You are a prompt man my dear Genl & a wonderful one. I am sure with all the care of planning battles among a host of other things with which your hands are filled, to find time to answer a womans letter I was rejoiced to hear from you but really did not expect it, & I write now not to be answered but to congratulate you on your splendid successes & to say how gratified we all are to know that you planned the whole campaign (which is perhaps not the right expression) & that by the blessing of our good Lord you have been so successful. I was grieved indeed to see that the enemy had destroyed the White House. They are so wicked & diabolical & this is very hard to be borne. And for Rooney & his young wife to lose their little boy & their house too is a great trial, & for Mrs Lee I feel deeply knowing well how wrapt up she was in her grandson, it is one link more broken in the chain that binds her here, & it is another bright angel in Heaven. I have heard nothing of your Robert since he joined Jacksons army. I see mention of Rooney in the papers & am proud of him, but I hope you are all to have a little rest unless the Col can annoy the enemy in their gun boats as he has been doing, & if you could keep them from landing stores & troops I suppose McClellan would leave his position & if they do as they have done before they will take a very long time before they are ready again to attack Richmond.
I begin now to believe you were right when you said in Savannah this was to be a long war. I am very sorry Mr Stiles is to go on with Stonewall Jackson, they will have hard times. I don’t mind it for young men, but Mr. Stiles is too old to begin such a life now.
beg Mrs. Lee to write to me & tell me where she is living now. to be driven from two houses by the enemy is very hard measure. I wish she would bring the girls & come & stay with us. My Sisters are coming up from Savannah in a few days, that we four who are left of my mothers children may all be together at least for a time. I hope Custis is quite well again. Please give our love to him & to all the family & our sympathy to Mrs. Lee & to Rooney from Mary & myself. I have not seen Carry for a day or two so she does not know I am writing or she would surely send some message. goodbye my friend May God continue to bless you in all your undertakings & preserve us all from our enemies
being sincerely tours
E A Stiles1
Etowah Cliffs
July 22nd 1862
Source: Checked against original letter, Mary Custis Lee Papers, Mss1 L5144 a, Section 14, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2019 January 28
1. Elizabeth Ann Mackay Stiles (1810-1867) was the daughter of Robert Mackay (11. 772-1816) and Eliza Anne McQueen Mackay (1778-1862). She was married to William Henry Stiles (1808-1865). She is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery in Savannah.
