After the battle of Fredericksburg the Army of Northern Virginia held a defensive line along the south bank of the Rappahannock extending from Bank’s Ford, four miles above the town, to Port Royal, eighteen miles downriver. Forced to rely on the single-track Richmond & Fredericksburg railroad for its supplies, the army suffered from a shortage of food and clothing for its soldiers and forage for its animals. “Our horses & mules suffer the most,” General Robert E. Lee wrote to his daughter Agnes on February 6. “They have to bear the cold & rain, tug through the mud, & suffer all the time with hunger.” Lee wrote to his wife from Fredericksburg two days later.
Camp
February 8, 1863
I have just received dear Mary your letter of the 7th. I am distressed to hear of your suffering. I fear you are very imprudent, & that unless you are careful, you will reduce yourself to confinement altogether. You ought not to go out in bad weather, or to expose yourself at any time. I beg you will be careful. I send the passport for Mrs. Murdock, &c. I presume they intend returning the way they came, by Leesburg. Inform them they cannot pass through Fredericksburg. Genl Hooker has refused to permit passage through his lines here. I see in the Washington papers orders from Genl Halleck forbidding transportation of any citizens on the steamers plying between that city & Aquia Creek. All the boats &c. are reserved for the military. There is therefore no chance for them by this route. They can take the cars to Culpeper Court House & must thence find their way to Warrenton & Leesburg by private conveyance. Their best route is by flag of truce boat from City Point to Baltimore if that is permitted. But when they get home, my advice is to stay there & to let their sons & brothers alone. The men can do very well & soldiers must learn to take care of themselves. I have done however all I can. If this passport does not answer, it is useless to apply to me for another. It will take them anywhere through my lines. I know the yankees will get out of them all they know. I hope they know nothing to injure us. Not that I believe they will intentionally say or do ought to injure us, but the yankees have a very coaxing & insidious manner, that our Southern women in their artlessness cannot resist, no matter how favourable they may be to our cause or how full of good works for our men. I have not seen any of your gloves on the men, & therefore cannot say how they answer. I should think well, if they fit, & you know all your garments are warranted to do that. I advise you however to send up all you have made at once & then stop for this winter. After about a month they will be of no use. The men cannot preserve them & will throw them away. Remember me kindly to the Caskies. I cannot get down to R now. Nor can I expect any pleasure, during this war. We are in a liquid state at present. Up to our knees in mud & what is worse on short rations for men & beasts. This keeps me miserable. I am willing to starve myself, but cannot bear my men or horses to be pinched. I fear many of the latter will die. Give my love to Agnes. I wrote to her the other day. Where is she staying? As you both seem to prefer Richmond to anywhere else, you had better take a house there. Be careful of the small pox & other diseases. Tell Miss N that I told Major Talcott, after he had seen his sweetheart, he must go up & look at her for me. So she must give him a sweet look. Present me very kindly to Mrs. Jones. I sympathize with her deeply in the death of her husband. He was always a great favorite with me. Fitzhugh is still low down the Rappahannock, I believe Charlotte is with him still. But have not heard. He is 40 miles from me.
With great affection, yours
R. E. LEE
P.S. I have George as cook now. He is quite subdued but has only been here a day. I give him & Perry each 8.20 per month. I hope they will be able to lay up something for themselves.
R. E. L.