While
stationed at Fort Monroe, Robert E. Lee married Mary Anna
Randolph Custis (1808 to 1873, family
Bible states birth year to be 1807).
She was the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington by her
first husband Daniel Parke Custis, and step-great granddaughter
of George Washington. They were married on June 30, 1831, at
Arlington House, her parents’ home.
Mary
inherited Arlington House from her father after he died in 1857.
The estate had long been the couple's home whenever they were in
the area during her husband's military career. Mary was a
gracious hostess and enjoyed frequent visitors. She was a
painter, like her father, and painted many landscapes, some of
which are still on view at the house. She loved roses and grew
11 varieties. She was deeply religious and attended Episcopal
services when there was one near the army post. In Arlington,
Virginia, the Lees attended the Christ Episcopal Church in
Alexandria, Virginia, the church she and Robert had attended in
childhood.
They would
have seven children, three boys and four girls. The daughters
were:
-
Mary
Custis Lee (Mary, daughter), 1835-1918 never married
-
Anne
Carter Lee (Annie), 1839 to October 20, 1862. died of
typhoid, unmarried (where
was Robert E. Lee in September of 1862?)
-
Eleanor Agnes Lee (Agnes), 1841 to 1873, died of
tuberculosis, unmarried
-
Mildred Childe Lee (Milly), 1846-1905, unmarried
Mary
taught her female slaves to read and write and was an advocate
of eventual emancipation, although she herself chose not to free
her slaves, as state law permitted her to do. She suffered from
rheumatoid arthritis, and this became increasingly debilitating
with advancing age. By 1861, she was using a wheelchair.
With the
advent of the American Civil War, Lee and their sons were called
to service in Virginia while Mary delayed evacuating Arlington
House until May 15, 1861. Early that month, Lee wrote to Mary
Anna saying:
"War
is inevitable, and there is no telling when it will burst
around you . . . You have to move and make arrangements to
go to some point of safety which you must select. The Mount
Vernon plate and pictures ought to be secured. Keep quiet
while you remain, and in your preparations . . . May God
keep and preserve you and have mercy on all our people." (Recollections
and Letters of General Robert E. Lee by
Captain Robert E. Lee, son, published by Doubleday 1904.)
Mary and
her daughters initially moved between the several family
plantations. In May 1862, she was caught at her son Rooney's
White House Plantation in New Kent County behind the Federal
lines, as Union forces moved up the York River and the Pamunkey
River toward Richmond. In a gentlemanly gesture by Union
commander George B. McClellan, she was allowed to pass through
the lines in order to take up residence in Richmond ---
McClellan's campaign goal, ironically.
Mary and
her daughters finally settled at 707 East Franklin Street in
Richmond, Virginia for the bulk of the War. After the War, they
lived in Powhatan County for a short time, then she accompanied
her husband to Lexington, Virginia, where he became president of
the Washington College, later renamed Washington and Lee
University. She was able to visit her beloved Arlington House
once more before her death, but she was unable to leave the
carriage. She hardly recognized it except for a few old oaks and
some of the trees she and Robert had planted. Mary died 1873 and
is buried next to her husband in the Lee family crypt at Lee
Chapel on the campus of Washington and Lee with the children.
Sources:
Perry,
John. Mrs. Robert
E. Lee: The Lady of Arlington, Multnomah
Publishers, 2003.
Custis,
G.W. Parke. Recollections
and Private Memoirs of Washington by G. W. Parke Custis, of
Arlington. , Washington,
1859
Reed’s
Bridge Update
Work
continues at Reed’s Bridge Battlefield in Jacksonville. Tress
and brush have been cleared and new wood fencing has been placed
along Highway 161. Volunteers have begun to construct a barn
with the poles from trees cut on the property. Hopefully, the
community can participate in a hay ride in October. Cash
donations are needed for building materials. In addition, 2
cannons have been ordered and will be placed on the site. With
improvements being made to the site, it is hoped that more
people and groups will visit the historical site.
