ROBERT E. LEE TO GEORGE W. JONES [Used here by permission of Dr. Charles L. Minor, Asheville, N.C.] MY DEAR GENL: Lexington, VA., 22 March 1869. I am very much gratified at the reception this [illegible] of your letter of the 16th Inst.; enclosing for my perusal one that you had recd from Genl A. C. Dodge, & which as you have given me permission I will retain; not merely for the expression of his kind sentiments towards me which I feel I illy deserve, but in remembrance of the writer. Were it worth his while to refer to my political record, he would find that I was not in favour of secession & was opposed to war. In fact that I was for the Constitution & the Union established by our forefathers. No one now is more in favour of that Union & that Constitution, & as far as I know it is that for which the South has all along contended & if restored as I trust they will be, I am sure there will be no truer supporters of that Union & that Constitution than the Southern people. But I must not wander into politics, a subject I carefully avoid, & return to your letter. Your communication of the 15 Jany last was especially pleasing to me and I am very glad to have authenticated under your own name statements which were made to me at the time of Gen! Gratiot's removal, as well as your high opinion of his character. I have never been associated with a person who as far as my knowledge extended laboured more earnestly or more honestly for the Government & the welfare of the people than he did. When you next come to Virginia I hope that you will not halt on the borders but penetrate the interior of the State & that you will come to Lexington. We shall be very glad to see you & I hope that you will be repaid for your journey by the pleasure which you will see your visit affords us. Though rather late I must thank you for introducing me to your friend Mrs. (Naim) whom I met last summer at the Warm Springs. We found her & her sister most agreeable companions & charming ladies. I wished to write to you at that time but they can tell you how closely I was occupied night & day in nursing a sick daughter. I have thought of your friends very often since their departure & hope that their health has been permanently benefited by their visit to our mountains & that they will be encouraged to repeat it. Please present my kindest regards to every member of your family, especially to your brave sons, who aided in our struggle for state's rights & constitutional government. We failed, but in the good Providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing. I trust it may eventuate so in this instance. In reference to certain articles which were taken from Arlington, about which you inquire, Mrs. Lee is indebted to our old friend Capt. James May for the order from the late administration for their restoration to her. Congress, however, passed a resolution forbidding their return. They were valuable to her as having belonged to her great grandmother & having been bequeathed to her by her father. But as the country desires them she must give them up. I hope their presence at the Capital will keep in the remembrance of all Americans the principles & virtues of Washington. With my earnest prayers for the peace & happiness of yourself & all your family I am with true respect GENL GEO. W. JONES. Your friend & servant R. E. LEE. DOLLY MADISON TO HER NIECE, MARY CUTTS [From 'Memoirs and Letters of Dolly Madison,' edited by her grand-niece. Copyright, 1888, Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Used here by permission.] MONTPELIER, July 30, 1826. YOUR letter, my dearest niece, with the one before it, came quite safely, for which I return thanks and kisses. I rejoice too, dear Dolly, to see how well you write and express yourself, and am as proud of all your acquirements as if you were my own daughter. I trust you will yet be with me this summer, when I shall see your improvement in person also, and enjoy the sweet assurance of your affection. Mary Lee and her husband have been indisposed, but are better. They say often they hope you will come with your dear mother, as do all your relatives and friends in this quarter. The old lady-even the negroes, young and old, want to see you, dear. We had old Mr. Patterson and his son Edward from Baltimore to stay with us several days, and they tell me that Madame Bonaparte is still in France, and her son gone to Rome to visit his father. Mr. Monroe left us yesterday, disappointed in his views of raising money from his land. Mr. B. continued on his way to the Springs, and I am disappointed at not sending a packet to you, enclosing the flounce which I wanted you to wear, worked by me long ago. I received by the last post a letter from your cousin Payne, at New York; he writes in fine health and spirits, and says he will be detained only a few weeks longer in that city. I sincerely hope to see him soon, though it is impossible for him to prefer Virginia to the North. If I were in Washington with you I know I could not conform to the formal rules of visiting they now have, but would disgrace myself by rushing about among my friends at all hours. Here I find it most agreeable to stay at home, everything around me is so beautiful. Our garden promised grapes and figs in abundance, but I shall not enjoy them unless your mamma comes, and brings you to help us with them; tell the boys they must come too. Alas! poor Walter, away at sea! I can scarcely trust myself to think of him-his image fills my eyes with tears. aunt, Adieu, and believe me always your tender mother and DOLLY P. MADISON. P. S. We are very old-fashioned here. Can you send me a paper pattern of the present sleeve, and describe the width of dress and waist; also how turbans are pinned up, bonnets worn, as well as how to behave in the fashion? |