Here’s a VERY RARE one-of-a-kind 8″ wide by 10″ long handwritten letter from the son of Confederate General Robert E. Lee who was a Major in the Confederate Army himself, George Washington Custis Lee on the letterhead of “Washington and Lee University” in Lexington Virginia. Letter is written entirely in his hand and is dated March 5, 1873. Albert Ordway, Richmond Va. As their organ it is my agreeable duty to tender you our best thanks for your very acceptable donation, with the assurance that your wishes in regard to it shall be faithfully carried out, and that the kind sentiments accompanying it are gratefully appreciated and reciprocated. Very respectfully, Yr Obdt Svt, G. Lee This comes from the personal scrapbook of Brig. Albert Ordway himself and is still attached to the original scrapbook page where he placed it over a century ago. This comes from the personal scrapbook of Brig. Albert Ordway (the letter’s recipient) and is still attached to the original scrapbook page where he placed it over a century ago. Great vintage historic item. The letter has wear and age soiling consistent with age & normal display and would display very nicely-How many of these survived? This comes from the estate of General Albert Ordway and belonged to him personally. He was instrumental in forming the Washington DC National Guard. This is an ORIGINAL item… Not a reproduction item! 1873 Civil War Confederate Maj. George Washington Custis Lee handwritten letter! Kind 8″ wide by 10″ long handwritten letter from the son of Confederate General Robert E. Here’s some info on both men. George Washington Custis Lee (September 16, 1832 February 18, 1913), also known as Custis Lee, was the eldest son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. His grandfather George Washington Custis was the step-grandson and adopted son of George Washington and grandson of Martha Custis Washington. He served as a Confederate general in the American Civil War, primarily as an aide-de-camp to President Jefferson Davis, and succeeded his father as president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. George Washington Custis Lee was born in Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was educated at numerous boarding schools to prepare him in his father’s footsteps. He was educated at the classical school of Reverend George A. Smith in his younger years. He then entered the mathematical school of Benjamin Hallowell. Lee was not given admission to West Point at 16. Lee’s father, Robert E. Lee, then sent a letter to General Winfield Scott on his son’s behalf. Zachary Taylor then nominated Lee to West Point. Lee was then accepted to West Point at 17. From 1850 to 1854, Lee attended West Point. During his first year, Lee excelled both academically and militarily. Toward the end of his first year he was almost expelled, when alcohol was found in his room. He claimed that he did not put it there, and got away with only minor punishments. He did well in his second year also. At the beginning of his third year, his father became the Superintendent of the U. Lee graduated first in his class of forty-six, in 1854. Other members of his class included J. Stuart, William Dorsey Pender, John Pegram, James Deshler, Horace Randal, and John Villepigue. Custis Lee was then commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, as his father before him. He was given the rank of brevet second lieutenant. He served primarily in California, Georgia, and Florida during his time in the United States Army. In 1855, he was given the rank of second lieutenant in the Regular Army. In 1859, Lee was commissioned a first lieutenant. Lee was then stationed in Washington D. During the period of secession and Fort Sumter. He then resigned from the Army, in the spring of 1861 after Virginia seceded from the Union. He resigned about two weeks after his father had done the same. Lee then offered his services to his father’s Virginia state forces. Custis Lee served in the Virginia state forces, until July 1861. At that time he was given a commission as a captain in the Confederate States Army. During the next few months, Lee worked in the Confederate Engineers. He spent his time constructing fortifications for the new capital city, Richmond. At the end of August 1861, Lee was offered and accepted the position of aide-de-camp to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He was then promoted to the rank of colonel. Lee served in his position for the next three years of the war. He was often sent on missions to assess the military, and would then return to report to Davis. Lee became the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, Custis Lee had constant contact with his father. In 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign, Custis Lee was put in charge of supervising the engineers at Drewry’s Bluff. In June 1863, he was promoted to brigadier general. Lee was discouraged from taking a field command by Davis, but encouraged by his father. Lee asked his father for a field command, but his father replied that his highest duty was obedience to his superiors. For the most part, he obeyed Davis, but during the Battle of Gettysburg, Custis Lee was given the command of the troops in Richmond. In 1864, Custis Lee was placed in command of Richmond’s local defenses against General Grant and General Benjamin Butler. He did so well that he was given command of Richmond’s eastern defenses at Chaffin’s Bluff. Lee remained at Chaffin’s Bluff throughout the next months, and in 1864, he was promoted to major general. Shortly before the end of the war, he commanded troops in the field and was captured at Sayler’s Creek