L

Lacy, Beverley Tucker, Letter, 1863. 1 item. Mss2L1196a1.
A letter, 2 June 1863, to James Power Smith (1837–1923) from Beverley Tucker Lacy (1819–1900) of Richard Stoddert Ewell's staff concerning Ewell's desire to have Smith join his staff as assistant adjutant general.

Lacy, Elizabeth Churchill (Jones), Memoir, 1903. 1 item. Typescript copy. Mss5:1L1195:1.
This collection contains a photocopy of a typed transcript of a memoir entitled "Memories of a Long Life" by Elizabeth Churchill (Jones) Lacy (1829–1907) of Stafford County. Included in the memoir is a brief account of life at Chatham, the Lacy family home near Fredericksburg during the war, and of Elizabeth Lacy's wartime experiences visiting friends and family in various parts of Virginia.

Lambeth, Joseph Harrison, Diary, 1864. 1 item. Photocopy. Mss5:1L1765:1.
Consists of a photocopy of a diary, 2 May–11 November 1864, kept by Joseph Harrison Lambeth (b. 1844?) of the 14th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Entries chronicle the 14th North Carolina's experiences in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, and Cold Harbor, in the 1864 Maryland and Shenandoah Valley campaigns, and Lambeth's wounding and capture at the third battle of Winchester and subsequent imprisonment at Point Lookout, Md. Also included are notes concerning the Union corps commanders in May 1864, casualty figures as reported by the northern press, and a crude map of the battle of Chancellorsville.

Lancaster Family Papers, 1784–1872. 166 items. Mss1L2215a.
This collection contains the papers of the Lancaster family of Richmond. Civil War materials consist of a letter, 25 June 1861, from James Pleasants (1831–1898) of the Hampden Artillery Battery to James Kendall Lee (1829–1861) of the 1st Virginia Infantry Regiment concerning artillery training in Richmond and news of fellow artillerists Joseph White Latimer (1843–1863), William Henderson Caskie (1834–1900), and Alfred Ranson Courtney (1833–1914) (section 14); a letter, 20 October 1864, written by James Alexander Seddon (1815–1880) to Alexander Robert Lawton regarding the purchase of United States currency for use of the Confederate War Department (section 21); Special Order No. 93, 11 November 1864, issued by William Montgomery Gardner announcing the appointment of Clarence Morfit as agent to purchase currency from Union prisoners of war held in Confederate prisons (section 22); and an order, 14 April 1865, issued by Edward Otho Cresap Ord placing the Genito property of Warner Lewis Waring under Union army protection (section 23).

Lancaster, Robert Alexander, Account Book, 1861–1862. 1 volume. Mss5:3L2213:1.
An account book, kept by Robert Alexander Lancaster (1829–1902), containing a list of subscribers to Confederate bonds. Among the subscribers are Robert E. Lee (p. 12) and J. R. Anderson & Co. (p. 26).

Lancaster, Robert Alexander, Papers, 1855–1890. 66 items. Mss1L2214a.
This collection contains the papers of Robert Alexander Lancaster (1829–1902) of Richmond. Section 1 consists of Lancaster's wartime correspondence with the following individuals: George C. Binford of the 18th Tennessee Infantry Regiment (concerning rumors of the fall of Vicksburg, Miss., in May 1863, and the Atlanta campaign), Joseph T. Binford of the 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment (regarding his imprisonment at Fort Delaware, Del.), George Bryan ([1860–1930] concerning the Hampton Roads Peace Conference and the evacuation of Richmond), James Alfred Jones ([1820–1894] concerning his role as tobacco purchasing agent for the Confederate government), James Alexander Seddon ([1815–1880] regarding Lancaster's request that W. H. Brown of the 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment be granted a discharge thus allowing him to manage his family's farm), and John W. Wright of an unidentified military unit (concerning his attitude toward being a soldier in 1863).

Section 2 contains correspondence concerning the relationship between Robert A. Lancaster's brokerage firm, John A. Lancaster & Son, and the Confederate government. Included in this section is an undated petition to Jefferson Davis asking for a detail of two named individuals to assist in the sale of Confederate bonds, and a letter, 24 January 1862, from Christopher Gustavus Memminger (1803–1888) appointing the firm to act as agents in the collection of proceeds generated by the Produce Loan.

Other items in the collection include a pass, 6 June 1864, issued to Robert Lancaster permitting him to travel by train from Richmond to Columbia, S.C.; a pass, 10 April 1865, issued to Lancaster by the Union army allowing him to visit the Richmond headquarters of Godfrey Weitzel (section 4); and an undated list of agents for the sale of Confederate bonds (section 5).

Lancaster, Robert Alexander, Papers, 1857–1867. 50 items. Mss2L2214b.
This collection contains the papers of Robert Alexander Lancaster (1829–1902) of Richmond. Section 1 consists of Lancaster's correspondence and includes the following wartime items: a letter, 20 July 1863, from J. Marshall Caldwell in which he expresses his desire to serve the Confederacy despite his physical incapacities and describes the Union assault on Fort Wagner during the siege of Charleston, S.C.; letters, 1864, from Charles S. Contee, while stationed in Wytheville, concerning the destruction by Union forces of a portion of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad between Lynchburg and Liberty (now Bedford City), and his role in the defense of Wytheville against Union attack in December 1864; a letter, 18 April 1864, from Richard Contee regarding his wife's refusal to swear to an oath of allegiance to the United States and her desire to run the blockade to join her husband in Albemarle County; letters, 1862, from James H. Hoyt of Company K of the 3d Alabama Infantry Regiment concerning his need for shoes following the Maryland campaign and recounting his experience with Union soldiers following the battle of Fredericksburg (including his attitude toward southern soldiers looting from dead Union soldiers); letters, 1862–1863, from John K. Hoyt of the same unit offering a brief summary of the fighting at the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, detailed casualties in Company K suffered during those battles, and a brief description of the condition of the Army of Northern Virginia while encamped near Bunker Hill (now W.Va.), in October 1862; a letter, 25 March 1865, from John A. Lancaster (1819–1865) discussing his continued support for the Confederate cause; an undated printed request, signed by Richard S. Massey, from Robert E. Lee instructing Lancaster to organize a local defense force in Richmond; a letter, 9 January 1863, from Michael Osborne bearing a note from Robert Lancaster concerning the granting of a discharge for a member of Company A of the 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment so that he could manage his grandparents' farm near Danville; a letter, 6 May 1863, from Francis Lee Smith (1808–1877) regarding, in part, Smith's speculation on what effect the Confederate victory at the battle of Chancellorsville might have on the price of tobacco; a letter, 2 March 1864, from William Townes Walker (1825–1898) of Powhatan County, concerning the confiscation of Walker's property (including slaves) by Union troops; and a letter, 23 October 1862, from John H. Williams to Lancaster asking for his help in securing a job for Williams's niece, Anna Williams, as a "clipper of notes" in the Treasury Department. Also in the collection is an oath of allegiance, 12 September 1863, to the Confederate States of America sworn by Amelia (Wright) Whitehead (section 5).

