As the controversy over the Pennsylvania campaign continued in the southern press, several Richmond newspapers defended Lee, while the Charleston Mercury declared that it “is impossible for an invasion to have been more foolish and disastrous.” A widely reprinted dispatch by Peter W. Alexander, a war correspondent for the Savannah Republican, questioned Lee’s decision to continue attacking at Gettysburg after the first day of the battle. Lee wrote to the Confederate president from his headquarters near Orange Court House, about thirty miles west of Fredericksburg.
Camp Orange
8 Aug 1863
MR PRESIDENT
Your letters of 28 July & 2 Aug have been recd., & I have waited for a leisure hour to reply, but I fear that will never come. I am extremely obliged to you for the attention given to the wants of this Army & the efforts made to supply them. Our absentees are returning, & I hope the earnest & beautiful appeal made to the country in your proclamation, may stir up the virtue of the whole people & that they may see their duty & perform it. Nothing is wanted but that their fortitude should equal their bravery to ensure the success of our cause. We must expect reverses, even defeats. They are sent to teach us wisdom & prudence, to call forth greater energies & to prevent our falling into greater disasters. Our people have only to be true & united, to bear manfully the misfortunes incident to war & all will come right in the end. I know how prone we are to censure, & how ready to blame others for the nonfulfilment of our expectations. This is unbecoming in a generous people & I grieve to see its expression. The general remedy for the want of success in a military commander is his removal. This is natural & in many instances proper. For no matter what may be the ability of the officer if he loses the confidence of his troops, disaster must sooner or later ensue. I have been prompted by these reflections more than once since my return from Penna. to propose to your Excy the propriety of selecting another commander for this army. I have seen & heard of expression of discontent in the public journals at the result of the expedition. I do not know how far this feeling extends in the army. My brother officers have been too kind to report it, & so far the troops have been too generous to exhibit it. It is fair however to suppose that it does exist, & success is so necessary to us that nothing should be risked to secure it. I therefore in all sincerity request your Excy to take measures to supply my place. I do this with the more earnestness because no one is more aware than myself of my inability for the duties of my position. I cannot even accomplish what I myself desire. How can I fulfil the expectations of others? In addition, I sensibly feel the growing failure of my bodily strength. I have not yet recovered from the attack I experienced the past spring. I am becoming more & more incapable of exertion, & am thus prevented from making the personal examinations & giving the personal supervision to the operations in the field which I feel to be necessary. I am so dull that in making use of the eyes of others I am frequently misled. Every thing therefore points to the advantages to be derived from a new commander, & I the more anxiously urge the matter upon your Excy from my belief that a younger & abler man than myself can readily be attained. I know that he will have as gallant & brave an army as ever existed to second his efforts, & it would be the happiest day of my life to see at its head a worthy leader; one that would accomplish more than I could perform & all that I have wished. I hope your Excy will attribute my request to the true reason. The desire to serve my country & to do all in my power to ensure the success of her righteous cause. I have no complaints to make of any one but myself. I have recd. nothing but kindness from those above me & the most considerate attention from my comrades & companions in arms. To your Excy I am specially indebted for uniform kindness & consideration. You have done every thing in your power to aid me in the work committed to my charge, without omitting anything to promote the general welfare. I pray that your efforts may at length be crowned with success & that you may long live to enjoy the thanks of a grateful people—With sentiments of great esteem I am very respectfully & truly yours
R E LEE
Genl