ALS signed “R. E. Lee,” one page, 7.75 x 9.75, March 16, 1851. Written when Brevet Colonel Lee was overseeing construction of Fort Carroll near Baltimore, in part, "I am much obliged to you for your letter of the 12th. I must however decline the services of Capt. Kidds skipper. He does not take into consideration the difference of my employment & that in which he has been engaged. We bury treasure instead of raising it. The difference in profits you perceive is striking. My chief overseer gets only $3 per day. $2.50 per day is the highest I can give for a S. overseer, & perhaps will therefore have to turn diver myself. I have offered $2 per day for Bellman, but do not know whether I can get them. I however expect to get a man to take charge of the Bell for $2.50 per day. If you come across any good Bellmen please let me know." In fine condition, with an unobtrusive short tear to the right edge. In 1847, the State of Maryland gave permission to the United States War Department to construct a fort in the shallow water of Soller's Point Flats to protect the city of Baltimore. Then Brevet-Colonel Robert E. Lee designed the hexagonal structure and supervised the construction, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commenced in 1848. The fort received its name on October 8, 1850 and, in 1852, Lee left Baltimore to become Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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