Richmond 5 Sept ’64
My dear Mary
I recd by Robt yesterday your letter of the 3rd. I am glad to learn from him that your general health is improving & that you are enabled to Continue your rides without pain. I hope your general health will produce at least some relaxation of your particular Complaint & that the approaching Fall will entirely renovate your strength. As to your future residence it is difficult to speak with any degree of certainty, as to what will be best. The usual uncertainty attending all things in this world is increased by the Condition of the war. Our enemies say they will certainly have Richmond before long, in which event it will be better for you to be away. I enclose a check on the C.S. Treasury for $800 which you Can get when you desire. Bevy Codwise is not with me at present. He & some of his Comrades went to the Valley some time since to procure horses to remount themselves & I have heard they were all captured. I do not Know that it is true. I Called to see the Caskies yesterday on my way to the Presidents & saw Mrs C. & Miss N. Mrs C. was in her room unwell. Nearly every one is said to be out at town. I miss you all very much when I Come to R. & thus lose my only pleasure attending my visit. It is excessively hot. Miss Annie & Lizzie are very well & the former very Sweet. The father of the latter came to see her yesterday & in consideration of a candy douceur she recd him very graciously. She is as interesting as ever. Mrs Davis shewed me her baby yesterday, which is a remarkably fine one. I hope Mary will fatten up now under the generous feeding which Robt describes as practised at Bremo & that Precious Life will find the means of assuaging her appetite. Tell her she must write Sometimes to her Pa’a. Tell Agnes Miss Sallie W is not very well, so she says, & that she Can not See me. Custis is remarkably well & so is Rob. The sight of them is a great comfort to me. I return to my Camp today. I Came up on some business which I fear I Cannot accomplish. The fall of atlanta is a blow to us, which is not very grievous & which I hope we will soon recover from. Present my Kind regards to Dr. & Mrs Cocke & all the family. Give much love to the girls & believe me always yours
R E Lee
Source: Transcribed from photocopy of original letter, Lee Family Papers, Mss1 L 51 c 544, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Richmond
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2022 June 27