Landstreet, John, Letters, 1860–1865. 9 items. Mss2L2397b.
This collection contains letters, 1860–1865, from John Landstreet (1818–1891) to his wife. Mostly written while he served in the 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment, the letters concern primarily family news and farming advice and include brief descriptions of camp life and an expedition, led by J. E. B. Stuart, from Hanover Court House to near Fredericksburg in August 1862.

Lane, Jane Collins, Papers, 1861–1865. 15 items. Mss2L2422b.
Consists of letters, 1861–1865, written to Jane (Collins) Lane (of Charlotte County) by her brother John C. Collins ([1841?–1865] while serving in the Confederate States Army at the Springfield coal pitts, Henrico County, concerning financial advice, requests that shirts and pants be sent from home, and his life in camp [including attendance at Christmas parties and comments on poor rations]), her brother Thomas J. Collins ([d. 1862] while serving in the 56th Virginia Infantry Regiment, discussing his hope for a peaceful end to the war in October 1861), and her husband, Edward V. Lane (at Camp Lee, Henrico County [now Richmond], and while serving in the 56th Virginia Infantry, discussing his bouts with illness, the arrival of Union prisoners of war in Richmond in the fall of 1864, advice to Jane about financial matters [including a suggestion that she hire out their slave Emeline to raise money], and camp life while serving with the 56th Virginia in Chesterfield County, in the winter of 1864/65 [including speculation over the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election and brief mention of troop movements in the Bermuda Hundred area]).

Lange, John Gottfried, Memoirs, ca. 1870–1880. 2 volumes. Mss5:1L2605:1.
This collection contains the memoirs of John Gottfried Lange (1809–1892) of Germany and Richmond. Written in German, the memoirs, entitled "The Changed Name of the Shoemaker of the Old and New World, Thirty Years in Europe and Thirty Years in America," offer a detailed account of life in Richmond during the war (volume 1). Lange describes his brief service in the 1st Regiment of Second Class Militia and the effect of the war on his Richmond beer hall. Included in the collection is a typed English translation.

Langhorne Family Papers, 1843–1863. 98 items. Mss1L2653a. Microfilm reel B20.
The papers of the Langhorne family of Montgomery County, Va., consist of materials primarily concerning James Henry Langhorne's (1841–1864) service in the 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment. Letters written by Langhorne to family members discuss camp life at Richmond and Winchester, and at Harpers Ferry [now W.Va.] in 1861, Thomas Jonathan Jackson's departure address to his brigade in November 1861, the first battle of Bull Run, a skirmish at Dam No. 5 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in December 1861, the Romney Campaign, and Langhorne's capture at the battle of Kernstown and subsequent imprisonment at Fort Delaware, Del. (Section 1).

Also include letters written to various members of the Langhorne family by Harvey Black ([1827–1888] of the 4th Virginia Infantry, concerning the capture of James Henry Langhorne at the battle of Kernstown, Va.), Nannie E. Kent ([b. 1828] regarding James Langhorne's capture), Daniel Allen Langhorne ([1825–1908] of the 42nd Virginia Infantry Regiment, concerning the battle of Kernstown and James Langhorne's capture), William H. Langhorne (regarding James Langhorne's capture), and Elizabeth Allen (Langhorne) Payne ([1842–1935] concerning a visit to Richmond in February 1862 with a brief description of Jefferson Davis's inauguration as president of the Confederate States of America), Cephus Shelburn (concerning James Langhorne's capture), Lomax Tayloe ([1842–1863] of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment, regarding news of the capture of Roanoke Island, N.C., by the U.S. Army in February 1862), John C. Wade ([1829–1889] of the 4th Virginia Infantry concerning James Langhorne's capture), and Theodore F. Wright (of the 4th Virginia Infantry regarding camp life at Harpers Ferry [now W. Va.] in May 1861 and at Winchester in June/July 1861) (Section 2).

Also, contain a letter, 10 June 1862, written by George Wythe Randolph ([1818–1867] as Confederate Secretary of War) to Thomas Jonathan Jackson granting Jackson permission to parole a U.S. Army prisoner in exchange for James Henry Langhorne, a prisoner since his capture at the battle of Kernstown; a commission, 4 December 1861, issued to James Henry Langhorne as first lieutenant in the 75th Infantry Regiment of Virginia Militia (signed by Governor John Letcher [1813–1884]); a list, 23 July 1861, of members of Company G of the 4th Virginia Infantry wounded at the first battle of Bull Run; resolutions of sympathy, 1863, extended by members of Company B of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment, concerning the death of Jacob Kent Langhorne (1845–1863) at the battle of Brandy Station; a printed invitation, n.d., to an unidentified military ball; an envelope bearing a Confederate States postage stamp; and letters and a telegram, 1862, concerning the death of James Tayloe (d. 1862) of an unidentified Confederate unit. (Section 3).

