ALS signed “R. E. Lee,” one page, lightly-lined, 5 x 6.5, October 9, 1868. Letter to Mr. Edwin James. In full: “I have forgotten the year in which Mr. Charles Lee was born, also the date of the birth of Judge Bushrod Washington, I have no records to which I can refer. By reference to Dr. Thos: Miller of Washington City who married the 2nd daughter of Mr. Lee, you may probably learn the date of the births of both gentlemen.” Elaborately triple-matted and framed by the Kenneth R. Laurence Galleries with a color engraved portrait of Lee, a “Genealogy Chart of the Lees of Virginia,” and a descriptive plaque, with a subtle embossed ‘Tree of Life’ in the mat, to an overall size of 34.5 x 28.25. In fine condition, with a mild overall shade of toning to letter from previous display.
Within months of his surrender to Grant and the close of the Civil War, Robert E. Lee became the President of Washington College in Virginia, where he would remain until his death five years later. During this time, he prepared a historical account of his life, working hard to leave behind clear and accurate genealogical records—this letter was seemingly written to obtain data for this project. He asks the recipient for the birth date of “Charles Lee,” most certainly referring to his uncle, brother of his father, ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee. Charles Lee (1758-1815) was appointed U. S. Attorney General by President Washington in 1795, a post at which he remained until the end of John Adams’s term in 1801. Lee’s second inquiry is to obtain the date of birth of Bushrod Washington, George Washington’s favorite nephew and an Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court for over 30 years. This request was in reference to his wife, Martha Washington’s great-granddaughter, Mary Anna Custis’s lineage. Working to create a clear account of his life and family tree, this letter gives us a glimpse into the topic that occupied the great general’s mind during his final years. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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