Letters and other Papers: 1801-1850

More than 3,600 letters, legal documents, books, and other papers are available at the Lee Family Digital Archive. We are in the process of adding new documents to our database daily. Items added before September 2015 are found at this link.

To view a transcript of a letter, click on either the sender or recipient name. We are in the process of adding scanned images of letters, which will be available in the “Original” column.

To see letters we have uploaded into our new format, see the list below:

Richard Bland Lee   Charles Lee1801 July 31 
Thomas Read   William Wyatt and John Warren1802 January 4 
Edmund J. Lee   Gawen Corbin Turberville1803 August 9 
Thomas Ludwell Lee   George Carter1803 September 27 
Richard Bland Lee   William Hodgson1805 May 6 
Charles Lee   Gawen C. Turberville1805 May 10 
Richard Bland Lee   Thomas Jones1805 October 2 
Ann Hill Carter Lee   “Mrs. Lee”1806 March 15 
Ann Hill Carter Lee   Light Horse Harry Lee1806 July 6 
Ann Hill Carter Lee   Richard Bland Lee1807 January 11 
Light Horse Harry Lee   Robert Goodloe Harper1808 July 27 
Theodorick Lee   Unknown1809 August 28Theodorick Lee to Unknown
Richard Bland Lee   William Goddard1810 May 23 
Lucy Grymes Lee Carter       Alice Lee Shippen1812 December 8 
Light Horse Harry Lee   John Burke1812 December 10 
Light Horse Harry Lee   Ferdinand O’Neale1813 May 3 
Lucy Grymes Lee Carter   Alice Lee Shippen1813 June 8 
Lucy Grymes Lee Carter   Alice Lee Shippen1813 November 21 
Charles Lee   Richard Bland Lee1814 January 8 
Russell Goodrich   Andrew Goodrich1816 February 26 
Henry Lee, IV   John B. Nicolson1816 April 3 
Thomas Powell   Henry Lee IV1816 September 4

