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Just Before 1st Manassas Robert E. Lee Writes his B

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LEE, Robert Edward (1807-1870) was a career United States Army officer, an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history. Lee was the son of Major General Henry Lee III "Light Horse Harry" (1756–1818), Governor of Virginia, and his second wife, Anne Hill Carter (1773–1829). He was a descendant of Sir Thomas More and of King Robert II of Scotland through the Earls of Crawford.[1] A top graduate of West Point, Lee distinguished himself as an exceptional soldier in the U.S. Army for thirty-two years, during which time he fought in the Mexican-American War and then chose state alligence over the Federal government and led the Army of Northern Virginia on behalf of the Confederate government until war ended in 1865. Autograph Letter Signed, "RE Lee" 2p. octavo, Richmond, Virginia, July 19, 1861, addressed to his brother Carter Lee, and reads "I was much pleased with your letter, your sentiments the patriotic & classical spirit it displayed. It requires all those feelings to fire the hearts & harden the nerves of our people in the present contest. They do not seem to realize their position or the immenity of the stake. It is more than life & death. It requires time or dire calamity to make soldiers out of men. We hazard too much in precipitating matters. The safe policy is the surest. The success of the forward movement you propose could not reasonably be counted on. Its failure would be disastrous. We must suffer & wait & if possible acustom our troops to fire by detachments before forcing a general engagment. The day your Servant was in town I expected to leave the next day & had so much to arrange could not write. The disastrous accounts from the N.W. the death of Garnett, who died every inch a soldier, determined me to go to that Army to endeavor to restore it & my prepartations were made to start in the AM. That night reports from Beauregard & Johnston indicated surely what is now transpiring in their part & the Pres. objected to my leaving. This now detains me. I will send to Mrs. Taylors the swords & epauletts I spoke of. Just put them aside in your house. Please give much love to Sis. Lucy & the boys..." Fine.

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