Letters and other Papers: 1866-Present

More than 3,600 letters, legal documents, books, and other papers are available at the Lee Family Digital Archive. We are in the process of adding new documents to our database daily. Items added before September 2015 are found at this link.

To view a transcript of a letter, click on either the sender or recipient name. We are in the process of adding scanned images of letters, which will be available in the “Original” column.

To see letters we have uploaded into our new format, see the list below:

Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Louis M. D. Guillaumeca. 1866-1873 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Louis M. D. Guillaumeca. 1866-1873 
Robert E. Lee   Eleanor Agnes Lee1866 January 3 
Robert E. Lee   Sidney Smith Lee1866 January 4 
Charles S. Venable   Walter H. Taylor1866 January 10Charles S. Venable to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Richard M. Devens1866 February 5 
Robert E. Lee   Robert E. Lee, Jr.1866 March 6 
Robert E. Lee   Julie G. Chouteau1866 March 21 
Robert E. Lee   Francis S. Smith1866 April 5 
Wesley Norris   National Anti-Slavery Standard1866 April 14 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Eleanor Agnes Lee1866 May 5 
Robert E. Lee   Louis M. D. Guillaume1866 May 13 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1866 May 14 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee    Louis M. D. Guillaume1866 May 24 
Robert E. Lee   James Longstreet1866 May 25 
Robert E. Lee   Robert E. Lee, Jr.1866 May 26 
Mildred Childe Lee   Virginia Cooper Dawson1866 June 7 
Robert E. Lee   Robert E. Lee, Jr.1866 June 13 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1866 July 7Robert E. Lee to Edward Lee Childe, 1866 July 7, Page 2
Henry H. Tucker   Robert E. Lee1866 July 10 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1866 July 16 
Robert E. Lee   Henry H. Tucker1866 July 18 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1866 July 20 
Robert E. Lee   Grace Totten Stevens1866 July 21 
Charles Carter Lee   Robert E. Lee1866 July 25 
Robert E. Lee   Robert E. Lee, Jr.1866 July 28 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1866 August 2 
Robert E. Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1866 August 10 
Fitzhugh Lee   Manning Marius Kimmel1866 August 12 
Robert E. Lee   Edward A. Barbour1866 August 15 
Ada S. Barbour   Robert E. Lee1866 September 23 
Robert E. Lee   Eleanor Agnes Lee1866 Sptember 26 
Robert E. Lee   Robert E. Lee, Jr.1866 October 18 
Robert E. Lee   John W. Brockenbrough1866 November 16 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1866 December 1 
Robert E. Lee   Sir John Acton1866 December 15 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1867 January 5 
       
Robert E. Lee   John A Simkins1867 January 10 
Robert E. Lee   John B. Minor1867 January 17 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1867 January 22 
Robert E. Lee   Mrs. I. C. Thompson1867 January 28 
Prospectus of the Southern Association for the benefit of the Widows and Orphans of the Southern States   Prospectus of the Southern Association for the benefit of the Widows and Orphans of the Southern States1867 January 30 
Robert E. Lee    David S. G. Cabell1867 February 9 
William C. Burke   Ralph R. Gurley1867 February 9 
William D. Chipley   Walter H. Taylor1867 March 7William D. Chipley to Walter H. Taylor
Robert E. Lee   John B. Baldwin1867 May 20 
Varina Davis   Walter H. Taylor1867 June 3Varina Davis to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Mildred Childe Lee1867 August 11 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Eliza Snowden Thomas1867 August 29 
Robert E. Lee   Charles Carter Lee1867 September 16 
Fitzhugh Lee   Manning Marius Kimmel1867 October 1 
Robert E. Lee   James Longstreet1867 October 29 
William F. Wickham   Elizabeth Leigh Fry and Anna Campbell Carter Leigh 1867 December 4 
Robert E. Lee   William D. Cabell1867 December 26 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1868 January 1 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1868 January 16 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Mildred Childe Lee1868 February 2 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Jonathan Worth1868 March 12 
Robert E. Lee   Harriet E. Cazenove1868 March 12 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Lucy Penn Taylor Lee1868 Spring 
