Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-25
LETTERS OF R. f. LEE.
HIS SYMPATHY FOR HIS STARVING
AND SHOELEsS MEN.
paihetic Appeals to the Confederate
Government for Provisions
and Clothing.

r, "sTtor of fe Dip1'ci:
rn not know az ANYTHING that could
possibly hc NJ more a sorhing interest TO
'he Arcr of Northern Virginia than the
deep. heartfelt. anxious sollcitude OF Gene
f.I / ee fur the forces under his command;
Rri louot know where this is so abun
I.rtt aud sp beautifully portrayed as IN
ra letters II General Lee to President
Davis. 90 the Secretary of War. TO tho
Qutte-ua,ter- aud Commlssary-Gene
:. tlc various generals under him. ana 10
every other person 10 whom ne coulu oN
o.. possibility appeal
T.a letters will be found in full in Longs
lftut lee. have extracted from them
or.r .uci portions as related 10 the destl-
g. condition OF his men, and the agony
which 10 occasioned him. They ought 20
Erw II. They ought TO know that he wit
. .-.. lit.thgtit wrunc hls heart and that ne
Did everything that he could do toremodY
t laev ought % know and the world
ought to know that the great master-mind
o' fhe war. that ought only 20 have been
concerned about strategy, was. engaged
chiefly in thoughts about the deplorabie
coral, on 81 hie men, " Thousands OF Wuoin
g., without shoes" thousands Of whom
g., ,arg-lo1tcd, % nearly all without over
coats. lmakcts. or warm clothing" who
Vs.. a'ways d" less uneasy about holding our
position than about our ability to procure
Fur'lcs for the army" 20 whom the
suaiue-' specu f. OF the war which h,
witnessed wa, Stbe cheerfulness and
aa.r'y exhibited by this army in the puT;
snIf ~ tie euemv under all the trials ana
prtalon. 90 which il ls exposed.
The dates and the address of the letters
Sro given. 81 that we may see when, where,
and % whom they were written. Ihey are
es follows:
ALEXANDRIA AND LELspURG ROAD,
NEAR DRANEsvILLE,
September g, 1862.
IT, F'o rcy Prcsdent Dauis:
" Tic army IS poorly equipped for the in-
vas..1 of an enemy's territory. 1t lacks
r-.l ci the material Of war, Is feeble IN
transportation. the animals being much
Ir-Ieal. and the men are poorly provided
v'1 shoes. clothes. and in thousands OF
instances are destitute Of Shoes.
u the QuartcrmasteTs Department can
finnish any shoes IL would be the greatest
relief. We have entered upon September
t1d tAe nights are becoming cool
Two Mnrs FRoM Frederick. MD..
September Z, 1852. }
- rgorV0acy President DGUis:
"l shall endeavor TO purchase horses.
cC,hng. shoes. and medical stores for our
pes % use. aud YOU will see the facility
would arise from bciug provided WIN
IN means Of paying for them"
NJoEr or THE CArTUgE or RAEPEBs FERRY
AND cPEBATioSs IN Maryland.
Although not properly equipped for IN
Ws on, lacking much OF the material Of war
ad feeble in transportation. the troops
toof.v provided with clothing, and thou
sands of them destitute OF shoes II was vet
believed % be strong enough To dstaln the
elsmr upon the northern frontier until
~ appr0ach of winter should render bis
t.yelce into Virginia difficult u not impos.
sbic' THE arduouf
service iu which our troops had been en-;
ta2ed. their great priyations OF rest and
i'od and the long marches without shoe.
over mountain roads had greatly reduced
or ranks before the action (Antiotain) De
fsa."
HiorEsTowS, Mp.. September i2, 1862.
h@ A1ceaeHcy Presidal Dagts;
thousand pair Of shoes and some
eiothing were obtained in fredericktown
,So hundred and fifty pair IN Wilnans
port, and about four hundred in this city
hese were not sufficient 70 cover the bnr'
'eeI Of the army"
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT or
koRTHEag VIRGINIA..
December 2. 1862.
hon. Secretary Of War,
sE.-I have the honor 10 report to yol
.hat there is still great want OF shoes u
we army. between 1900 and 5000 mon DC
.hg a. present barefooted. Many have los
sasI shoes in tho long marches over rovRl
N~as recently made. and the numbex fos