Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-17
A LETTER OF 1862.
ROBERT z. LEE TO HIS BROTHER SID
NEy SMITH LEE.
A Mention Of Warn 0vercoat and OF the
Promotion Of q Gallant
Cavalryman.

when The Dispatch man mado bis rounds
! through the Capitol yesterday morning ne
found the Governor hard at work cleaning
on, one Of his own desks, which had In 1t
the accumulated papers OF many years
letters from parents and friends, public
documents, army orders. and memoranda OF
great variety we're there assembled in the
queer way these things gather In the course
Of years. Choicest Of all were package oil
letters from the hand Of Robert 4. Lee. They
were In the precise but not strained writing
peculiar 20 that considerGte and though'fui
mind. and were yellow with age. some
were IN envelopes made OF brown paper,
not as good IN quality as much that Is now
used TO wr,p brown sugar. Most OF these
had come into the Governors hands with
large lot OF other writings which had belong
ell 10 his father. While the Governor was
otherwise engaged the reporter felt war
ranied in copying the following:
Nv Dear smith, send by General
Martin your OvercOat. II was 4 great COM
fort TO me and kept me very warm. but 1t is
not waterproof. | was out till II that night.
Upon nv return found FitzhugPs promo
Ton, which had spilled Tor some days be-
fore. | consider him one OF our best
cavalry officers. He, Of course, knew no.
thing OF my application, and when his pro-
motion wa announced 10 him be could ind
but one ohieciiOn-viz, bis Tear he might
be mistaken for the other General Lee, and
that they would b. 20 mixed up together
they would not be able TO tell one from the
other. Ipity HIM II he is mistaken for me.
With much love and affection,
Your brother, Il. +. LEE.
Captain s. $. lie.
3lst July, lSG2.
GREAT MANI SCOUT.
The Captain 5. s. Lee - whom the letter
was addressed was 4 sou OF Light Horse
Harry Lee, OF Revolutionary fame, and was
brother OF General x. L. Lee. lie was
bred 10 the sea az naval officer. and at the
tine above mentioned was m command OF
the impo tsnt post OF Drewry's Blua. Here
was formidable fort and earthwoFks
branching ont from II north and south; and
In the river were stationed number OK Con-
fedcrate W r.ships and eunbOat~.
The Federal army. which had been defeat
ed In TIE Seven DAYS battles, was inirench-
cd at Hirrison's Landing, and was making
ready to move OFF 10 tue field OF Second Ma
nassas, where Lee again met them and again
routed them.
1t looks very much as II Lee borrowed
this OvercOat TO 20 on TecOnn0ltring eX-
petition.
WATCHING THE ENEMY.
It may be that in company wfth his bro
Their he went aboard a gunbost and dropped
down the river to a point where he could
get view OF the eDemy's shipping and
camp, and that then, leaving the boat, be
made further explorations ashore, aud re-
turned to his headquarters without gong
back 10 hl' brother.
On the 3ist OF July the army Of Mcclellan
wqs preparing 10 slip away from Lee and
return to the Potomac to protect the Capitol,
and II possible fall upon Jackson with tue
view o; extermlnatiug that, 10 them, OBJ
uoX!ous officer.
THE COAT.
Lee, II will be seen. was on the alert and
was using his own eyes to obtain lnforma'
tion-a custom be was well known TO in
dulge in where possiDle-and vas evidently
out IN a drenchiug ram, and must have been
wctied 10 the skin, el.e he never would have
mentioned the fact that at [the coat Is not
waterproof
That remark was In keeping with the quiet
and quaint humOr 50 Characteristic OF Gene
raj zee, and OF which another Instance, II
nav be, is found where he quotes "Fiiz-
bueh0 "a expressing fear be would be mis-
taken for the other General Lee. II Is either
q pleasantly OF mis- Own or may have been
the actual jocular utteranco Of "Fltznugh,'
since thlt young gentleman then sometimes
threw shade OF irony INTO bis remarks.
Tue PAST.
However this may be the letter IS an in
tere.ting S0UUear OF past that IS van
ished and gone, but the memories OF which
will no more die than the grass which
covers the graves at Hollywood. which some
times fades away under whitening heat aud
sometimes under winters cold, but only TO
come out again in the spring sweeter, iresher,
aud more vigorous than ever.
DREwRY's BLUFF.
In the DAYS Of the war Drewry's BluiI
wa, the Gibraltar OF Richmond
II bad been assaIed by water and by land,
and on each occasion the enemy was buried
bacG with violence which made him too
sore 70 move again for long time.
1t vas a busy, busiling "a rison, where
uniforms OF sailors. marines, and army OIL
Gers and soldiers were mingled. In inter.
walls Of fighting The dress parade, were very
snowy, and many people went down from
the city TO witness them. The place was
easily reached. for tug-boat ran between It
sud the city every hour, aud II was also con"
nected with Richmond by good roads and by
ieleeraphic wires.
4 few graves, the ruins OF forts aud
bresstworks, thsFOtterins remnants OF bar
racks, AID nere and there in the woods or
fields u pieee OF rusted bayonei, or frag-
mont OF a shell or part OF a csrtridge-box,
are all that remain TO identify the spot with
a heroic period and heroic men.
Most OF those who filed the camps are
gone. They have disappeared with the
boom OF the great guns and the smoke OF
the camp-fres; goae in the flesh, but present
in the spirit with all who love their state ana
revere deeds that hOnoTed our race and our