23:18
Speaker 1: the second morning, just as the Knights were being marshaled
23:21
Speaker 1: to prove their prowess and devotion, we commenced our journey
23:25
Speaker 1: back to Lexington, which we reached before nine p m.
23:28
Speaker 1: Under the light of a beautiful moon. At this time,
23:32
Speaker 1: his son Fitzhugh and his new daughter paid their long
23:35
Speaker 1: promised visit, which he enjoyed immensely. My mother and sisters
23:39
Speaker 1: were charmed with her, and the entire community vied in
23:42
Speaker 1: paying her attention. My father was proud of his daughter
23:46
Speaker 1: in law, and much gratified at his son's marriage. He
23:49
Speaker 1: was delighted with the manner in which she adapted herself
23:52
Speaker 1: to the ways of all her new relations, with her
23:54
Speaker 1: sweet attention to my mother, and above all, with her punctuality.
23:59
Speaker 1: She had been warned beforehand by her husband that to
24:02
Speaker 1: please his father, she must be always ready for family prayers,
24:06
Speaker 1: which were read every morning by him just before breakfast.
24:09
Speaker 1: This she succeeded in doing, never failing once to be
24:13
Speaker 1: on time. As breakfast was at seven o'clock. It was
24:16
Speaker 1: no small feat for one not accustomed to such early hours.
24:20
Speaker 1: She said afterwards that she did not believe that General
24:23
Speaker 1: Lee would have an entirely high opinion of any person,
24:27
Speaker 1: even General Washington, if he could return to Earth if
24:31
Speaker 1: he were not ready for prayers. After a delightful visit
24:34
Speaker 1: of three weeks, my brother and his wife returned home.
24:38
Speaker 1: Just as the latter was packing, My father came into
24:41
Speaker 1: her room and filled all the space in the top
24:43
Speaker 1: of her trunk with pecan nuts, which some friend had
24:46
Speaker 1: sent him from the South. The hour fixed for the
24:49
Speaker 1: service in the college chapel was, as I have said,
24:52
Speaker 1: a quarter to eight o'clock every morning, except Sunday. In
24:56
Speaker 1: the three winter months December, January and February it was
24:59
Speaker 1: one hour hour later. As the President never failed to
25:02
Speaker 1: attend when not prevented by sickness or absence, it was
25:06
Speaker 1: necessary to have an early breakfast. After chapel, he went
25:09
Speaker 1: to his office and was seated at his desk by
25:12
Speaker 1: eight o'clock, where he remained unless called out by public business,
25:16
Speaker 1: till two p m. This room was open to all
25:19
Speaker 1: in the college who had business with him. The new
25:21
Speaker 1: students were required to report to him here in person,
25:25
Speaker 1: and from their first interviews he obtained a knowledge of
25:28
Speaker 1: the young men, of which he availed himself in their
25:30
Speaker 1: future career in the college. As president, he was always
25:34
Speaker 1: disposed to be lenient with the students who were reported
25:37
Speaker 1: for disorderly conduct or for failure in their studies or duties.
25:41
Speaker 1: He would say to the faculty when they seemed to
25:43
Speaker 1: think it necessary to send a student home, don't you
25:47
Speaker 1: think it would be better to bear with him a
25:48
Speaker 1: little longer. Perhaps we may do him some good being
25:52
Speaker 1: sent for to this office was anything but pleasant to
25:55
Speaker 1: the students. Lewis, one of the janitors, went around with
25:58
Speaker 1: the names of those the President wanted to see, written
26:02
Speaker 1: by his own hand on a long slip of paper.
