LEE, ROBERT E. General, C.S.A. Autograph letter signed ("R E Lee Genl") to Jefferson Davis, President, C.S.A.; "Headquarters A.N.V.," 27 July 1863. 2 pages, 4to, 255 x 200mm. (10 x 8 in.), slight tear at upper margin (not affecting text), extremely faded (particularly page 1). TWENTY DAYS AFTER GETTYSBURG, LEE REPORTS TO DAVIS: "A GENERAL AMNESTY MIGHT BRING MANY DELINQUENTS BACK TO THE ARMIES OF THE CONFEDERACY" THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA HAD SUFFERED SEVERE LOSSES DURING THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN AND ON THE WITHDRAWAL FROM PENNSYLVANIA, DESERTION HAD BECOME RAMPANT. LEE WAS EXTREMELY FEARFUL THAT THE UNION ARMY UNDER MEADE MIGHT PURSUE THE CONFEDERATES BACK ACROSS THE POTOMAC, AND THE DEPLETION OF HIS RANKS WAS ALARMING. IN ONE OF TYPICALLY FORMAL, DEFERENTIAL PERIODIC REPORTS TO THE PRESIDENT, LEE COMPLAINS OF ABUSES IN THE CONSCRIPTION BUREAUCRACY AND URGES DAVIS TO IMPLEMENT THE RADICAL SOLUTION OF OFFERING AMNESTY TO DESERTERS WHO RETURN TO THEIR REGIMENTS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE CONFEDERATE ARMIES. "FEELING THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING THE AGGREGATE OF OUR ARMIES AS RAPIDLY AND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE I BEG LEAVE TO SUBMIT TO YOUR EXCELLENCY A FEW CONSIDERATIONS UPON THIS SUBJECT. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO ME THAT THE ACTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY OF THE CONSCRIPTION BUREAU IS AS GREAT AS IT MIGHT BE. FROM ALL THAT I CAN LEARN THE ENROLLING OFFICERS OF THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, AND THE MEDICAL EXAMINING OFFICERS ARE NATIVES OF THE DISTRICTS IN WHICH THEY OPERATE. BESIDES THIS, THE PURCHASING COMMISSARIES AND QUARTER MASTERS IN THE VARIOUS COUNTIES AND AT THE POSTS IN THE INTERIOR ARE USUALLY ASSIGNED TO DUTY IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. THUS THE ENROLLING OFFICER HAS EVERY TEMPTATION TO BE CARELESS AND GOOD-NATURED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY, THE NUMBER OF EXEMPTIONS GIVEN BY THE MEDICAL OFFICERS IS VERY GREAT, AND THE FEW WHO ARE NOT EXEMPTED ARE AGAIN REDUCED IN NUMBER BY DETAILS FOR SPECIAL DUTY WITH THE ASSISTANT COMMISSARIES & QUARTER MASTERS WHO GATHER ROUND THEM THE FRIENDS AND RELATIONS IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE ARMY. A CASE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO ME OF ONE CAPTAIN... NEAR DANVILLE WHO HAS THIRTEEN ABLE BODIED CONSCRIPTS IN HIS EMPLOYMENT AND I HAVE HEARD OF OTHERS WHO HAVE STILL MORE. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT TO YOUR EXCELLENCY WHETHER IN THE ARRANGEMENTS NECESSARY UNDER THE LATE PROCLAMATION SOMETHING MAY NOT BE DONE TO REMEDY THE DEFECTS OF THE FORMER CONSCRIPTION, OR WHETHER AN EXAMINATION OF FORMER EXEMPTIONS, AND SOME DIMUNITION OF THE GREAT NUMBER OF DETAILS MADE FROM AMONG THE CONSCRIPTS MIGHT NOT MATERIALLY PROMOTE THE INCREASE OF THE ARMY. THERE ARE MANY THOUSAND MEN ABSENT IMPROPERLY FROM THIS ARMY. I HAVE CAUSED TODAY AN APPEAL TO BE MADE TO THEM TO RETURN AT ONCE TO DUTY. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT WILL HAVE MUCH EFFECT UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY THE DECLARATION OF AN AMNESTY. I DOUBTED THE POLICY OF THIS, BUT I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THAT PERHAPS A GENERAL AMNESTY DECLARED BY YOUR EXCELLENCY MIGHT BRING MANY DELINQUENTS BACK TO THE DIFFERENT ARMIES OF THE CONFEDERACY." THE ABUSES OF THE CONSCRIPTION OFFICES REFERRED TO IN THIS LETTER WERE WIDESPREAD SINCE THE CONSCRIPTION ACT WAS FIRST PASSED BY THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS IN 1861. NOT IN DOWDEY AND MANARIN'S THE WARTIME PAPERS OF ROBERT E. LEE , AND APPARENTLY UNPUBLISHED.