Robert E. Lee   H. T. Mumford1868 April 4 
Varina Davis   Walter H. Taylor1868 July 6Varina Davis to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1868 July 10 
Varina Davis   Walter H. Taylor1868 July 24Varina Davis to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1868 September 17 
Robert E. Lee   Helen Taylor1868 September 29 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1868 October 14 
Robert E. Lee   George Henry Pierce1868 October 15 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1868 October 25 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1868 November 9 
Robert E. Lee   Samuel H. Tagart1868 November 20 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Charles Carter Lee1868 November 28 
Charles Carter Lee   Robert E. Lee1868 December 3 
Robert E. Lee   J. Wilson Brown1868 December 23 
Robert E. Lee   Kensey Johns Stewart1869 February 11 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1869 February 16 
Robert E. Lee   Blanche de Trigueti Childe1869 February 16 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1869 February 22 
Robert E. Lee   George Wallace Jones1869 March 22 
Robert E. Lee   Students of Washington College1869 March 30 
Robert E. Lee   Mrs. F. S. Stone1869 April 2 
Robert E. Lee   Samuel H. Tagart1869 May 3 
Robert E. Lee   Albert Taylor Beldsoe1869 May 15 
Robert E. Lee   Samuel H. Tagart1869 May 18 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Letitia McCreery Burwell1869 May 25 
Charles Marshall   Walter H. Taylor1869 June 9Charles Marshall to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Walter H. Taylor   Charles Marshall1869 June 12Walter H. Taylor to Charles Marshall, Page 2 and 3
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1869 July 2 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1869 July 20 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Charles Carter Lee1869 July 27 
Robert E. Lee   David McConaughy1869 August 5 
Charles S. Venable   Walter H. Taylor1869 August 21Charles S. Venable to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1869 September 9 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1869 September 22 
Robert E. Lee   A. C. Quarrier1869 November 15 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1869 November 17 
Robert E. Lee   John Barron, Jr.1869 November 18 
Robert E. Lee   Washington College1869 November 23 
Robert E. Lee   Martha Custis Williams Carter1869 November 27 
Robert E. Lee   Walter H. Taylor1869 December 16 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1870 February 19 
Robert E. Lee   Blanche de Trigueti Childe1870 February 19 
Robert E. Lee   Walter H. Taylor1870 February 21 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1870 March 8 
Robert E. Lee   Mildred Childe Lee1870 March 21 
Robert E. Lee   William Henry Fitzhugh Lee1870 March 22 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Letitia McCreery Burwell1870 April 19 
Robert E. Lee   Anne Carter Wickham Renshaw Byerly1870 May 23 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1870 June 3 
Robert E. Lee   Cassius F. Lee1870 June 6 
Robert E. Lee   Benjamin L. Willingham1870 June 28 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1870 July 23 
Robert E. Lee   Edward Lee Childe1870 August 22 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Isabella Ritchie Harrison1870 September 29 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Isabella Ritchie Harrison1870 October 4 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Charles Carter Lee1870 October 7 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Isabella Ritchie Harrison1870 October 10 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Francis Henney Smith1870 October 10 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Charles Carter Lee1870 October 13 
The New York Times   Obituary for Robert E. Lee 1870 October 13 
William Nalle   Columbiana Major Nalle1870 October 16 
William N. Pendleton   Walter H. Taylor1870 October 24https://leefamilyarchive.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1870-Oct-24-WN-Pendleton-to-WH-Taylor-1-2-scaled.jpg, Page 2
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Letitia McCreery Burwell1870 November 15 
Charles S. Venable   Walter H. Taylor1870 December 3Charles S. Venable to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