26:05
Speaker 1: He carried the paper in one hand a pencil in
26:07
Speaker 1: the other, and when he could find the one he
26:10
Speaker 1: wanted in a crowd of his comrades, he took special
26:13
Speaker 1: pleasure in serving his notice, and would say, in his solemn,
26:17
Speaker 1: sepulchral voice, mister Brank, the President wants to see you
26:21
Speaker 1: at the office. Then mister Blake took the pencil and
26:24
Speaker 1: made a cross mark opposite his name, which was evidence
26:27
Speaker 1: of his having received his summons. What transpired at these
26:31
Speaker 1: interviews was seldom known, except as the student himself might
26:34
Speaker 1: reveal it, For unless it became necessary to summon the
26:38
Speaker 1: delinquent a second time, the president never alluded to the subject.
26:42
Speaker 1: An old student writes me the following account of his
26:45
Speaker 1: experience in the President's office. I was a frolicsome chap
26:49
Speaker 1: at college, and, having been absent from class an unreasonable
26:53
Speaker 1: number of times, was finally summoned to the General's office.
26:57
Speaker 1: Abject terror took possession of me. In the presence of
27:00
Speaker 1: such wise and quiet dignity, the reasons I had carefully
27:04
Speaker 1: prepared to give for my absence stood on their heads
27:07
Speaker 1: or toppled over. In reply to General Lee's grave but
27:11
Speaker 1: perfectly polite question, I stammered out a story about a
27:15
Speaker 1: violent illness, and then, conscious that I was, at that
27:19
Speaker 1: moment the picture of health, I hastened on with something
27:22
Speaker 1: about leaving my boots at the cobbler's, when Generally interrupted me. Stop,
27:27
Speaker 1: mister m he said, stop, sir, One good reason is enough.
27:31
Speaker 1: But I could not be mistaken about the twinkle in
27:34
Speaker 1: the old hero's eyes. Only a few cases required more
27:38
Speaker 1: than one summons to appear at the office. No instance
27:41
Speaker 1: is known where a student complained of injustice or harshness,
27:45
Speaker 1: and the effect on his mind was that of greater
27:48
Speaker 1: respect and admiration for the President. The new house was
27:51
Speaker 1: approaching completion, and my father was much interested in the work,
27:56
Speaker 1: going there very often and discussing with the workmen their methods.
28:00
Speaker 1: That Christmas I spent two weeks in Lexington, and many
28:03
Speaker 1: times my father took me all over the new building,
28:06
Speaker 1: explaining all the details of his plan. All of his
28:09
Speaker 1: family were here together this Christmas, except fitz Hugh and
28:13
Speaker 1: his wife, and occurrence rather rare of late years. My
28:16
Speaker 1: father's health was unusually good, and he was bright and
28:20
Speaker 1: almost gay. He wrote out, often taking me with him,
28:24
Speaker 1: and it was too cold for the girls. He also
28:26
Speaker 1: took me around with him, visiting, and in the mild
28:29
Speaker 1: festivities of the neighbors he joined with evident pleasure. My
28:33
Speaker 1: visit ended all too soon, and the first week of
28:36
Speaker 1: January I started back to the low country. Soon after
28:39
Speaker 1: my departure, he forwarded a letter to me with the
28:42
Speaker 1: accompanying one of his own Lexington, Virginia, January fourteenth, eighteen
28:47
Speaker 1: sixty nine, My Dear rob. The accompanying letter was enclosed
28:51
Speaker 1: to me by Lawrence Butler footnote the grandson of Melicustus,
28:56
Speaker 1: my grandfather's sister, who married Lawrence Lewis, the favorite nephew
29:00
Speaker 1: of Washington, and note with the request that I would
29:04
Speaker 1: forward it as he did not know your address, and
29:07
Speaker 1: urge you to be present at his wedding. I do
29:10
Speaker 1: not know that I can say more except to inform
29:12
Speaker 1: you that he says he has the very girl for you,
29:15
Speaker 1: if you will come on. You must therefore decide the
29:18
Speaker 1: question according to your best judgment. General Hope from North
29:22
Speaker 1: Carolina has also sent you his wedding cards. We have
29:25
Speaker 1: missed you very much since your departure and wished you back.
29:29
Speaker 1: I hope you got home comfortably and found all well.
