ALS, one page, lightly-lined both sides, 7.75 x 9.5, August 5, 1869. Letter to his nephew, General Fitzhugh Lee, son of his brother Commodore Sydney Smith Lee who had died two weeks earlier. Marked “[Conf]idential” by Lee at the top. A 4.75 x 1.5 portion has been cut out, which has removed the signature (and is not included), “your Uncle, R. E. Lee,” which, in turn, also removed part of the salutation and more than half of the opening three lines, cutting off the top of part of the fourth line. The remaining text, in full, “sent with a similar…I could not attend…add anything additional to the information existing on the Subject. Moreover that I thought it wiser not to keep open the sores of Civil War but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavoured to obliterate its marks & to commit to oblivion the feelings it engendered. I wrote from the White House to Col: Taylor & Col. Wood on the subject of the boys. Messrs Lancaster & Co promise to help them. I requested Custis & Fitzhugh to do for them all they can. Capt Harris wrote to me from Augusta that he had offered Smith command of a ship of which he was competent to judge. I hope it is intended for lawful commerce. I have relieved Fitzhugh of his Tabb for a season & placed her in charge of her Momma (your Aunt) at the Rockbridge Baths. I hope yours will give you no more trouble. I find them as well as usual. The little girls are here. Custis I left at W.H. He is going to Cobbs Isd: Is much better. I hope that you are all well. Do not let May & your Mother remain at R.- too long. Send them to Ravensworth & in September here. Give my love to all.” In very good condition, with aforementioned paper loss, intersecting folds, and a couple of light pencil notations. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope addressed by Robert E. Lee to his nephew, “Genl. Fitz Lee/Richland Mills P.O./Stafford County/Virginia.” The printed return address of Washington College, Lexington, Va., is printed perpendicularly, at the left edge. It bears a partial Lexington postmark, possibly Aug 6, the day after this letter was written. “1869” has been penciled at the upper left in an unknown hand; the envelope shows tears and toning. It is interesting to note that after the war ended, General Lee never attended a gathering of any kind related in any way to the conflict between the North and the South, so the portion cut out from this letter may refer to a war-related gathering, similar to other invitations he had received, which he could not (and would not) attend. This letter explains why: he felt that it would be better if the Civil War were forgotten! Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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