Original to Miss [Helen] Knox
Copy to Mrs. Valentine
Executive Office
Mrs. Bolling
September 29, 1939
My brother-in-law, Charles A. Marshall of Woodmore, Long Island, is considering presenting to “The Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation” Gen. Lee’s order No. 9, being the farewell order from Gen. Lee to his Army, written on the night before surrender by Col. Charles Marshall who was Military Secretary to Gen. Lee. This original document was composed and written on Army paper by Col. Marshall and contained a few intentional corrections in Gen. Lee’s handwriting and was signed by Gen. Lee the day of surrender at Appomatox [sic].
9 copies were made at that time and signed by Gen. Lee and given to the commanders of each division; therefore there are many claiming to own this original.
Mr. Charles A. Marshall is the younger son of Col. Marshall and he is willing to turn this over now to the Foundation, provided there is a fireproof room in which to keep it.
(signed) Isabel Marshall
(Mrs. H. Snowden Marshall)
202 East Taylor St.
Savannah, Georgia
Source: Photocopy of original letter, Papers of the Lee Family, The Archive of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association, Jessie Ball DuPont Library, Stratford Hall, Box 4, M2009.330
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2019 April 10
