Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington letters, 1861/1868

Access and use

Location of collection:
Washington and Lee University, Leyburn Library
Special Collections and Archives
James G. Leyburn Library
Washington and Lee University
204 W. Washington Street
Lexington, VA 24450
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tom Camden
Phone: (540) 458-8649
Phone: (540) 463-8109
Fax: (540) 463-8964
Restrictions:

This collection is available for research use.

Terms of access:

The materials from Washington and Lee University Special Collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used should be fully credited with the source. Permission for publication of this material, in part or in full, must be secured with the Head of Special Collections.

Preferred citation:

Preferred citation:"Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington letters," WLU Coll. 0669, Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA

In some cases the citation format may vary. Please contact Special Collections' staff to verify the appropriate format.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists primarily of six letters written from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington between September 1861 and December 1868. Louisa Washington was the eldest child of John Augustine Washington, III of Fauquier County, Va., the last Washington family descendant and private individual to own the Washington family estate Mount Vernon. A key subject of select letters is Colonel John A. Washington's death on September 13, 1861 while serving on the staff of General Robert E. Lee as his aide de camp. Washington was killed by Union soldiers while on a reconnaissance mission in western Virginia – a striking blow to Lee, as not only was Washington a lineal descendant of George Washington, but they had also become very close friends during their months together since the onset of the American Civil War. Included in this collection is Col. Washington's final dispatch written his hand and sent to Lee just before he died. Lee kept the final note throughout the Civil War until returning it to Louisa as a keepsake of her father. Another highlight is a letter in which Lee, upon Louisa's request, offers advice to her concerning a memorial inscription for her father's grave monument. Lee provides insights about memorial inscriptions including generally accepted protocols and his personal feelings on the subject.

Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870Chew, Louisa Fontaine Washington, 1844-1927Washington, John Augustine, 1821 - 1861Confederate States of America. Army

Control Folder/repositories/5/archival_objects/12520English11<head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Folder includes background information on Louisa Fontaine (Washington) Chew and her father John A. Washington, III and transcriptions of the letters.</p>Letters from Robert E. Lee to Edward Turner, Esq. and Louisa Washington/repositories/5/archival_objects/125212 Item1861-09-14English12Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington /repositories/5/archival_objects/125231862-10-25English13Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington/repositories/5/archival_objects/125241863-11-13English14Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington /repositories/5/archival_objects/12525August 31, 1865English15<head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Robert E. Lee sends to Louisa Washington her father's final hand written reconnaisance dispatch from moments before he was killed on September 13, 1865. In the accompanying letter, Lee shares that he had kept the dispatch with him for the entire war. The original dispatch describing his location and that of the Federal soldiers in the vicinity and his plan of action is written on a small memo book page. It is signed by Washington and docketed by Lee.</p>Final dispatch of John Augustine Washington, III to R.E. Lee /repositories/5/archival_objects/160271861-09-13English15Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington /repositories/5/archival_objects/143981868-01-01English16Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington/repositories/5/archival_objects/125261868-12-11English17

Summary

Extent:
8 Item
Language:
This collection is entirely in English.
Preferred citation:

Preferred citation:"Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington letters," WLU Coll. 0669, Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA

In some cases the citation format may vary. Please contact Special Collections' staff to verify the appropriate format.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists primarily of six letters written from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington between September 1861 and December 1868. Louisa Washington was the eldest child of John Augustine Washington, III of Fauquier County, Va., the last Washington family descendant and private individual to own the Washington family estate Mount Vernon. A key subject of select letters is Colonel John A. Washington's death on September 13, 1861 while serving on the staff of General Robert E. Lee as his aide de camp. Washington was killed by Union soldiers while on a reconnaissance mission in western Virginia – a striking blow to Lee, as not only was Washington a lineal descendant of George Washington, but they had also become very close friends during their months together since the onset of the American Civil War. Included in this collection is Col. Washington's final dispatch written his hand and sent to Lee just before he died. Lee kept the final note throughout the Civil War until returning it to Louisa as a keepsake of her father. Another highlight is a letter in which Lee, upon Louisa's request, offers advice to her concerning a memorial inscription for her father's grave monument. Lee provides insights about memorial inscriptions including generally accepted protocols and his personal feelings on the subject.

Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870Chew, Louisa Fontaine Washington, 1844-1927Washington, John Augustine, 1821 - 1861Confederate States of America. Army

Control Folder/repositories/5/archival_objects/12520English11<head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Folder includes background information on Louisa Fontaine (Washington) Chew and her father John A. Washington, III and transcriptions of the letters.</p>Letters from Robert E. Lee to Edward Turner, Esq. and Louisa Washington/repositories/5/archival_objects/125212 Item1861-09-14English12Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington /repositories/5/archival_objects/125231862-10-25English13Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington/repositories/5/archival_objects/125241863-11-13English14Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington /repositories/5/archival_objects/12525August 31, 1865English15<head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Robert E. Lee sends to Louisa Washington her father's final hand written reconnaisance dispatch from moments before he was killed on September 13, 1865. In the accompanying letter, Lee shares that he had kept the dispatch with him for the entire war. The original dispatch describing his location and that of the Federal soldiers in the vicinity and his plan of action is written on a small memo book page. It is signed by Washington and docketed by Lee.</p>Final dispatch of John Augustine Washington, III to R.E. Lee /repositories/5/archival_objects/160271861-09-13English15Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington /repositories/5/archival_objects/143981868-01-01English16Letter from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington/repositories/5/archival_objects/125261868-12-11English17

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists primarily of six letters written from Robert E. Lee to Louisa Washington between September 1861 and December 1868. Louisa Washington was the eldest child of John Augustine Washington, III of Fauquier County, Va., the last Washington family descendant and private individual to own the Washington family estate Mount Vernon. A key subject of select letters is Colonel John A. Washington's death on September 13, 1861 while serving on the staff of General Robert E. Lee as his aide de camp. Washington was killed by Union soldiers while on a reconnaissance mission in western Virginia – a striking blow to Lee, as not only was Washington a lineal descendant of George Washington, but they had also become very close friends during their months together since the onset of the American Civil War. Included in this collection is Col. Washington's final dispatch written his hand and sent to Lee just before he died. Lee kept the final note throughout the Civil War until returning it to Louisa as a keepsake of her father. Another highlight is a letter in which Lee, upon Louisa's request, offers advice to her concerning a memorial inscription for her father's grave monument. Lee provides insights about memorial inscriptions including generally accepted protocols and his personal feelings on the subject.

Folder includes background information on Louisa Fontaine (Washington) Chew and her father John A. Washington, III and transcriptions of the letters.

Robert E. Lee sends to Louisa Washington her father's final hand written reconnaisance dispatch from moments before he was killed on September 13, 1865. In the accompanying letter, Lee shares that he had kept the dispatch with him for the entire war. The original dispatch describing his location and that of the Federal soldiers in the vicinity and his plan of action is written on a small memo book page. It is signed by Washington and docketed by Lee.

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