Camp near Dinwiddie
Nov 6th 1864
Your letter Dear Agnes like most of your Mothers not dated, reached me in due time, you must try & acquaint yourself with the postal arrangements of this army & you’ll find that if you’ll direct to your brother stating his position, what Div, what corps, what Army &c, your epistles will find him in time. I hope you are not out of stamps like myself & every one down here, as I am going to ask you please to send me some the next time any of you write as it is improbable to get any here for some cause or other.
I got both Ma’s & Milly’s letters & started to answer them jointly some two or three times, but was prevented by the weather, to which we are very much exposed & other causes.
You have seen in the papers what the cavalry have been doing for themselves lately on the Plank Road, so I’ll make no comments, except that Genl Grant failed1 most signally in his attemps. He is very quiet indeed & the news from here is very “uninteresting” as the papers say but this is the time that is by far the most interesting to all of us poor soldiers, who are very tired of these “very interesting times.” I wish you could have been down to our review the other day, it was very fine
After it was over all the officers & a great many Ladies came to dine with us. It was a beautiful day warm & clear. We had two very fine bands playing during the day of the Ladies & you just ought to have seen your brother handing around the apples & cider. A very sumptuous dinner was served in camp meeting style & every one I believe had a plenty to eat, which in itself you Know in these hard times is “fun” Fitzhugh has paid you a visit since you wrote to me & told me all the news
I was delighted to hear that you & mary were so “fat”. Mildred I am afraid worked herself too hard in trying to Regulate Fluvanna County & could not derive any benefit from the good cheer of “Bremo” If I had Known that you all had come I would have gone up with Fitzhugh, but he was not certain about going to Richmond.
I spent Friday night & Saturday & with Pa who came down to Genl Hamptons on a visit he was very well & told me that he too had paid you all a visit, it is my turn next. My birthday was the 27th day of Oct & to celebrate it the Army of N Va thrashed Grant soundly, & I don’t Know but that I preferred that to a good cake. I got the bundle of dried fruit from Cousin M— it was delicious. Tell Mil—if she wants to make an enemy for life of her brother “just to eat those peach chips”
Remember me to Uncle SL Gen Fitz & especially to your next door neighbours & give my best love to all of you on which John joins me tell ma please to make for me at once three pair cotton drawers, get some of Custis’s as a pattern & a cravat & believe me ever your loving brother
Rob
PS I am glad also that I made a favorable impression at “Bremo”
RELee
Source: Photocopy of letter, Lee Family Papers, Mss 1 L51c 549, Section 27, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2016 August 9
1. Battle of the Boydton Plank Road (also known as Burgess Mill or First Hatcher's Run)