George Washington Custis Lee   Walter H. Taylor1870 December 6George Washington Custis Lee to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Unknown1870 December 23 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1871 January 9 
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Charles Carter Lee1871 February 6 
Jubal A. Early   Walter H. Taylor1871 April 9Jubal A. Early to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
John Hite Lee   Cassius F. Lee, Jr1871 Jun 12 
Edward P. Alexander   Walter H. Taylor1871 September 4Edward P. Alexander to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Cassius F. Lee, Sr1872 January 3 
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1872 May 31 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee1872 September 23 
George Washington Custis Lee   Walter H. Taylor1872 November 13George Washington Custis Lee to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Phoebe Cocke1873 
Wade Hampton   Walter H. Taylor1873 February 8Wade Hampton to Walter H. Taylor
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Unknown1873 March 9 Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee to Unknown, Page 2
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee   Louis M. D. Guillaume1873 June 3 
George Washington Custis Lee   Chapman Johnson Leigh1873 November 10 
George Washington Custis Lee   Chapman Johnson Leigh1873 November 19 
Wade Hampton   Walter H. Taylor1873 December 22Wade Hampton to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
Benjamin H. Hill   “Robert E. Lee”1874 
Charles O’Conor   Roger A. Pryor Jr.1874 March 4 
Daniel H. Hill   Jubal A. Early1874 April 10Daniel H. Hill to Jubal A. Early, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
John Lee Carroll   Fitzhugh Lee1874 April 15John Lee Carroll to Fitzhugh Lee, Page 2
Jubal A. Early   Walter H. Taylor1874 April 29Jubal A. Early to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Walter H. Taylor    1874 August 22Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3
Jefferson Davis   Sidney Lanier1875 January 24 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   George Washington Custis Lee1875 April 4 
James Longstreet   Walter H. Taylor1875 April 20James Longstreet to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
Walter H. Taylor   James Longstreet1875 April 28Walter H. Taylor to James Longstreet, Page 2
James Longstreet   Walter H. Taylor1875 May 31James Longstreet to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
James L. Kemper   Fitzhugh Lee1875 November 10 
Jubal A. Early   Walter H. Taylor1876 May 2Jubal A. Early to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3
Jefferson Davis   Walter H. Taylor1877 March 3Jefferson Davis to Walter H. Taylor
Jefferson Davis   Walter H. Taylor1877 March 25Jefferson Davis to Walter H. Taylor
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee   Walter H. Taylor1877 October 6William Henry Fitzhugh Lee to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
Lafayette McLaws   Walter H. Taylor1878 January 24Lafayette McLaws to Walter H. Taylor
Jefferson Davis   Walter H. Taylor1878 January 31Jefferson Davis to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Samuel Phillips Lee   Henrietta B. Lee1878 February 25Samuel Phillips Lee to Henrietta B. Lee
Charles S. Venable   Walter H. Taylor1878 March 29Charles S. Venable to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6
George Washington Custis Lee   James Longstreet1879 July 15 
Cassius F. Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1879 December 4 
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee   Marcus J. Wright1881 April 20William Henry Fitzhugh Lee to Marcus J. Wright, Page 2
Mildred Lee   Edmund J. Lee1882 October 12 
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee   Charles Kerr1883 January 4 
George Washington Custis Lee   A.L. Johnson1884 November 22 
Jefferson and Varina Davis   Walter H. Taylor1886 December 26Jefferson and Varina Davis to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
Fitzhugh Lee   Calling Card1887 January 11 
Walter H. Taylor   Garnet Wolseley1887 April 29Walter H. Taylor to Garnet Wolseley, Page 2
Garnet Wolseley   Walter H. Taylor1887 May 21Garnet Wolseley to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2, Page 3, Envelope Side 1, Envelope Side 2