29:32
Speaker 1: Drive all your work with judgment and energy, and when
29:35
Speaker 1: you have decided about the house, let me know. Tell Fitzhugh.
29:39
Speaker 1: I have signed the insurance policy and sent it to
29:42
Speaker 1: mister Wickham for his signature, with the request that he
29:45
Speaker 1: forwarded to Grubb and Williams. The weather still continues pleasant,
29:49
Speaker 1: and I fear we shall suffer for it by the
29:51
Speaker 1: late spring. There has so far been a great lack
29:54
Speaker 1: of snow, and consequently the wheat is exposed to the
29:58
Speaker 1: great changes of temperature. We are all as you left us, custos.
30:02
Speaker 1: I think looks better. No news male heavy this morning.
30:06
Speaker 1: Love to F and T with great affection, your father R. E. Lee. R. E.
30:12
Speaker 1: Lee Junior. Some one wrote to General Lee suggesting that
30:15
Speaker 1: General Grant, then the President of the United States, should
30:19
Speaker 1: be invited to Washington College. His reply was as follows, Lexington, Virginia,
30:24
Speaker 1: January eighth, eighteen sixty nine. My dear sir, I am
30:28
Speaker 1: much obliged to you for your letter of the twenty
30:30
Speaker 1: ninth olt, which I am sure has been prompted by
30:33
Speaker 1: the best motives. I should be glad if General Grant
30:36
Speaker 1: would visit Washington College, and I should endeavor to treat
30:39
Speaker 1: him with the courtesy and respect do the President of
30:42
Speaker 1: the United States. But if I were to invite him
30:45
Speaker 1: to do so, it might not be agreeable to him,
30:48
Speaker 1: and I fear my motives might be misunderstood at this time,
30:52
Speaker 1: both by himself and others, and that evil would result
30:55
Speaker 1: instead of good. I will, however, bear your suggestion in mind.
31:00
Speaker 1: I should a favorable opportunity offer, I shall be glad
31:03
Speaker 1: to take advantage of it. Wishing you happiness and prosperity.
31:07
Speaker 1: I am very respectfully your obedient servant. R. E. Lee,
31:11
Speaker 1: a lady living in New York, wrote to General Lee
31:14
Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty seven asking for a catalog of Washington
31:18
Speaker 1: College and a copy of its charter and laws. She
31:21
Speaker 1: wished also to know whether or not the college was sectarian,
31:25
Speaker 1: and if so, of what denomination. She intimated that she
31:29
Speaker 1: desired to make a donation to some institution of learning,
31:32
Speaker 1: and was rather inclined to select the Episcopal Theological Seminary
31:36
Speaker 1: near Alexandria, Virginia. The president sent her the following reply
31:41
Speaker 1: to her letter, Lexington, Virginia, June twenty fourth, eighteen sixty seven,
31:46
Speaker 1: Miss n Upshur Jones, Number one fifty six, Loffee at Avenue, Brooklyn,
31:51
Speaker 1: New York. My dear Madam, I have had the honor
31:54
Speaker 1: to receive your letter of the seventeenth instant and I
31:57
Speaker 1: send to your address a catalog of Washington College and
32:00
Speaker 1: a copy of its charter and laws. On the thirty
32:03
Speaker 1: seventh page of the former and the eleventh of the latter,
32:06
Speaker 1: you will find what is prescribed on the subject of religion.
32:10
Speaker 1: I do not know that it ever has been sectarian
32:13
Speaker 1: in its character since it was chartered as a college,
32:16
Speaker 1: but it certainly is not so. Now located in a
32:19
Speaker 1: Presbyterian community, it is natural that most of its trustees
32:23
Speaker 1: and faculty should be of that denomination, though the rector, president,
32:27
Speaker 1: and several of the professors are members of the Episcopal Church.