LEE, ROBERT E. General, C.S.A. Autograph letter signed ("R E Lee Genl") to Jefferson Davis, President, C.S.A.; "Headquarters A.N.V.," 27 July 1863. 2 pages, 4to, 255 x 200mm. (10 x 8 in.), slight tear at upper margin (not affecting text), extremely faded (particularly page 1). TWENTY DAYS AFTER GETTYSBURG, LEE REPORTS TO DAVIS: "A GENERAL AMNESTY MIGHT BRING MANY DELINQUENTS BACK TO THE ARMIES OF THE CONFEDERACY" THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA HAD SUFFERED SEVERE LOSSES DURING THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN AND ON THE WITHDRAWAL FROM PENNSYLVANIA, DESERTION HAD BECOME RAMPANT. LEE WAS EXTREMELY FEARFUL THAT THE UNION ARMY UNDER MEADE MIGHT PURSUE THE CONFEDERATES BACK ACROSS THE POTOMAC, AND THE DEPLETION OF HIS RANKS WAS ALARMING. IN ONE OF TYPICALLY FORMAL, DEFERENTIAL PERIODIC REPORTS TO THE PRESIDENT, LEE COMPLAINS OF ABUSES IN THE CONSCRIPTION BUREAUCRACY AND URGES DAVIS TO IMPLEMENT THE RADICAL SOLUTION OF OFFERING AMNESTY TO DESERTERS WHO RETURN TO THEIR REGIMENTS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE CONFEDERATE ARMIES. "FEELING THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING THE AGGREGATE OF OUR ARMIES AS RAPIDLY AND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE I BEG LEAVE TO SUBMIT TO YOUR EXCELLENCY A FEW CONSIDERATIONS UPON THIS SUBJECT. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO ME THAT THE ACTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY OF THE CONSCRIPTION BUREAU IS AS GREAT AS IT MIGHT BE. FROM ALL THAT I CAN LEARN THE ENROLLING OFFICERS OF THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, AND THE MEDICAL EXAMINING OFFICERS ARE NATIVES OF THE DISTRICTS IN WHICH THEY OPERATE. BESIDES THIS, THE PURCHASING COMMISSARIES AND QUARTER MASTERS IN THE VARIOUS COUNTIES AND AT THE POSTS IN THE INTERIOR ARE USUALLY ASSIGNED TO DUTY IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. THUS THE ENROLLING OFFICER HAS EVERY TEMPTATION TO BE CARELESS AND GOOD-NATURED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY, THE NUMBER OF EXEMPTIONS GIVEN BY THE MEDICAL OFFICERS IS VERY GREAT, AND THE FEW WHO ARE NOT EXEMPTED ARE AGAIN REDUCED IN NUMBER BY DETAILS FOR SPECIAL DUTY WITH THE ASSISTANT COMMISSARIES & QUARTER MASTERS WHO GATHER ROUND THEM THE FRIENDS AND RELATIONS IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE ARMY. A CASE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO ME OF ONE CAPTAIN... NEAR DANVILLE WHO HAS THIRTEEN ABLE BODIED CONSCRIPTS IN HIS EMPLOYMENT AND I HAVE HEARD OF OTHERS WHO HAVE STILL MORE. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT TO YOUR EXCELLENCY WHETHER IN THE ARRANGEMENTS NECESSARY UNDER THE LATE PROCLAMATION SOMETHING MAY NOT BE DONE TO REMEDY THE DEFECTS OF THE FORMER CONSCRIPTION, OR WHETHER AN EXAMINATION OF FORMER EXEMPTIONS, AND SOME DIMUNITION OF THE GREAT NUMBER OF DETAILS MADE FROM AMONG THE CONSCRIPTS MIGHT NOT MATERIALLY PROMOTE THE INCREASE OF THE ARMY. THERE ARE MANY THOUSAND MEN ABSENT IMPROPERLY FROM THIS ARMY. I HAVE CAUSED TODAY AN APPEAL TO BE MADE TO THEM TO RETURN AT ONCE TO DUTY. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT WILL HAVE MUCH EFFECT UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY THE DECLARATION OF AN AMNESTY. I DOUBTED THE POLICY OF THIS, BUT I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THAT PERHAPS A GENERAL AMNESTY DECLARED BY YOUR EXCELLENCY MIGHT BRING MANY DELINQUENTS BACK TO THE DIFFERENT ARMIES OF THE CONFEDERACY." THE ABUSES OF THE CONSCRIPTION OFFICES REFERRED TO IN THIS LETTER WERE WIDESPREAD SINCE THE CONSCRIPTION ACT WAS FIRST PASSED BY THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS IN 1861. NOT IN DOWDEY AND MANARIN'S THE WARTIME PAPERS OF ROBERT E. LEE , AND APPARENTLY UNPUBLISHED.
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