George Washington Custis Lee   Edward V. Valentine1887 July 2 
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee   O. H. Peck1888 Feburary 14William Henry Fitzhugh Lee to O. H. Peck
George Washington Custis Lee   Statement of Robert E. Lee1888 May 4 
Lucy Penn Taylor Lee   Ella Goodrum Lee1888 May 30 
Lucy Penn Taylor Lee   George Taylor Lee1888 June 2 
Lucy Penn Taylor Lee   George Taylor Lee1888 June 12 
Lucy Penn Taylor Lee   George Taylor Lee1888 November 14 
Fitzhugh Lee   Cassius F. Lee, Jr.1889 May 11 
George Washington Custis Lee   Robert Alonzo Brock1890 November 10 
George Washington Custis Lee   Richard A. Brock1891 August 11 
William Mahone   Walter H. Taylor1891 November 28William Mahone to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
William Mahone   Walter H. Taylor1891 November 29William Mahone to Walter H. Taylor, Page 2
Henrietta B. Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1892 January 15 
William S. Cralle   Cassius F. Lee1892 January 22 
James Henry Lea   Edmund Jennings Lee1892 January 27 
James Henry Lea   Edmund Jennings Lee1892 February 4 
Fitzhugh Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1892 March 3Fitzhugh Lee to Edmund Jennings Lee
William S. Cralle   Cassius F. Lee1892 May 12 
George Washington Custis Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1892 May 17George Washington Custis Lee to Edmund Jennings Lee, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
James Longstreet   Walter H. Taylor1892 August 19James Longstreet to Walter H. Taylor
Mary D. Gouverneur   Edmund Jennings Lee1892 November 28 
Mary D. Gouverneur   Edmund Jennings Lee1893 January 20Mary D. Gouverneur to Edmund Jennings Lee, Page 2
James Longstreet   Walter H. Taylor1893 May 17James Longstreet to Walter H. Taylor
James Longstreet   Walter H. Taylor1894 March 6James Longstreet-to Walter H. Taylor, 1894 March 6
Charles S. Venable        Walter H. Taylor1894 March 9Charles S. Venable to Walter H. Taylor, 1894 March 9, Page 2
Catlett C. Taliaferro   Walter H. Taylor1894 April 11C. C. Taliaferro to Walter H. Taylor, 1894 April 11
George Washington Custis Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1894 October 24George Washington Custis Lee to Edmund Jennings Lee, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Samuel Phillips Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1895 June 6Samuel Phillips Lee to Edmund Jennings Lee
Charles Henry Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1895 June 12Charles Henry Lee to Edmund Jennings Lee, Page 2
Richard Henry Lee   Edmund Jennings Lee1895 July 18Richard Henry Lee to Edmund Jennings Lee, Page 2
George Washington Custis Lee   Mildred Childe Lee1899 June 16 
Mary Tinsley Kindred   Mary Custis Leeca. 1899-1918 August 31 
“Our Dead President”   George Taylor Lee1901 September 19 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Miss Alice1904 April 1 
Leigh Robinson   Robert E. Lee, Jr.1905 April 8 
George Washington Custis Lee    Eliza Preston Benton McDowell Wolff1905 August 10 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Joseph Bryan1906 February 3 
George Washington Custis Lee   William T. Meade1907 August 13 
George Washington Custis Lee   Statement1908 January 6 
Charles William Penn Brock   George Patterson1908 May 2 
Robert E. Lee, Jr.   Thomas Nelson Page1908 December 14 
George M. Lee   Daisy1913 Janaury 7 
William G. Williams   Mary Custis Lee1915 November 2 
Kate Cabell Cox   Richard Henry Stuart1916 November 24 
Mary Tabb Bolling Lee   Edward V. Valentine1922 January 27 
Edward V. Valentine   Mary Tabb Bolling Lee1922 February 4 
Nancy Astor   Clarence J. Astor1925 April 17 
“The Myth that Lee’s Mother Was ‘Buried Alive’ ”   Richmond News Leader1927 
Cazenove Gardner Lee   Lucy Brown Beale1929 July 5 
Elizabeth Price Houston   Mr. Stone1936 August 28 
Isabel Marshall   Helen Knox1939 September 29 
Douglas Southall Freeman   Grace Beale Cunningham 1935 March 1 
Susan B. Harrison   Harry Stone1936 April 19 
Elizabeth Price Harrison   Harry Stone1936 August 28 
Douglas Southall Freeman   Elizabeth Copeland Norfleet1948 May 31 and 1948 June 4 
Andrew Wyeth   Florence Gardner1972 May 16 
United States Senate   Senate Joint Resolution 231975 August 5 
Richard B. Smith   Sherwood Smith1975 October 10 
Richard B. Smith   Nancy Marshall1975 November 20