Langhorne Family Papers, 1861–1906. 10 items. Mss2L2653b.
Contains the papers of members of the Langhorne family of Virginia. Wartime items include letters, 1861–1862, from James Henry Langhorne (1841–1864) of the 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment to his aunt, Nannie E. Kent (b. 1828), concerning his regiment's movement from Richmond to Harpers Ferry (now W.Va.) in May 1861, a false alarm while stationed at Harpers Ferry, camp life near Centreville in October 1861, Langhorne's duty as regimental adjutant, and living conditions while stationed at Romney (now W.Va.), in January 1861 (b1–4); a hand-written copy of letters, 1863, from Jacob Kent Langhorne (1845–1863) of the 2d Virginia Infantry Regiment to his parents concerning his attempt to evade Union cavalry scouts near Columbia and to rejoin his regiment (b7–8); a copy of a letter, 20 March 1906, from Elva Munford (Ellis) Rachal (1874–1965) to her father, William Munford Ellis (1846–1921), regarding a postwar visit from Basil Duke and his recollection of a council of war held in the Roanoke Valley in April 1865 and his efforts to join Jefferson Davis in his flight from Richmond (b9); and undated notes, written by Elva Rachal, concerning her father's attempt to join Robert E. Lee's army on its retreat toward Appomattox Court House in April 1865 (b10).

Langhorne, James Henry, Diary, 1862. 2 volumes. Mss5:1L2654:1–2. Microfilm reel C601.
The two-volume diary of James Henry Langhorne (1841–1864) contains entries concerning his service in the 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment. The first volume, 1–2 February 1862, includes brief entries for two eventful days at Harpers Ferry (now W.Va.). Langhorne describes his feelings regarding Thomas J. Jackson's threatened resignation from the army (which occurred on 31 January), and his disappointment over the 4th Virginia's newly promoted officers. Langhorne kept the second volume, 8–9 April 1862, while imprisoned at Fort Delaware, Del. Included in this volume are brief entries concerning prison life and the illness of a fellow prisoner, and a list of Confederate soldiers at Fort Delaware who were captured at the battle of Kernstown.

Larue Family Papers, 1846–1889. 41 items. Mss1L3295a. Microfilm reel C470.
Contain the papers of the Larue family of Clarke County and Jefferson County (now W.Va.). Civil War items include a letter, 8 May 1861, written by William Augustin A. Larue (1832–1895) while serving in the 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment to his future wife, Eliza Cornelia (Grantham) Larue (1835–1905), regarding camp life at Harpers Ferry (now W. Va.) and his failed plan to get a substitute so that he can return home to marry her (Section 2); a letter, 29 May 1864, written by Catharine (Grantham) Larue (1838–1899) to her sister Eliza Cornelia (Grantham) Larue concerning, in part, the capture of the Stonewall Brigade at the battle of Spotsylvania Court House (Section 3); and a letter, 22 May 1861, written by John S. Timberlake (of Macon, Ga.) to John James Grantham (1826–1912) concerning Timberlake's questions regarding the state of Confederate defenses at Harpers Ferry in May 1861 and the level of support for the young Confederacy from non-slaveholders and poor whites in Virginia (Section 4).

Latrobe, Osmun, Diary, 1862–1865. 1 volume. Typescript. Mss5:1L3543:1.
A typed transcript of a diary, 18 July 1862–24 May 1865, kept by Osmun Latrobe (1835–1915) while serving on the staffs of David Rumph Jones and James Longstreet. Latrobe's diary consists of daily entries offering accounts of marches throughout Virginia and Tennessee and of the following military engagements: the battles of Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and the Wilderness, the siege of Suffolk, and the Gettysburg, Knoxville, Petersburg, and Appomattox campaigns. Also included are copies of letters, 1864–1886, in Latrobe's possession concerning the Appomattox campaign and Robert E. Lee's and James Longstreet's postwar requests for information from Latrobe regarding Civil War military operations.

Law, Evander McIvor, Letter, 1865. 1 item. Mss2L4109a1.
A letter, 24 March 1865, from Evander McIvor Law to John G. Stokes of Richmond, expressing his hope that Stokes will travel to Raleigh, N.C., and visit Law while he served with the cavalry under Joseph E. Johnston.

Lawson, John William, Letter, 1864. 1 item. Mss2L4455a1.
A letter, 19 March 1864, from John William Lawson (1837–1905) of the 30th North Carolina Infantry Regiment to Samuel Preston Moore (1813–1889) concerning Lawson's examination before the Confederate army medical board in Richmond.

Leduc, William Gates, Papers, 1909. 4 items. Mss2L4996b.
Contains the letters, 1909, of William Gates Leduc (1823–1917) of Hastings, Minn. Of particular note is a letter, 27 February 1909, from Leduc to Thomas Wyatt Willcox (b. 1832) of Charles City County, concerning visits Leduc made on the Willcox family while serving as a quartermaster in the 2d Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula campaign.

Lee, Edwin Gray, Papers, 1860–1865. 18 items. Photocopies. Mss2L51125b.
This collection contains photocopies of papers relating to the Civil War service of Edwin Gray Lee as major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel of the 33d Virginia Infantry Regiment and later as brigadier general. Section 1 consists of letters, 1862–1865, to Lee from Judah Philip Benjamin (1811–1884) regarding Benjamin's collection of Confederate funds in London, England, in September 1865, from Jefferson Davis concerning Lee's command of reserve forces in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864, and from John Kirkwood Mitchell (1811–1889) acknowledging Lee's resignation from the Confederate navy. Also in section 1 are commissions, 1863–1864, signed by James Alexander Seddon (1815–1880), issued to Lee as lieutenant colonel, major, colonel, and brigadier general in the Confederate army. Section 2 consists of commissions, 1861–1863, issued to Lee as major and lieutenant colonel in the Confederate army. Section 3 consists of the following Special Orders: No. 234, assigning Lee to duty in the 33d Virginia Infantry in July 1861; No. 306, announcing Lee's resignation from the 33d Virginia; and No. 282, announcing Lee's relief from command of reserve forces in the Shenandoah Valley in November 1864 for health reasons. Other items in the collection include an 1864 receipt of payment to Lee as brigadier general; a parole of honor, 26 September 1862, issued to Lee by the Union army near Sharpsburg, Md.; and an oath of allegiance, 14 January 1863, to the Confederate States of America sworn by Lee (section 4).