on April 6; three days before his father surrendered on Palm Sunday April 9, 1865 to Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant at the McLean House in the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. In late 1865, Lee was hired as a professor at the Virginia Military Institute. Lee held this position until the death of his father. Between 1871 and 1897, Lee served as the ninth president of Washington and Lee University. In 1877, seven years after his father’s death, Custis Lee sued in a case with assistance from Robert Lincoln that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court to regain title to the family mansion, Arlington House and plantation, which had become Arlington Cemetery. Lee’s case, United States v. 196, was decided in his favor by a 54 vote, in 1882. Lee won both the house and the 1,100 acres surrounding the mansion. In 1897, Lee resigned as president of Washington and Lee University. He then moved to the home of his late brother, Major General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee’s Ravensworth Mansion. Custis Lee died on February 18, 1913, in Alexandria, Virginia, and is buried in the Lee Chapel, near his family members. He never married, and had no children. Brigadier General Albert C. February 24, 1843-Died in 1897 Ordway served in the Civil War. Ordway was a student of the Lawrence Scientific School when the Civil War broke out, and left College to enlist. He emnlisted as a Private, 4th Battalion, Massachusetts Milita, April 16, 1861; First Lieutenant, 24th Massachusetts, September 2, 1861; Captain, July 5, 1864; Major, November 21, 1864; Lieutenant Colonel, April 6, 1865; Colonel, May 7, 1865. He was breveted Brigadier General, United States Volunteers, for war services. He was Aide-de-Camp to Henry Prince at New Bern, North Carolina; Provost Marhal General of Virginia following the War. He moved to Washington, D. And was Commander of the D. National Guard at the time of his death on November 21, 1897. Civil War Union Army Brevet Brigadier General. He enlisted as a Private in the 4th Battalion of the Massachusetts Militia at the onset of the Civil War, but was soon commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the 24th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He served as the regiment’s acting Adjutant when it took part in the Spring 1862 operations around New Berne, North Carolina. His administrative skills then brought him to Brigadier General Henry Prince, where he served on the Generals Staff as an Acting Assistant Adjutant General during the May 1863 Suffolk Campaign, and as Acting Adjutant General of the 2nd Division, III Corps in the months after the Battle of Gettysburg. When the III Corps was broken up, he accompanied his command as it was assigned to the XXIV Corps of the Army of the James, and as promoted to Captain and Ordnance Officer on the Staff of Brigadier General Alfred H. After serving nearly a year in this capacity he was promoted to Major, and assumed command of his original regiment, the 24th Massachusetts, which he led in combat up to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox in April 1865. In May of that year he was promoted to Colonel, and then was assigned to his last duty post as Provost Marshal General of the Department of Virginia. He was mustered out of Federal service in February 1866, having been brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for highly meritorious services during the war. He passed away in New York City in 1897. What a great vintage 100% authentic item! This is an ORIGINAL item, NOT REPRODUCTION item! However, if the items are heavy or require special packing / tracking, the postal rates might not be significantly reduced. We pack every item professionally using new packing materials and appropriate mailing supplies. We send all items via US Postal Service. I think you’ll find that we’re quite fair. I try and place a penny in every photo to help judge the size of the item, obviously it is there for size comparison and is not included with the item. The standard sized Lincoln head penny in the photograph is there for size comparison ONLY and is not included in the package. We’re just trying to help you figure out how big the item is. We try and always be as accurate as we can in the item. Description and will gladly answer any question about item size & description when needed. Postal service and is never refundable. Many of the items are VINTAGE and although they are in very fine condition, they may not function as well as when they were made decades ago. In other words, if you intend on using a 50+ year old letter opener and it breaks, don’t get mad at us. It may be hard to believe, but we have received a couple negatives because people broke vintage items while trying to use them. We comb the antique stores & malls as well as Antique shows & flea markets from Coast-to-coast in an effort to try and find that special addition to your collection. We travel hundreds of miles and wake up with the sun in search of these items. We truly have a love for our hobby / business. We generally charge the same postal rate that the US Post Office charges us. We’ll respect you, but please respect us as well. Auctiva offers Free Image Hosting and Editing. Auctiva gets you noticed! Track Page Views With. Auctiva’s FREE Counter. The item “1873 Civil War Confederate Maj. George Washington Custis Lee handwritten letter” is in sale since Tuesday, April 14, 2020. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Autographs\Military”. The seller is “ghost-train65″ and is located in Noblesville, Indiana. This item can be shipped to United States.