In
addition to the Civil War battle that occurred there in August
of 1863, the Military Road and bridge over the Bayou Meto was
used during the removal of Native Americans to the Indian
Territory and also as a route for the Butterfield Stagecoach
Line.
Over $3000
is still needed to pay for the cannons. Funds need to be secured
by the end of
August. All members and friends of the CWRT of Arkansas are
asked to consider making a donation to this project. Mail your
check to: The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society,
100 Veterans Circle, Jacksonville, AR 72076. Membership in the
Society is $25 a year.
Good
News for Helena
Having
traveled to Helena many times since I (editor) moved to Arkansas
in 1977, I have seen the slow decay of one of our State’s grand
old towns. When I attended the Interpretive Plan for Civil War
Helena on Saturday, July 18th it
is with extreme
joy and excitementthat
I look with hope to the future!
Members of
the community gathered at the future site of Freedom Park which
will incorporate five interpretive exhibits that follow the
progression from fugitive slave to Contraband to freedom and,
for some, enlistment in the Union Army.
Approximately 75-80 people later attended the comprehensive plan
at the old Malco Theater in downtown Helena. Presenters
included: Cathy Cunningham, Community Development Coordinator
with Southern Bancorp Capital Partners; Mark Christ, Community
Outreach Director, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program;
Joseph and Maria Brent with Mudpuppy & Waterdog, Inc: and Robert
Bell, 1st Sergeant
re-enactor with the 12th United
States Colored Heavy Artillery from Camp Nelson, Ky.
The
original purpose of the interpretive planning portion of the
project was to identify Helena’s Civil War resources and to
develop a walking/driving tour. One of the goals of the project
was to create a tour that represented all facets of Helena’s
Civil War history – Confederate and Union, soldier and civilian,
black and white. As planning and research evolved, a more
comprehensive plan was called for.
A brief
summary of the proposed exhibits was handed out to those in
attendance. “Mudpuppy & Waterdog has identified twenty-seven
locations in Helena that will serve as the framework for
interpreting the places, people, and events that define the
Civil War in Helena. Two of these locations, Freedom Park and
Court Square Park, will contain several exhibits.
A number
of the exhibits are tied to extant resources, including
Batteries A and D, Estevan Hall (which was opened for a tour!),
the Tappan-Pillow House, Magnolia Cemetery, Maple Hill Cemetery
and the Confederate Cemetery. Others interpret Fort Curtis, the
General Thomas Hindman home and other places that have been
lost. Some exhibits interpret events such as Patrick Cleburne’s
speech to the Yell Rifles and Phillips Guards, (whose flag is on
display at the Phillips County Museum-a must see), the entrance
of fugitive slaves into Helena and Adjutant General Lorenzo
Thomas’s call for the formation of the United States Colored
Troops (USCT) regiments in Helena. (at least 2 Colored Regiments
were recruited in Helena during occupation). Some exhibits will
interpret policies like the plantation lease system and federal
confiscation of civilian home. Some interpret Helena’s seven
Confederate generals and other individuals.”
One of the
first projects will be the partial reconstruction of Fort
Curtis, in downtown Helena. $150,000 has been secured for this
effort. Cathy Cunningham hopes that all work will be completed
within 2-3 years. Now that is Good News! Additional information
can be found at www.deltabridgeproject.com and
see “The Plan”. I can’t wait to return!
Updates
Our
speaker next month will be Ken Barnes, history professor at The
University of Central Arkansas. His talk will be on the
Brooks-Baxter War.
The new
brochure on Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery near Cabot is off
the press! It is available at the Chamber of Commerce Offices in
Cabot & Jacksonville and area museums.
New
members of the CWRT are:
Eddie
Landreth of Benton
Pat
Johnson of Little Rock
Ann Burton
Portis of Little Rock
Virgil and
Lisa Knopp of Davison, Mich
George W.
Cawthon of Oklahoma City
Welcome
to each of you!
Hope to see you Tuesday
night with Drew Hodges and Robert E. Lee’s women!