Lee Family Papers, 1732–1892. 71 items. Mss1L51b. Microfilm reel B21.
This collection contains papers relating to the Custis and Lee families of Virginia. The correspondence of Robert E. Lee includes a typescript copy of a letter, 23 August 1864, to Mary (Tinsley) Kindred concerning the health of Mary Anna Randolph (Custis) Lee (1808–1873) (b55); a typescript copy of a letter, 13 June 1865, to Andrew Johnson requesting a pardon (b56); and a letter, 25 November 1865, from Pierre G. T. Beauregard discussing secession and Lee's request for information on Beauregard's service during the Bermuda Hundred campaign (b57). Also in the collection are several wartime and postwar letters between Thomas Henry Carter (1831–1908) of the King William Artillery Battery and the following individuals: Mary Anna Randolph (Custis) Lee (concerning the death of Julian Carter [d. 1862] of Company I of the 4th Virginia Cavalry Regiment in a skirmish near Malvern Hill in late July 1862) (b59), William Leroy Brown ([1827–1902] concerning the problems of manufacturing precision ordnance) (b67), Jubal A. Early (concerning the role of artillery in the battles of Third Winchester and Cedar Creek) (b68), and Daniel Harvey Hill (concerning Carter's battery at the battle of Seven Pines) (69–71). Other items include an affidavit, 25 May 1865, of Theodore Miller testifying to the fact that Robert E. Lee took the oath of allegiance to the United States government (b58) and an appointment, 10 June 1863, issued to Robert Edward Lee, Jr. (1843–1914), as a cadet in the Confederate army (b61).

Lee Family Papers, 1810–1911. 25 items. Photocopies. Mss1L51e.
This small collection primarily consists of photocopies of postwar letters of Robert E. Lee. Wartime items include a letter, 2 June 1861, from Robert E. Lee to Dinwiddie Brazier Phillips regarding two "suspicious persons" in Pierre G. T. Beauregard's command in northern Virginia (e5); a letter, 8 April 1862, from Lee to Samuel Cooper concerning command assignments for States Rights Gist and Leroy Napier in the Confederate Department of South Carolina and Georgia (e6); and a letter, 11 November 1864, from Lee to Mrs. B. F. Mills regarding the confinement as a prisoner of war of Thomas S. Mills of Richard Herron Anderson's staff (e7).

Lee Family Papers, 1810–1914. 842 items. Mss1L51g.
This collection contains the papers of members of the Lee family of Virginia. Civil War materials consist of a recollection, 1892, of Reuben Cleary (b.1835), formerly on the staff of Edward Porter Alexander, describing his journey from Richmond to Appomattox Court House during the retreat in April 1865 and the recovery of a pistol belonging to Robert E. Lee (Section 7); a letter, 21 April 1862, from William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (1837–1891) of the 9th Virginia Cavalry Regiment to his wife, Charlotte Georgiana (Wickham) Lee (d. 1863), concerning a cavalry engagement (section 11); the galley, 1904, of an article, entitled "With My Father on the Battlefield," by Robert Edward Lee, Jr. (1843–1914), offering recollections of his experiences with his father during the war (section 19); and a morning report, 14 February 1862, for the 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment (section 20). The above-mentioned article by Robert E. Lee, Jr., was printed in the Ladies' Home Journal (October 1904).

Lee Family Papers, 1824–1918. 742 items. Mss1L51c. Microfilm reels C279–282.
This collection consists of the correspondence of Robert E. Lee while serving in the United States and the Confederate armies and as president of Washington College, Lexington. Topics in letters to his wife, Mary Anna Randolph (Custis) Lee (1808–1873), and other family members include family news, the secession of Virginia, Lee's duties as commander of Confederate forces in Virginia in the spring and summer of 1861, his wife's and daughters' manufacture of clothing for Confederate soldiers, his service in western Virginia (now W.Va.), South Carolina, and Georgia, and the manumission of Lee and Custis family slaves during the war. Military engagements discussed in the letters include the battles of Cheat Mountain, Hanover Court House, Seven Pines, Fredericksburg, and the Crater and the Second Bull Run and Gettysburg campaigns. Many of the wartime letters in this collection are printed in Clifford Dowdey and Louis H. Manarin, eds., The Wartime Papers of R. E. Lee (Boston, 1961). The letters in the collection have been individually cataloged by the Society's archival staff.

Lee, Fitzhugh, Letter, 1864. 1 item. Photocopy. Mss2L5113a2.
A photocopy of a letter, 4 April 1864, to William Smith (1797–1887) concerning a letter, passed through Union lines in the Shenandoah Valley, from Virginia B. Stephens to Governor Smith.

Lee, George Bolling, Papers, 1813–1924. 247 items. Mss1L5114d. Microfilm reel C278.
This collection, given to the Society by the family of Robert E. Lee's son, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (1837–1891), contains primarily postwar letters of "Rooney" Lee and his father. Civil War items include a letter, [?] May 1863, from Robert E. Lee to W. H. F. Lee concerning, in part, complaints of Confederate soldiers regarding the visits of officers' wives to military posts (d1); a description of Traveller, ca. 1866, dictated by Robert E. Lee to his daughter, Eleanor Agnes Lee (1841–1873) (d25); a letter, 12 November 1863, from W. H. F. Lee to his brother, George Washington Custis Lee (1832–1913), concerning his transfer from the United States prison at Fort Monroe, Va., to Fort Lafayette, N.Y. (d42); a letter, 11 March 1862, from Archer Anderson to W. H. F. Lee regarding Lee's picket duty and additional cavalry to be dispatched by William Henry Chase Whiting (d115); and a letter, 16 March 1864, from J. E. B. Stuart to W. H. F. Lee concerning Lee's return to military service following his imprisonment and Stuart's desire to have Lee serve with him (d116).

