Handwritten Letter From George Washington Custis Lee To His Cousin Fitzhugh Lee Thirty Years After The War; It Discusses His Father And James Longstreet, And Relitigates The Battles Of Gettysburg And Wilderness

GEORGE WASHINGTON CUSTIS LEE (1832-1913). Lee was the oldest son of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. He was an aide-de-camp to Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the Civil War and then succeeded his father as President of Washington & Lee University. FITZHUGH LEE (1835-1905). Lee was the son of Sydney Lee, a naval veteran, and nephew of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. After the war, he served as the 40th Governor of Virginia between 1886-1890. ALS. 7pg. 8” x 10”. February 11, 1896. Lexington, Virginia. A lengthy autograph letter signed “G.W.C. Lee”, the son of General Robert E. Lee, to his cousin Fitzhugh Lee. The letter discusses a recent court of inquiry into their father’s conduct during the Battle of Gettysburg: “I know nothing of the Court of Inquiry after the battle of Gettysburg, to which you refer, except what I have seen in the newspapers…in fact, I do not recollect to have every heard my father say anything about the battle of Gettysburg and its consequences. Nor have I ever heard, before the receipt of your last letter, that Genl. Lee recommended Genl. Longstreet for the Command of Genl. Bragg’s army”. After discussing his health, Custis Lee continues: “I send you herewith the statement [not included] of Genl. Lee in reference to Genl. Longstreet’s being 24 hrs. late at the Battle of the Wilderness, in which he was wounded. I made the same statement to Genl. Longstreet, a number of years ago, in answer to a letter from him on the subject; and, as I did not have a reply from him, thought that he was satisfied with it. Perhaps Col. Walter Payton, or other of the staff, may know something about the matter. I only know what Genl. Lee told me substantially what I state in the paper herewith. It may be that some one of Genl. Longstreet’s staff sent the young officer, or man, or guide, away; I think Genl. Lee designated him as a young officer who was familiar with the Country – who had been engaged during the winter in making a survey of the woods, etc…” That Robert E. Lee never discussed one of the most significant battles of the Civil War with his son, a military man himself, says much about General Lee’s character. The mentions of General James Longstreet are also telling, for Fitzhugh Lee was among Longstreet’s most prominent detractors. Fitzhugh Lee blamed Longstreet for the defeat at Gettysburg and therefore of the Confederacy, as well as for his own near-mortal wounding the next year. This laid the groundwork for a key tenet of the Lost Cause ideology. This same year, Longstreet wrote his autobiography, and Fitzhugh Lee was a major target. This letter is likely in response to its publishing. The statement referenced in the letter is not included, but the letter is in fine condition and a unique window into the post-war mindset of the Lee family and the burgeoning Lost Cause ideology.