Thomas Powell to Henry Lee IV, page 2, page 3, page 4

Henry Lee IV   To the Electors1816 October 28 
Light Horse Harry Lee   Unknown1817 April 25 
Joseph Brittain   N. Shackelford1817 August 23 
Light Horse Harry Lee   James H. Caustens1818 [no date]Light Horse Harry Lee to James H. Caustens
William Barnwell   Henry Lee IV1818 March 27 
Henry Lee IV   Ann Hill Carter Lee1818 June 11Henry Lee IV to Ann Hill Carter Lee, Page 2
Ann Hill Carter Lee   Philip Richard Fendall, II1819 May 28 
Henry Lee IV   Robert Carter1821 February 8 
Elizabeth McCarty   Court of Westmoreland County1821 February 26 
Ann Calvert Stuart Robinson   Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis1821 March 4 
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 August 21Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 September 4Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 September 11Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 September 12 
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 September 18Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 October 7Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 October 9Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo, Page 2, Page 3
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 October 16Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 October 29Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 November 6Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 November 7Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV
Robert Mayo   Elizabeth McCarty1821 November 9Robert Mayo to Elizabeth McCarty, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5
Robert Mayo   Margaret Rose1821 November 10Robert Mayo to Margaret Rose, Page 2, Page 3
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 November 11Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV 1821 November 13Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 November 20Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Robert Mayo   Elizabeth McCarty1821 November 20Robert Mayo to Elizabeth McCarty, Page 2, Page 3
Anne Robinson McCarty Lee   Margaret Rose1821 November 24Anne McCarty Lee to Margaret Rose, Page 2
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1821 November 27Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 November 27Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 December 4Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Robert Mayo   Elizabeth McCarty1821 December 22Robert Mayo to Elizabeth McCarty, Page 2
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1821 December 24Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1822 January 1Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo, Page 2
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1822 January 8Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Henry Lee IV   Robert Mayo1822 January 29Henry Lee IV to Robert Mayo
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1822 January 29Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1822 March 15Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1822 March 31Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1822 April 9Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV
Robert Mayo   Henry Lee IV1822 April 30Robert Mayo to Henry Lee IV, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Ann Hill Carter Lee   Sidney Smith Lee1822 May 17 
Robert E. Lee   John C. Calhoun1824 February 24 
Ann Hill Carter Lee and Robert E. Lee   John C. Calhoun1824 April 1 
Charles Carter Lee   George Carter1825 March 17 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee    Henri Guegan1825 August 5 
Richard Bache   Henry Lee IV1825 August 23Richard Bache to Henry Lee IV
Lafayette   Ludwell Lee1825 August 29 
Richard Henry Lee   James Monroe1825 August 30Richard Henry Lee to James Monroe, Page 2
Ann Rose and Mildred Williamson Robinson Rose   Anne Robinson McCarty Lee1825 September 26Ann Rose and Mildred Williamson Robinson Rose to Ann Robinson McCarty Lee, Page 2
John Armstrong   Henry Lee IV1825 December 6John Armstrong to Henry Lee IV
David Barton   Henry Lee IV1826 February 9David Barton to Henry Lee IV
John Armstrong   Henry Lee IV1826 February 22John Armstrong to Henry Lee IV
Walter Hampden Overton   Henry Lee, IV1827 June 29 
Henry Lee, IV   Richard T. Brown1827 July 17 
Henry Lee, IV   Richard T. Brown1827 December 24Henry Lee IV to Richard T. Brown
Ann Hill Carter Lee   Sidney Smith Lee1829 March 24 
Ann Hill Carter Lee   Sidney Smith Lee1829 April 10 
United States Military Academy   Report1829 June 
Charles Gratiot   General Orders No. 81829 August 11 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Carter Lee1830 May 8 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1830 September 11 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Robert E. Lee1830 September 20 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1830 October 30 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1830 November 19 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1830 November 11 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1830 December 1 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Carter Lee1831 May 26 
Henry Lee, IV   Charles Carter Lee1831 June 15 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Carter Lee1831 June 15 
Robert E. Lee   Andrew Talcott1831 July 13 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee and Robert E. Lee   Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis1831 September 4 
Bernard Moore Carter   Charles Carter Lee1832 April 7 
Henry Lee IV   Richard T. Brown1833 August 24 
Robert E. Lee   John Mackay1833 November 28Robert E. Lee to John Mackay, Page 2, Page 3
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Charles Carter Lee1834 April 14 
Bank of Virginia   Robert E. Lee1834 April 24 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Gratiot1834 November 1Robert E. Lee to Charles Gratiot
Robert E. Lee   “Dear Captain”1834 December 8 
B. M. Carter   Charles Carter Lee1834 December 12 
Henry Vernon Somerville   Charles Carter Lee1835 April 22 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1835 July 25 
Robert E. Lee   Elizabeth Stiles1836 January 23 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Elizabeth Stiles1836 January 23 
Henry Lee IV   Anne Robinson McCarty Lee1837 January 
Anne Robinson McCarty Lee   William B. Lewis1837 March 11 
Robert E. Lee   Andrew Talcott1837 June 7 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Carter Lee1837 August 15 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Carter Lee1837 October 8 
Robert E. Lee   Peter Powell and Company1838 June 28 
Robert E. Lee   Cassius F. Lee1838 August 20

Robert E. Lee to Cassius F. Lee, Page 2

Rebecca Cooper   John Tabb1838 December 7 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Carter Lee1839 January 7 
Robert E. Lee   Hill Carter1840 January 25 
Anne Robinson McCarty Lee   Death Certificate1840 August 28 
Louise Gerard   Statement on Death of Ann Lee1840 August 28 
Sidney Smith Lee   J. C. Howell1841 April 9 
Robert E. Lee   Adam Thoman1842 April 30 
Robert E. Lee   C. S. Brainerd1842 May 21 
Robert E. Lee   Sarah Beaumont1843 March 11 
Robert E. Lee   John Carroll Brent1843 April 2 
E. J. Lee   Cassius F. Lee1844 March 5 
William Hardy   The Pedigree of the Lees1844 April 17 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter 1844 September 2 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1844 September 14 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1844 September 17 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis1844 November 8 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1844 December 14 
Robert E. Lee   Roger Jones1845 February 21 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1845 May 26 
Robert E. Lee   John Mackay1845 September 8 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1845 September 17 
Robert E. Lee   Matha Custis Williams Carter1846 June 7 
Robert E. Lee   Sidney Smith Lee1847 March 27 
Matthew C. Perry   John V. Mason1847 August 8 
Robert E. Lee   Catherine Pearson Totten1847 August 22 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Eliza Anne Mackay Stiles1847 November 1 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Eliza Anne Mackay Stiles1847 November 21 
Charles Carter Lee   “Dear Sir”1847 November 15 
Robert E. Lee   Sidney Smith Lee1848 March 4
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter 1848 May 21