MARY CUSTIS LEE et al: AUTOGRAPHED LETTERS SIGNED
This group of three Mary Custis Lee autographed letters signed, is part of our collection of seven letters or documents of Lee family members.
The letter includes examples signed by R. E. Lee, Jr. (1914 letter mentioning the death of his uncle), a 1844 request for a two-horse plough written by George Washington Parke Custis, a 1913 Mary Custis Lee ALS agreeing to send a pre-War autograph of her father, a 5-page 1879 ALS from Lee's son G. W. C. Lee commenting on Southern-born men who served in the Union army as well as the authenticity of several letters of his father, a War Department form dated 1881 listing the military record of General G. W. C. Lee with annotations in Lee's hand detailing his war-time service around the Richmond area, a 4-page 1870 Marietta C. Lee ALS expressing regret on reaching the deathbed of her father too late after traveling to Lexington from Detroit and being slowed down by flooding, and a 1911 ALS by G. W. C. Lee discussing genealogy of the Washington family.
The Mary Custis Lee (Mrs. Robert E. Lee) autographed letters signed date from 1861, 1871 and 1873.
The April 27, 1861 letter deals extensively with the possible donation of original furniture to Mt. Vernon (repaired separation at folds). The March 6,1871 letter deals with the submission of photographs for models ("none are perfect though each has merit. The sublime repose as well as strength & harmony of Genl Lee's features & countenance it seems very difficult to portray for no one has succeeded perfectly") with scattered tape repairs to separations. The April 30, 1873 2-page letter talks about sending a painting of Martha Washington to Baltimore for restoration, contrary to the opinion of Mr. Guillaume who thought it should be left as-is.