Lee Gen. Robert E. Lee to Confederate President, Jefferson Davis (1863)

tmh10

Major
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Location
Pipestem,WV
His Excellency Jefferson Davis Headquarters E. N. V. near Hagerstown, Md, July 5, 1863.
President Jd Mr. President,

My letter of yesterday should have informed you of the position of this army. Though reduced in numbers by the hardships and battles through which it has passed since leaving the Rappahannock its condition is good and its confidence unimpaired.

When crossing the Potomac into Maryland, I had calculated upon the river remaining fordable during the summer, so as to enable me to recross at my pleasure, but a series of storms commencing the day after our entrance into Maryland has placed the river beyond fording stage and the present storms will keep it so for at least a week.

I shall therefore have to accept battle if the enemy offers it, whether I wish to or not, and as the result is in the hands of the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and known to him only, I deem it prudent to make every arrangement in our power to meet any emergency that may arrive.

From information gathered from the papers I believe that the troops from the North Carolina and the coast of Virginia, under Generals Foster and Day have been ordered to the Potomac and that recently additional reinforcements have been sent from the coast of South Carolina to General Banks. If I am correct in my opinion this will liberate most of the troops in those regions and should not your Excellency have already done so I earnestly recommend that all that can be spared be concentrated on the upper Rappahannock under Genereal Beauregard with directions to cross the river and make demonstration upon Washington.

This course will answer the double purpose of affording protection to the capital at Richmond and relieving the pressure upon this army. I hope your Excellency will understand that I am not in the least discouraged or that my faith in the protection of an All merciful Providence, or in the fortitude of this army is at all shaken. But though conscious that the enemy has been much shattered in the recent battle I am aware that he can be easily reinforced while no addition can be made to our numbers. The measure therefore that I have recommended is altogether one of a prudential nature.

I am most respectfully your obedient servant, R. E. Lee, General

Sources:
Library of Congress
National Park Service
University of Kansas
 

President Jd Mr. President,
...
From information gathered from the papers I believe that the troops from the North Carolina and the coast of Virginia, under Generals Foster and Day have been ordered to the Potomac and that recently additional reinforcements have been sent from the coast of South Carolina to General Banks. If I am correct in my opinion this will liberate most of the troops in those regions and should not your Excellency have already done so I earnestly recommend that all that can be spared be concentrated on the upper Rappahannock under Genereal Beauregard with directions to cross the river and make demonstration upon Washington....

At first, maybe a bit off from the topic. When I read the "Jd" I just couldn´t help but to compare to JD from Scrubs. Both men took ways and made personal decisions others could not understand or support and that brought them in trouble. :tongue:

Second. Relaging to the paragraph I can think of this alternative novel series again; Gettysburg, Grant comes East and whatever number 3 was named. In those the north pulled support from the carolinas to the north instead - and Beauregard was indeed sent with all the could be spared up north to join Lee. Always the question "But if they had ...".
 
His Excellency Jefferson Davis Headquarters E. N. V. near Hagerstown, Md, July 5, 1863.
President Jd Mr. President,

My letter of yesterday should have informed you of the position of this army. Though reduced in numbers by the hardships and battles through which it has passed since leaving the Rappahannock its condition is good and its confidence unimpaired.

When crossing the Potomac into Maryland, I had calculated upon the river remaining fordable during the summer, so as to enable me to recross at my pleasure, but a series of storms commencing the day after our entrance into Maryland has placed the river beyond fording stage and the present storms will keep it so for at least a week.

I shall therefore have to accept battle if the enemy offers it, whether I wish to or not, and as the result is in the hands of the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and known to him only, I deem it prudent to make every arrangement in our power to meet any emergency that may arrive.

From information gathered from the papers I believe that the troops from the North Carolina and the coast of Virginia, under Generals Foster and Day have been ordered to the Potomac and that recently additional reinforcements have been sent from the coast of South Carolina to General Banks. If I am correct in my opinion this will liberate most of the troops in those regions and should not your Excellency have already done so I earnestly recommend that all that can be spared be concentrated on the upper Rappahannock under Genereal Beauregard with directions to cross the river and make demonstration upon Washington.

This course will answer the double purpose of affording protection to the capital at Richmond and relieving the pressure upon this army. I hope your Excellency will understand that I am not in the least discouraged or that my faith in the protection of an All merciful Providence, or in the fortitude of this army is at all shaken. But though conscious that the enemy has been much shattered in the recent battle I am aware that he can be easily reinforced while no addition can be made to our numbers. The measure therefore that I have recommended is altogether one of a prudential nature.

I am most respectfully your obedient servant, R. E. Lee, General

Sources:
Library of Congress
National Park Service
University of Kansas

Thanks for another excellent read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jess :smile::thumbsup:.
 
"When crossing the Potomac into Maryland, I had calculated upon the river remaining fordable during the summer, so as to enable me to recross at my pleasure..."

Not noted in the general Civil War Gettysburg battle books, this was one of Gen. Lee's major mistakes, his calculation of the amount of water in the major rivers, at the time of his attack into Pennsylvania. The miscalculation slowed his necessary retreat back to Virginia, prevented any needed resupply of his army, and made any movement across the Susquehanna River impossible. But then, water, was never a subject of much interest, in civil war battle books.

 
Normally the rivers are fordable. July 1863 was not normal by a long shot. Makes me wonder how Lee could have continued to believe the Almighty was on his side, when all nature was throwing him curveballs, but then I wonder how the religious of the South could sidestep the question of the will of God when they were beaten and devastatingly so.
 
I read somewhere that a major battle could actually cause rain. I admit, it sounds screwy, does anyone know anything about this?
 
His Excellency Jefferson Davis Headquarters E. N. V. near Hagerstown, Md, July 5, 1863.
President Jd Mr. President,

My letter of yesterday should have informed you of the position of this army. Though reduced in numbers by the hardships and battles through which it has passed since leaving the Rappahannock its condition is good and its confidence unimpaired.

Thanks for sharing this with us. What's amazing to me is that Lee doesn't sound like a defeated general at all, at least there's no sense of desperation, just very calm and analytical. I guess this underscores just what a close fought battle this was.
 
Back
Top