Arlington 23 July 1859
My dear Major
I regret that absence from home has prevented my recg your letter of 2 Inst enclosing invoice & bill of sett of horse equipments &c. I have recd the articles but have merely had time to look at them in the box. I perceive that Lacy & Philips have sent me a watering bridle instead of the bridoon I requested. The watering bridle is a thing I never use, but presume I Can have the bridoon made here.
The saddle is so bare that except among the Comanches I am afraid I shall be obliged to use a shabraque. What do they charge for that. I am afraid at last the Cost of the whole will exceed Gransbys.
I enclose my check of this date no. 140 on Bank of Commerce in New York to your order for $58.12 in payment of P & S’s acct of $53.75 & yours for $4.37, which I hope is Correct. Will you be kind enough to pay P. & S. & request them to Send me this receipt.
Please tell Knox, Neal & Co. that their letter reached me too late. I should have been glad to have seen their equipment of 14 lbs. weight, & had one similar to that Carried to the seat of war by Col Cook. What is the Cost? Very truly your obliged friend
R E Lee
Major P. V. Hagner
1. Peter Valentine Hagner (1815-1893) was a native of Washington, D.C. He was educated at West Point and served in the Mexican War. During the Civil War, he served in the Ordnance Department. He died in Washington, D.C., where he is buried.
Source: Digital scan of original letter, Robert E. Lee Papers, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas, Austin
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2018 August 16