32:31
Speaker 1: It is furthest from my wish to divert any donation
32:35
Speaker 1: from the Theological Seminary at Alexandria, for I am well
32:38
Speaker 1: acquainted with the merits of that institution. Have a high
32:42
Speaker 1: respect for its professors, and am an earnest advocate of
32:46
Speaker 1: its object I only give you the information you desire,
32:49
Speaker 1: and wish you to follow your own preferences in the matter.
32:53
Speaker 1: With great respect, your obedient servant, R. E. Lee. In
32:57
Speaker 1: eighteen sixty nine, she wrote again, stating that she proposed
33:00
Speaker 1: breaking up housekeeping, that she had no family to whom
33:04
Speaker 1: to give her books, furniture, and silver, that she did
33:07
Speaker 1: not wish to sell them nor store them away, and
33:10
Speaker 1: had therefore determined to present them to the greatest living man,
33:14
Speaker 1: And she begged him to accept them, or, if his
33:16
Speaker 1: house was already furnished, to make use of them in
33:19
Speaker 1: his college. To this letter, he replied, Lexington, Virginia, February thirteenth,
33:25
Speaker 1: eighteen sixty nine, My dear Miss Jones, after long and
33:28
Speaker 1: diligent inquiry, I only this moment learned your address, and
33:32
Speaker 1: have been during this time greatly mortified at my inability
33:36
Speaker 1: to acknowledge the receipt and disposition of your valuable and
33:40
Speaker 1: interesting donation to Washington College. The books were arranged in
33:44
Speaker 1: the library on their arrival, the globes in the Philosophical department,
33:48
Speaker 1: while the furniture carpet's, soface chairs, et cetera, have been
33:51
Speaker 1: applied to the furnishing of the dais of the audience
33:54
Speaker 1: room of the New Chapel, to the comfort and ornament
33:58
Speaker 1: of which they are a great addition. I have yet
34:00
Speaker 1: made no disposition of the plate and tableware, and they
34:04
Speaker 1: are still in the boxes in which they came. I
34:07
Speaker 1: enclose the resolution of thanks passed by the Board of
34:10
Speaker 1: Trustees of the College at their annual meeting, to which
34:13
Speaker 1: I beg to add my personal acknowledgments and a grateful
34:17
Speaker 1: sense of your favor and kindness to this institution. It
34:20
Speaker 1: would give me great pleasure if you would visit Lexington
34:23
Speaker 1: at the commencement in June next the third Thursday, that
34:26
Speaker 1: I might then show you the successful operation of the College.
34:30
Speaker 1: Missus Lee joins me in sentiments of esteem and regard,
34:34
Speaker 1: praying that the Great and merciful God may throw around
34:37
Speaker 1: you his protecting care and love. I am with great respect,
34:41
Speaker 1: your obedient servant, R. E. Lee, Miss Anne Upshur Jones,
34:45
Speaker 1: number thirty eight, Union Square, New York. The plate, tableware,
34:49
Speaker 1: and a curious old work table for which no place
34:52
Speaker 1: could be found in the College, valuable only on account
34:55
Speaker 1: of their antiquity and quaintness, he finally allowed to be
34:59
Speaker 1: called his own. When my mother hurriedly left her home
35:02
Speaker 1: in the spring of eighteen sixty one, she found it
35:05
Speaker 1: impossible to carry away the valuable relics of General Washington,
35:09
Speaker 1: which her father had inherited from Mount Vernon and which
35:12
Speaker 1: had been objects of great interest at Arlington for more
35:15
Speaker 1: than fifty years. After the federal authorities took possession of
35:19
Speaker 1: the place, the most valuable of these Mount Vernon relics
35:22
Speaker 1: were conveyed to Washington City and placed in the Patent Office,
35:26
Speaker 1: where they remained on exhibition for many years. Labeled captured
35:31
Speaker 1: from Arlington, they were then removed to the National Museum,
35:34
Speaker 1: where they are now, but the card has been taken off.
