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LEE'S DISPATCHES

Unpublished letters of General Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis and the War Department of the Confederate States of America (1862-65)

From the private collections of Wymberley Jones De Renne , 1915

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Courtesy of Internet Archive and the Univeristy of British Columbia

Click on the image above to be connected to the online text or click on the dispatch numbers below

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Dispatch No. 80      March 25, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Theories on Grant's Campaign and                                              Richmond preparations

 

Dispatch No. 89      April 24, 1864 - Telegram from Lee to Jefferson Davis: Requests for Davis to visit                                      the troops/ discuss campaign plans

 

Dispatch No. 92      May 4, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Discussions on the movements of Grant and                                    Meade across the Rapidan River and the need to meet them with a large force

 

Dispatch No. 99      May 18, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: The enemy is waiting for reinforcements; we                                  will strike when the opportunity presents itself

 

Dispatch No. 105    May 23, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Theories Grant will follow the railroad and                                      plans by Lee to cooperate with Beauregard

 

Dispatch No. 107    May 25, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Plans to move south of the Anna Rivers;                                        discussion on how Confederate forces may unite against Grant

 

Dispatch No. 114    May 30, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Discussions over the movement of                                                Beauregard's troops to the defense of Richmond 

 

Dispatch No. 117    June 3, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: The enemy is repulsed (Battle of Cold                                              Harbor)

 

Dispatch No. 121    June 9, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Theories on the movements of Sheridan/                                        Grant's strategy in the Valley

 

Dispatch No. 138    June 19, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Movement of troops/ new lines in the                                            defense of Richmond (seige of Petersburg)    

 

Dispatch No. 147    July 1, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Discussions of northern gold markets and                                        volunteer laws/ General Early's moves toward Washington go unnoticed    

 

Dispatch No. 156    July 10, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: Praise of Early's raids in the North/                                                discussion of its economic impact

 

Dispatch No. 163    August 22, 1864 - Lee to Jefferson Davis: The line against Grant cannot be held;                                      communication lines will be disconnected

 

 

Robert E. Lee - Primary Source Documents

In the spring of 1864, Lee found himself once again being pursued by the Army of the Potomac, under new Union leadership and equipped with a new strategy. In spite of the mismatched engagements (Lee was outnumbered and outsupplied), he fought against these odds with cunning and creative military tactics of his own. But would this be enough to ensure Confederate success in the Overland Campaign?

 

Below are documents created by Robert E. Lee during the spring and summer of 1864.

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