Richmond
November 26 [1862]
My dear little Milly
I received your letter to day from Agnes how she got it I did not enquire, suffice it to say that I got it & it gave me great pleasure I can assure you.
The death of dear Annie was a great blow to all of us but we know she is in heaven & should not complain of the hard lot of being without her in this world, when we know she is so much better of[f] in another & we should try by God’s mercy to meet her there.
I believe Ma has concluded not to let you come to Richmond these holidays in which I think she errs since you have a whole month but howsomever you must make the best of it & enjoy yourself as well as improve yourself
I suppose you know that I am now a 1st Lieut of Cavalry & on Rooney’s staff who is a Brig Gen I am now in Richmond getting my outfit.
This change in your brother’s prospects I have no doubt pleases you as much as it does him.
I was with Pa on his way down from Culpeper to Fredericksburg, rode one of his horses & every one thought I was one of the staff
Pa is looking very well & is in very good spirits & I think we’ll whip old Burnside badly when we meet him.
I saw Miss Norvell to day & knowing I was going to write she sent any number of messages but of course I have forgotten them all. Ma has written you a letter so she will tell you every thing interesting to you in the way dresses &c &c
You must excuse me this miserable letter for it is allmost the first I have written for nearly six months
So good night
from your
beloved brother
Robert E. Lee,
Lt of Cav
Source: Photocopy of original letter, Lee Family Papers, Mss1 L51 c 409, Section 20, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2017 April 20
