War-dated LS signed “R. E. Lee,” one page both sides, 4.75 x 8, October 14, 1862. Letter to Secretary of War George H. Randolph. In full: “Mr. Edenborough the English Naval officer concerning whom I received a letter from the Secretary of State yesterday, arrived at my Hd. Qrs. today. In a conversation with him, he admitted without hesitation that he belonged to the English East India Navy, and I suppose that his assertion that he was an officer of the Royal navy was made from a desire to increase his importance. There is nothing for him to do in this army, and my opinion of his honesty is not so much affected by his statement as to his position, as to cause me to detain him. I have accordingly given him a passport to return to Richmond where he may be able to find employment, should nothing be found to attach suspicion to his character.” Beautifully double-cloth-matted and framed with a copy of the front of the letter, a portrait of Lee, a small name plaque, and an engraved transcript of the letter to an overall size of 36.25 x 18. In fine condition, with some splitting along intersecting folds, some scattered mild toning, and show-through from writing on opposing sides.
By October of 1862, less then five months after taking command of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee had convinced a skeptical Confederacy of his exemplary leadership and strategic abilities, running McClellan off the Peninsula, defeating Pope at Second Manassas, and pushing the battle lines from just six miles outside Richmond to twenty miles outside Washington. Growing his army ranks, Lee was also aware of the burgeoning Confederate Navy’s situation; building itself from essentially nothing, struggling to finance new developments, and lacking skilled men, the CSN’s challenges were immense. With a new naval school at Richmond, Lee sent this letter to refer an “officer of the Royal navy,” who—assuming his character opens no cause for concern upon further scrutiny—may be better utilized there. With strong economic ties (England was a major buyer of American cotton), a large British population in New Orleans, and widespread sympathy for the South’s struggle for independence, many Englishmen played active roles in the Confederacy and remained loyal through the duration of the war. An interesting letter from the early years of the war, as the Confederacy worked to build itself both on land and at sea. Oversized. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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