Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-10-30
An unpublished Letter from Robert
Morris 10 gen. IL. T.. Lees Father.

n
Morris 10 Gen. X. Il. Lees Father.
From the New Orleans Times]
Robert Morris, of Philadelphia, though
the manager of the finances of the re-
public during the Revolution, and mer-
chant Of great sagacity and enterprise,
who. together with that patriotic Isreel.
ite, Haym Salomop, grandfather of our
felow-citizsn, Mr.. E. Salomon, betrayed
from his private means the expenses OF
the Revolutionary Congress during its
sessions in Philadelphia, and fnally re-
leased himself by an assignment of his
property in bankruptcy. Now BY mel
ancholy coincidence it appears at the
same time, to-wit: in 1901, another dis
tiuguished actor in the revolutionary
drama was suffering from like misfor-
tune and its penalty. This was Gen. Harry
Lee" Light Horse Harry" as he was
called-ihe father of Gen. R e Lee.
General Harry Lee had become largely
involved in debt, and was then held
under bail within the limits of Spottsyl-
vania county, Virginia This is the
same county in which his son, so many
years after, won such renown as the
greatest military genius and hero of his
age-where the son had so often proved
a victor, the father had been subjected to
the ignominious captivity of bail writ.
Little slips of paper, issued by clerk
and served by sheriff, had proved
more potent than British bayonets and
sabers iu restricting the freedom and sub
jugating the proud spirit of the gallant
chief of the famous Light Dragoons."
While suffering from this, the most ter
rible of all calamities to brave and hon.
orable soldier imprisonment for debit,
General Lee naturally turned to his old
friend, and the once great fiuancier OF
the republic, Robert Morris, and solicited
the payment of an old debt due him by
Mr.. Morris. Yesterday we were favored
with sight of the original letter of Mr.
Morris in reply to the request OF his COM
patriot, which is an interesting and val
liable memorial of the olden time, and is
preserved as such by gentleman whose
ancestor was friend and partner of Mr..
Morris. This letter, directed to General
Henry Lee, near Fredericksburg, Va, is
written in firm, bold hand. 1t reveals
the misfortunes of two distinguished
worthless of the Revolution, and exhibits
.the high tone of manly generosity, frank
ness and sensitive honesty of their gen.
Grafton in regard to debts 1t shows, too,
that insolvency and monetary distress
we're quite as common in the early as in
the latest days of the Republic, but then
the consequences of debt we're much
more serious, and the release therefrom
more difficult then than now:
PHILADELPHIA. August 27. 1901
Dear Sir Your two distressing letters,
under date of the 7sh July, found me en-
gagged in very serious and to me an i'm
portant business, that of making state
ment of my affairs and dependencies,
which was completed and laid before the
Commissioners of Bankruptcy land such
of my creditors as attended) last night,
and ss tits full and complete so it gave
satisfaction, and they restored me to my
home and family. which / hope (uotwith-
standing your sufferings) you will be
pleased to hear. | am now, my dear
friend, at liberty to walk in the open air,
but have not one single solitary dollar
that can be called my. own, and after
having passed my 9Th year am to begin
some pursuit or other for subsistence of
myself and family. You will clearly see
by this, my actual situation, that my
good wishes is all that is left in my
power; these you have and ever will have.
If in any future event | can be service
able to you, nothing can make me hap
pier than such an opportunity of evinc-
ing my gratitude and attachment.
Isuppose you will empower somebody
to prove your debt. Sincerely yours,
RoBr. MORRIS.