Lee, George Bolling, Papers, 1841–1868. 78 items. Mss1L5114c. Microfilm reel C278.
This collection, given to the Society by the family of Robert E. Lee's son, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (1837–1891), consists primarily of letters from Robert E. Lee to his son and daughter-in-law, Charlotte Georgiana (Wickham) Lee (d. 1863). Wartime letters to W. H. F. Lee concern the secession crisis in Virginia, military operations in western Virginia (now W.Va.) in 1861, Lee's service in South Carolina, the manumission of Custis family slaves in 1862, and Lee's indictment for treason by a Norfolk grand jury in June 1865. Letters to his daughter-in-law Charlotte discuss family news, his opinion of women as clothing manufacturers for the Confederacy, the battle of Seven Pines and his assumption of the command of the Army of Northern Virginia, news of her husband's involvement in the cavalry raid on Catlett's Station in August 1862, and the capture and imprisonment of W. H. F. Lee in 1863. Several of the letters in the collection are printed in J. William Jones, The Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee, Soldier and Man (New York, 1906).

Lee, Mary Custis (1835–1918), Papers, 1694–1917. 6,495 items. Mss1L5144a. Restricted access.
This collection consists of the papers compiled by Mary Custis Lee, who was the eldest daughter of Robert E. Lee (1807–1870) and Mary Anna Randolph (Custis) Lee (1807–1873) of Arlington House in what is now the city of Arlington. Access to and/or photocopying of some materials in this collection is currently restricted.

Section 14 contains correspondence of General Lee during 1861–1865, primarily while commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, and largely with his daughter Mary and with other family members. Letters concern the safety of his family and discuss the battles of Antietam and the Crater. Lee's postwar correspondence in this collection (section 15) includes among others communications with former Union and Confederate officers discussing wartime topics: Frank Y. Commenger (28 May 1867), Richard Stoddert Ewell (1 January 1866), Wade Hampton (22 January 1866), and George Wallace Jones (15 January 1869); also includes a letter to Frank W. Tremlett regarding Lee's opinion of the early days of Reconstruction (13 August 1865).

Military records compiled over his career by Robert E. Lee (section 17) include an 1863 letter from Wade Hampton regarding his cavalry division, unsigned, undated statements concerning Federal raids in Gloucester and Fairfax counties, and a map showing Forts Donelson and Henry in Tennessee and Island No. 10 in Missouri. Section 20 includes general orders to the Army of Northern Virginia issued by and written out in the hand of Robert E. Lee concerning the march between Fredericktown and Hagerstown, Md., in September 1862, and the death of Thomas Jonathan Jackson in May 1863; also includes Lee's postwar memoranda on Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, Beauregard at Manassas, the Maryland Campaign of 1862, and the retreat from Petersburg and surrender at Appomattox. Section 22 contains an exceptional number of letters of condolence written to Mrs. Lee and Mary Custis Lee in 1870 upon the death of General Lee, many of which include reminiscences of service under Lee during the war.

Letters, 1861–1865, written to Mary Anna Randolph (Custis) Lee largely concern depredations by Union soldiers in Bedford, Fairfax, and Fauquier counties, as well as the two battles at Manassas, and are mainly written by extended family members (section 24); her postwar correspondence (section 25), 1865–1868, includes letters concerning the imprisonment of Jefferson Davis (Varina Howell Davis, 1865), a visit to Arlington and description of the house and grounds in the aftermath of the conflict (Mary Custis Lee, 1866), thoughts on the end of the war (Marietta Fauntleroy (Turner) Powell, 1865), and the death of Jeb Stuart and thoughts on the nature of the early stages of Reconstruction (Flora (Cooke) Stuart, 1865).

Letters, 1861–1865, written to Mary Custis Lee (section 34) largely concern the imprisonment of her brother William Henry Fitzhugh Lee at Fort Monroe, the battle of Shiloh, Tenn. (William Orton Williams, 1862), the execution of cousin William Orton Williams as a Confederate spy (Eleanor Agnes Lee, 1863), and the contributions of Confederate women to aiding soldiers (Richard Stoddert Ewell, 1861); they also include extensive communications from family friend and Confederate general Jeb Stuart concerning wartime activities and his own outlook on going into battle, especially after the loss of his young daughter in 1862. A portion of Mary Custis Lee's postwar correspondence, 1865–1871, concerns prison life and activities of former soldiers at Fort Warren, Mass., her father, Robert E. Lee, and Charles Marshall’s memoir of General Lee (section 35).

A commonplace book kept in part by Mary Custis Lee between 1860 and 1865 includes poetry with a patriotic Confederate theme or lamenting the defeat of the South (section 40). Sections 42 and 43 contain materials compiled by Mary Custis Lee between 1864 and 1917 regarding the recovery of Custis, Lee, and Washington family personal property taken from Arlington House and other locations during the war by confiscation or theft; section 42 includes "A Sketch of a Hasty Visit to Dear Old Arlington" written by Sydney Smith Lee, probably in late 1865; section 43 includes information on claims for timber cut by Union soldiers during the war on the Ravensworth plantation in Fairfax County. Lastly, sections 47–49 contain miscellaneous materials collected by Mary Custis Lee regarding her father, Robert E. Lee, the Civil War in general, the Confederate States of America, and Confederate veterans and veterans' organizations.

Lee, Richard Bland, Letter, 1863. 1 item. Mss2L51466a1.
A letter, 15 December 1863, from Richard Bland Lee (1797–1875) to Jefferson Davis primarily concerning Lee's appointment and service as lieutenant colonel in the Confederate Subsistence Department and as chief of subsistence on the staffs of Pierre G. T. Beauregard and Braxton Bragg.

Lee, Robert Edward, Headquarters Papers, 1850–1876. 816 items. Mss3L515a. Microfilm reels C601–604.
This collection contains materials generated by the headquarters staff of the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Robert E. Lee. The papers consist primarily of circulars, orders, telegrams, letterbooks, and correspondence concerning the daily operations of the army from 1862 to 1865. The collection is particularly strong in materials relating to the last year of the war. Written by or addressed to Lee and his staff members, the materials cover a wide range of subjects including logistics, military engagements, enemy troop movements, and morale. Also included are official battle reports filed by Confederate officers concerning the following engagements: Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, the 1862 Maryland campaign (including Harpers Ferry and the battle of Antietam), Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Mine Run, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, the siege of Petersburg, and the Appomattox campaign. In addition to the wartime papers, the collection contains postwar items concerning Lee and his army. These include letters, 1865–1871, to Lee from friends and former Confederate officers discussing Lee's role in the war, recent publications on the war, and Lee's personal character; reminiscences, 1865–1876, of former Confederates including Jubal A. Early, James Longstreet, Walter Herron Taylor (1838–1916), Edward Porter Alexander, and Richard Stoddert Ewell; and, letters, 1865–1869, concerning postwar politics and Reconstruction generally, Virginia's return to the Union, and former Confederates in Mexico. A separate finding aid for this collection is available in the Society's library.

