Lee Family Digital Archive

Propectus of the Southern Association for the benefit of the Widows and Orphans of the Southern States.

This Association has been organized in pursuance to an Act of General Assembly of Virginia passed January 30^th 1867, by the corporators mentioned in said act, with the view of relieving to the full extent of their ability the sufferings of the Widows and Orphans of the South, who have been left Homeless, Helpless, and Penniless by the late war.

This Association having thoroughly examined the true condition of this unhappy class, and the resources of its friends upon whom it is now proposed to call for assistance and support, has adopted the following plan as the most hopeful mode of obtaining the meritorious ends in view.

The Plan proposed is to distribute

500,000 Certificates

at one dollar each, and award Premiums as follows:

First, valued at                                                                                                           $20,000

is the Stratford House, situated in Westmoreland County, Virginia, with one thousand acres of land attached, the Homestead of the Lee family and the birthplace of Genl: R. E. Lee.

Second, valued at                                                                                                                  $10,000

One thousand acres of land immediately adjoining and part of the original tract above named.

Third, valued at                                                                                                                         6,000

five hundred acres also a part of the above tract, which was originally 2500 acres.

28 Prizes in Gifts or Greenbacks of $500. each, amounting to                                                     14,000

250,000 Prizes in gifts or greenbacks of $1. each, amounting in all to                                         300,000

Mode of drawing and the manner of determining Prizes.

There shall be deposited in a wheel provided for the purpose 500,000 Numbers from 1 to 500,000 inclusive on the day of drawing. The first number drawn from the wheel will entitle the holder of the ticket to the “Stratford House,” and if drawn to an odd number, say for instance, 855, then all odd numbers, numbering 250,000 in all, will be entitled to the return of $1.⁰⁰ in greenbacks, or an equivalent at the option of the holder, and all even numbers will be blanks; and vice versa, if the first number be even, say 4948, then all tickets ending in even numbers would be prizes, and odd numbers would be blanks. The remaining 28 prizes of $500 each would be determined by the next 28 numbers drawn after the first whether they be even or odd numbers.

Source: The Archives of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, Papers of the Lee Family, Box 4, M2009.354

Transcribed by Caitlin Connelly, 2016 May 25