35:38
Speaker 1: In eighteen sixty nine, a member of Congress suggested to
35:41
Speaker 1: my mother that she should apply to President Johnson to
35:44
Speaker 1: have them restored to her. In a letter from my
35:47
Speaker 1: father to this same gentleman, this bit of quiet humor
35:51
Speaker 1: occurs Lexington, Virginia, February twelve, eighteen sixty nine. Missus Lee
35:56
Speaker 1: has determined to act upon your suggestion and applyed a
35:59
Speaker 1: present Sident Johnson for such of the relics from Arlington,
36:03
Speaker 1: as are in the Patent Office. From what I have learned,
36:06
Speaker 1: a great many things formerly belonging to General Washington, bequeathed
36:10
Speaker 1: to her by her father, in the shape of books, furniture,
36:14
Speaker 1: camp equipage, et cetera, were carried away by individuals, and
36:18
Speaker 1: are now scattered over the land. I hope the possessors
36:21
Speaker 1: appreciate them and may imitate the example of their original owners,
36:25
Speaker 1: whose conduct must at times be brought to their recollection
36:29
Speaker 1: by these silent monitors. In this way they will accomplish
36:33
Speaker 1: good to the country. He refers to this same subject
36:36
Speaker 1: in a letter to the Honorable George W. Jones, Dubuque, Iowa,
36:41
Speaker 1: in reference to certain articles which were taken from Arlington
36:44
Speaker 1: about which you inquire. Missus Lee is indebted to our
36:47
Speaker 1: old friend Captain James May for the order from the
36:50
Speaker 1: president administration for their restoration to her. Congress, however, passed
36:55
Speaker 1: a resolution forbidding their return. They were valuable to her
36:59
Speaker 1: as having thee belonged to her great grandmother, Missus General Washington,
37:03
Speaker 1: and having been bequeathed to her by her father. But
37:06
Speaker 1: as the country desires them, she must give them up.
37:10
Speaker 1: I hope their presence at the Capital will keep in
37:12
Speaker 1: the remembrance of all Americans the principles and virtues of Washington.
37:17
Speaker 1: To the Honorable Thomas Lawrence Jones, who endeavored to have
37:21
Speaker 1: the order to restore the relics to missus Lee executed,
37:25
Speaker 1: The following letter of thanks was written Lexington, Virginia, March
37:29
Speaker 1: twenty ninth, eighteen sixty nine, Honorable Thomas Lawrence Jones, Washington City,
37:34
Speaker 1: District of Columbia. My dear Sir, I beg to be
37:38
Speaker 1: allowed to tender you my sincere thanks for your efforts
37:41
Speaker 1: to have restored to Missus Lee certain family relics in
37:44
Speaker 1: the Patent Office in Washington. The facts related in your
37:47
Speaker 1: speech in the House of Representatives on the third instant,
37:51
Speaker 1: so far as known to me, are correct, and had
37:53
Speaker 1: I conceived the view taken of the matter by Congress,
37:56
Speaker 1: I should have endeavored to dissuade Missus Lee from applying
37:59
Speaker 1: for the them. It may be a question with some
38:02
Speaker 1: whether the retention of these articles is more an insult
38:06
Speaker 1: in the language of the Committee on Public Buildings to
38:08
Speaker 1: the loyal people of the United States than their restoration.
38:13
Speaker 1: But of this I am willing that they should be
38:15
Speaker 1: the judge, and since Congress has decided to keep them,
38:19
Speaker 1: she must submit. However, her thanks to you, Sir, are
38:23
Speaker 1: not the less fervent for your kind intercession on her behalf,
38:27
Speaker 1: and with highest regards, I am with great respect your
38:30
Speaker 1: obedient servant. R. E. Lee. Washington's opinion of this transaction,
38:36
Speaker 1: if it could be obtained, would be of interest to
38:38
Speaker 1: many Americans. Footnote. These relics were restored to the family
38:43
Speaker 1: in nineteen o three by the order of President mc kinley.
38:47
Speaker 1: End note end of chapter eighteen