Lee, Robert Edward, Letters, 1831–1862. 13 items. Photocopies. Mss2L515b.
This collection includes letters and orders, 1861–1862, concerning Nathan George Evans (1824–1868) (b9, 11), Richard DeTreville (b12), and States Rights Gist (b13). Also included is a map, 1861, of the first battle of Bull Run (b10).

Lee, Robert Edward, Letter, 1865 July 3. 1 item. Mss2L515a190.
Letter, 3 July 1865, written by Robert E. Lee to James West Pegram (1839–1881) regarding an offer by a Mr. McHenry of cattle to repopulate herds in Virginia following the Civil War, which Lee declines because he did not own a farm; and Pegram’s responsibilities to his family following the loss of two brothers in the war.

Lee, Robert Edward, Papers, 1824–1962. 186 items. Mss2L515a. Microfilm reel C604.
This collection of individually cataloged items includes letters, 1861–1865, written or endorsed by Robert E. Lee while serving as commander of Virginia forces and the Army of Northern Virginia. The letters cover a wide range of topics including matters of logistics (a36, 179), overall Union and Confederate strategy throughout the war (a65, 72–73, 183), and specific military operations such as the battles of the Wilderness (a37) and Hatcher's Run (a21–22).

Lee, Robert Edward, Papers, 1861. 557 items. Mss3L515b. Microfilm reels C604–605.
This collection contains materials, 1861, related to Robert E. Lee's service in western Virginia (now W.Va.) as coordinator of the Army of the Kanawha and the Army of the Northwest. The bulk of the papers consists of Lee's correspondence (sections 1–21) concerning issues of supply and logistics, Union and Confederate troop movements, the battle of Cheat Mountain, and his general role as coordinator of Confederate forces. Correspondents include, among others, Samuel Read Anderson, Samuel Cooper, John Buchanan Floyd, William Wing Loring, and Henry Alexander Wise. Other items in the collection include correspondence of Walter Herron Taylor (1838–1916), as assistant adjutant general to Robert E. Lee, primarily regarding personnel transfer requests and Confederate troop movements (Section 22); reports sent to Lee concerning units in the Confederate armies and their operations in western Virginia (section 23); special orders issued by Lee (section 24); special orders issued to Lee by the Confederate States Adjutant and Inspector General's Office regarding duty assignments, transfers, and resignations of soldiers in the Army of the Kanawha and the Army of the Northwest (Section 25); special orders issued to Lee by the Confederate States Surgeon General's Office concerning surgeons assigned to duty with the Confederate Army of the Kanawha and the Army of the Northwest (Section 26); lists of provisions received by Lee (Section 27); list of endorsements, kept by Walter H. Taylor, of Robert E. Lee on letters received while coordinating the armies in western Virginia (Section 28); a map of the Union army's fortifications at Tygarts Valley River, drawn by Lee (section 29); hand drawn maps of the Kanawha River and the Kanawha River Valley used by Lee (Section 30); correspondence of John B. Floyd while commanding the Army of the Kanawha (section 31); general orders, 1861 August 11–October 15, issued by authority of John B. Floyd as commander of the Confederate Army of the Kanawha concerning Floyd's assumption of command of the army, movement orders for the 8th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, and the organization of the Army of the Kanawha (Section 32); correspondence of Henry Alexander Wise (while commanding Wise's Legion concerning the legion's operations in western Virginia (Section 33); correspondence of William W. Loring while commanding the Army of the Northwest (section 34); correspondence, 1861, of Carter Littlepage Stevenson (1817–1888), while serving as adjutant general on the staff of William Wing Loring (commander of the Army of the Northwest), regarding the army's operations in western Virginia (Section 35); rosters of general and field officers in the Army of the Northwest and Wise's Legion, and of field officers of Virginia regiments stationed throughout the state (Section 36); correspondence of Henry Rootes Jackson (while serving as a brigade commander in the Army of the Northwest) concerning furloughs granted to soldiers in the 1st Georgia Infantry Regiment and Jackson's position on Cheat Mountain at the time of the battle (Section 37); correspondence regarding personnel in the Army of the Kanawha and the Army of the Northwest (Section 38); letters written to John Letcher (while Governor of Virginia) concerning the fate of individuals and units captured at the battle of Rich Mountain and the mobilization of the Virginia Militia in July 1861 (Section 39); and an affidavit of Henry S. Hathaway regarding Ammon Williams's ownership of a vessel now unemployed because Williams and the boat's crew enlisted in the Confederate Army, and a pamphlet (printed), 20 August 1861, issued by William Starke Rosecrans (while commanding the U.S. Army of Occupation) to the citizens of westernVirginia [now W. Va.] calling on them to remain loyal to the United States (Section 40).

Leech, William Bolivar F., Reminiscences, ca. 1905. 1 item. Typescript. Mss5:1L5167:1.
This collection consists of a typescript copy of the Civil War reminiscences of William Bolivar F. Leech, formerly of Company H of the 14th Virginia Cavalry Regiment. Leech's reminiscences offer a description of the 14th Virginia's role in the fighting on 9 April 1865 at Appomattox Court House.

Lewellen Family Papers, 1863–1886. 6 items. Mss2L5814b.
This small collection contains the papers of the Lewellen family of Campbell County. Wartime items include a letter, 28 June 1863, from "J. R. L." of St. Louis, Mo., concerning his efforts in purchasing medicine and delivering it to the Confederacy, and a letter, 5 April 1865, from James Wesley Lewellen (1818–1876) of Richmond to John P. Packer (1807–1881) offering a description of the burning and evacuation of the city.

Lewin, William Henry, Papers, 1861–1869. 70 items. Mss1L5848a.
Contains the papers of William Henry Lewin of Fall River, Massachusetts. Civil War materials in the collection include letters, 1863–1864, from William Lewin, while serving in Company F of the 58th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, to his wife Mary concerning camp life in Massachusetts in 1863, financial advice for his wife, and the battle of the Crater and the Spotsylvania Court House and Petersburg campaigns (section 1); a discharge, 18 September 1863, from the 3d Massachusetts Militia Regiment issued to William Lewin; a photocopy of a newspaper clipping, 1864, concerning Company F of the 58th Massachusetts (section 2); and accounts, 1861–1864, for groceries kept at Fall River, Mass. (section 3).

Lewis Family Papers, 1856–1863. 22 items. Mss2L585d.
This collection consists primarily of the letters, 1862–1863, of Philip Pendleton Lewis (1833–1864) of the Wise and Bath Artillery batteries to his wife, Pamela B. (Herndon) Lewis Carter (1839–1929) of Verdiersville, concerning camp life, brief descriptions of the battle of Gettysburg and the Peninsula, 1862 Shenandoah Valley, and Vicksburg campaigns, rumors regarding the fate of Confederate deserters, and his advice to his wife concerning the management of their farm.

Lewis, Robert Eston, Letters, 1862. 2 items. Photocopies. Mss2L58853a1.
Photocopies of letters, 1862, from Robert Eston Lewis (1825–1876) of Company L of the 1st Virginia Artillery Regiment to his wife, Maryetta Louisiana (Martin) Lewis (b. 1829?), concerning the military situation on the Yorktown line in April 1862 and the Conscription Act.

Lewis, Samuel Edwin, Papers, 1861–1917. ca. 3,350 items. Mss1L5884aFA2.
Contains the papers of Samuel Edwin Lewis (1838–1917) of Washington, D.C., a physician and pharmacist who was active in local and national Confederate veterans' organizations at the turn of the twentieth century. Materials concerning the war include handwritten and typescript copies of Robert E. Lee's appeal to the people of Amelia County, 4 April 1865, for food for troops of the Army of Northern Virginia and postwar correspondence with veterans concerning the incident and the document (box 5); a letter, 4 July 1863, from West Steever (1844–1907) of a Louisiana heavy artillery battery in John Horace Forney's division to his mother concerning the siege and fall of Vicksburg, Miss. (box 8); a supplemental contract, 1862, between John Henninger Reagan (1818–1905), as Confederate postmaster general, and the Texas Telegraph Company regarding the running of telegraph lines between New Orleans and Houston, and between Houston and Galveston, Tex., and the use of those lines to carry Confederate dispatches; and a Confederate Treasury Department ship registration certificate, 1861, issued to Ambrose Jones as master of the Zenith out of Beaufort, N.C. (box 21, folder 11). The Robert E. Lee document is published in the Confederate Veteran 7 (1899): 223.

Also includes extensive correspondence, 1903–1913, of Lewis with individuals concerning the claims of Orren Randolph Smith (1827–1913) to be the designer of the "Stars and Bars" (boxes 18–19); notes, correspondence, and an undated essay by Lewis on the life of Ella (King) Newsom Trader (1838–1919), the so-called "Florence Nightingale of the South"; drafts and a published version of an article on Thomas J. Jackson and his medical director, Hunter Holmes McGuire (1835–1900), at Winchester in May 1862, in the Southern Practitioner (1902); and a typescript summary of Lewis's service as an assistant surgeon at Winder General Hospital in Richmond from 1863 to 1865 (includes a typescript copy of reports Lewis filed at the hospital during 1863–1864) (box 25). A separate finding aid for this collection is available in the Society's library.

Leyburn, John, Letter, 1861. 1 item. Photocopy. Mss2L5935a1.
A photocopy of a letter, 20 September 1861, from John Leyburn (1834–1867) of the 1st Rockbridge Artillery Battery to his sister describing, in detail, life in camp near Fairfax Court House.

Liebermann Family Papers, 1858–1863. 44 items. Mss1L6214a.
This collection contains the papers of the Liebermann family of North Carolina. Civil War materials include letters, 1861–1862, to Frances Lenora (Davis) Liebermann of Rock Island, N.C., from Charles S. Liebermann of Company B of the 13th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, discussing camp life, news and rumors of military events in northern Virginia in 1861, his opinion of the Furlough and Bounty Act of 1862 and of conscription, the possibility of European (primarily British) intervention in behalf of the Confederacy, the battle of Hampton Roads, a naval engagement involving the CSS Patrick Henry on the James River in November 1861, the battle of Williamsburg, and the second Bull Run and 1862 Maryland campaigns; from Robert H. Galloway (b. 1842?) of Company B of the 20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment concerning picket duty at Fort Johnston, N.C., in December 1861; and from Leander Query (b. 1839?) of Company H of the 35th North Carolina Infantry Regiment discussing life at Camp Branch near Raleigh, N.C., in February 1862 (section 2).

Lightfoot, Emmeline Allmand (Crump), Memoir, ca. 1927. 1 item. Typescript. Mss5:1L6266:1.
Contains a typed copy of a memoir, written by Emmeline Allmand (Crump) Lightfoot (b. 1847) of Richmond. In great detail, Emmie Lightfoot describes the evacuation of Richmond on 2–3 April 1865, and the subsequent arrival in and occupation of the city by Union troops.

Littleton, Oscar, Essay, 1880. 1 item. Photocopy. Mss7:1G9574:1.
This collection contains a photocopy of an essay written by Oscar Littleton (b. 1830). The essay concerns the kind treatment that Littleton's family received from a Union soldier, Elisha Norman Gunnison, during the battle of Malvern Hill.

Livermore, W. T., Diary, 1865. 1 item. Typescript. Mss5:1L7556:1.
A typed transcript of a diary, 24 March–2 June 1865, kept by W. T. Livermore of the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment. Entries offer brief descriptions of camp life, the fighting around Petersburg (including the battle of Five Forks), the retreat to Appomattox Court House, and the surrender ceremony.

Logan, Anna Clayton (Logan), Recollections, 1919. 1 item. Typescript copy. Mss5:1L8283:1.
This collection contains a photocopy of a typed transcript of the recollections of Anna Clayton (Logan) Logan (b. 1841) of Atlanta, Ga. Anna Logan's recollections offer descriptions of life in Goochland County during the war (including the effect of Union raids in the region), of Jefferson Davis and his family, and of the atmosphere in Richmond during the evacuation of 2–3 April 1865.

Logan, Kate Virginia (Cox), Papers, 1859–1864. 4 items. Mss2L8285b.
This small collection contains the correspondence of Kate Virginia (Cox) Logan (1840–1915) of Clover Hill, Chesterfield County. Wartime items include a letter, 19 May 1863, to Logan from Waller Tazewell Patton (1835–1863) of the 7th Virginia Infantry Regiment concerning family news, camp life during the Suffolk campaign, and his decision to run for election to the Virginia State Senate, and a letter, 30 June 1864, from Logan to an unidentified individual discussing life at home in Chesterfield County and a visit from two Confederate soldiers.

Lomax Family Papers, 1776–1960. 357 items. Mss1L8378a. Microfilm reels C282–283.
Contains the papers of the Lomax family of Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md. Included is the multi-volume diary, 17 March 1848–31 January 1863, kept by Elizabeth Virginia (Lindsay) Lomax (1796–1867). Wartime volumes contain entries discussing the secession crisis in Washington, the presence of Union troops in and around the city in the spring of 1861, daily life in Washington and Baltimore, and general war news (particularly regarding the Peninsula and 1862 Maryland campaigns) (a26–27). The wartime entries of the diary are printed in a slightly embellished version as Leaves from an Old Washington Diary, 1854–1863 (New York, 1943), edited by Elizabeth Lindsay (Lomax) Wood. Also included are typescript copies of letters and diary entries, 22 May 1859–3 July 1863, of Lucy (Wood ) Butler and Waddy B. Butler (1840–1863) of the 2d Florida Infantry Regiment (section 27). The diary, kept by Lucy Butler while in Albemarle County, offers descriptions of her activities during the war including tending to sick soldiers, feeding soldiers on the march, making clothes and havelocks for soldiers, and packing up and sending food to the army.

Lomax, Lunsford Lindsay, Letter, 1861. 1 item. Photocopy. Mss2L8377a1.
A photocopy of a letter, 21 April 1861, from Lunsford Lindsay Lomax (1835–1913) to George Dashiell Bayard (1835–1862) concerning Lomax's decision to resign from the Union army. The letter is printed in Samuel John Bayard, The Life of George Dashiell Bayard (New York, 1874).

Longest, Younger, Letters, 1864. 3 items. Photocopies. Mss2L8585b.
Contains photocopies of letters, 1864, from Younger Longest of Company I of the 26th Virginia Infantry Regiment to family members concerning camp life and the battle of the Crater.

Loomis, Minerva Direnda (Traweek), Papers, 1859–1864. 18 items. Photocopies. Mss2L8733b.
This collection consists primarily of letters, 1861–1864, from Ira Yeldell Traweek (1843–1911) of the Alabama Jeff Davis Artillery to his sister, Minerva Direnda (Traweek) Loomis (1835–1881) of Summerfield, Ala. Topics in the letters include camp life in Georgia in 1861, an order, issued by Robert E. Lee, offering furloughs to men who enlisted new recruits, substitutions secured by battery members, desertion in the Confederate army in August 1863, maneuvers along the Rappahannock River in November 1863, and the battery's experiences in the battles of Seven Pines, Chancellorsville, and the North Anna River.

Lucas Family Papers, 1804–1913. 55 items. Mss1L9625b.
Contains the papers of the Lucas family of Virginia. Wartime items include a letter, 27 July 1865, from Evelina Tucker (Brooke) Lucas (1838–1928) to an unidentified recipient concerning, in part, the evacuation of Richmond (section 5), and a letter, 8 June 1862, from Robert E. Lee to Henry Alexander Wise announcing J. E. B. Stuart's role as the army's reconnaissance commander (section 6).

Lyle, Joseph Banks, Papers, 1861–1896. 111 items. Mss1L9881a.
Contain materials primarily relating to the wartime service of Joseph Banks Lyle (1829–1913) with the 5th South Carolina Infantry Regiment. Items include letters, 1861–1865, written by Joseph Banks Lyle to his fiancee, Medora Caroline McArthur (d. 1929), discussing camp life in South Carolina and northern Virginia in 1861, his wound suffered at the battle of Gaines' Mill, Va., command reorganizations in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in July and October 1862, Lyle's participation in numerous courts martial, camp life near Fredericksburg in 1862–1863 and in Southside Virginia in 1863, and his participation in the battles of First Bull Run, Gaines' Mill, and Spotsylvania Court House, and the Suffolk, Knoxville, and Petersburg campaigns (Section 1). Also in the collection is a diary, 26 November 1863–9 April 1865, kept by Joseph Banks Lyle while serving in Tennessee and Virginia. Topics discussed in the diary include siege operations around Knoxville, Tenn., in November 1863, Lyle's opinion of poor Confederate conduct toward civilians in East Tennessee, camp life during the winter of 1863, news of the Mine Run Campaign and Dahlgren's Raid on Richmond, Va., descriptions of the University of Virginia and Monticello, Albemarle County, a review of the 1st Corps of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia by Robert Edward Lee on 29 April 1864, Lyle's service on an officer examining board of Charles William Field's Division and as judge advocate for various courts martial, news of Jubal Early's raid on Washington, D.C., in July 1864, and detailed descriptions of the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, and Cold Harbor, and the Petersburg and Appomattox campaigns (Section 2). Other items include a letter, 4 February 1865, written by Alexander Claxton Sorrel ([1840?–1908] while a member of the staff of General John Bratton) to Joseph Banks Lyle regarding the approved extension of Lyle's leave of absence; a letter, 29 March 1896, written by John Bratton to Fannie Lyle concerning the single-handed capture of nearly 600 Union soliders by her father, Joseph Banks Lyle; and a report, 19 March 1896, written by John Bratton regarding Lyle's capture of 600 Union soldiers on 27 October 1864 (Section 1). Photocopies of handwritten copies of the letters and diary are filed in the collection.

Updated December 17, 2009