191 “I saw nothing”: Ibid.

191 Mildred, who was four years younger: Nagel, The Lees of Virginia, 233.

191 That Edward Childe: Ibid., 234.

191 “The news came to me”: Robert E. Lee to Mary Lee, August 11, 1856, Jones, Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee, 80.

194 “I was much pleased”: Robert E. Lee to Mary Lee, December 27, 1856, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond.

196 “I have been out four days”: Robert E. Lee to Mary Lee, June 29, 1857, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond.

197 “In the day, the houses”: Robert E. Lee to Annie Lee, August 8, 1857, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond.

197 “adds more than years”: Nagel, The Lees of Virginia, 258.

198 “I can see that”: Thomas, Robert E. Lee, 174, quoting a letter from Robert E. Lee to A. S. Johnston, Howard-Tilton Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.

199 He had already had the thankless task: Thomas, Robert E. Lee, 164.

199 Each of these places: Ibid., 175.

200 “I can see little prospect”: Pryor, Reading the Man, 262.

201 Custis generously sent his father: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 384.

203 Slaves were no longer needed: Lisa Kraus, John Bedell, and Charles LeeDecker, “Joseph Bruin and the Slave Trade,” June 2007, 1–5, 17.

204 “the general impression”: Pryor, Reading the Man, 260.

205 The Lees themselves complained: Ibid., 268.

206 “were apprehended and thrown into prison”: Pryor, Reading the Man, 260.

208 Although these letters: Robert E. Lee to Custis Lee, July 2, 1859, Jones, Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee, 102.

208 After Norris’s account appeared: Pryor, Reading the Man, 272; Robert E. Lee to E. S. Quirk, April 13, 1866, quoted in Michael Fellman, The Making of Robert E. Lee (New York: Random House, 2000), 67.

209 far from being unusual: Pryor, Reading the Man, 273.

209 “by the French Minister at Washington”: Ibid., 261.

210 His military career: Freeman, Robert E. Lee: A Biography, Vol. 1, 393.

210 He left Arlington: Ibid., 405.

CHAPTER 6 1861—“The Thunder of the Captains and the Shouting”

211 “The thunder of the captains”: Job 39:25.

211 “He was a United States officer”: Douglas Southall Freeman, Robert E. Lee: A Biography (New York: Scribner, 1934), Vol. 1, 404.

212 “gain the affection of your people”: Emory Thomas, Robert E. Lee (New York: Norton, 1995), 178.

213 From San Antonio: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 388.

213 His chief concern: Ibid., 405.

213 Another of Lee’s concerns: Ibid., 407.

214 Lee was perfectly willing: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 407.

214 “For the attainment of this object”: Reverend J. William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee: Soldier and Man (New York: Neale, 1906), 112.

214 “A divided heart”: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 411.

215 “You know I was very much”: Robert E. Lee to Annie Lee, August 27, 1860, quoted in Thomas, Robert E. Lee, 184

215 This was not exactly a midlife crisis: Ibid., 185.

215 “leave politics to the politicians”: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 412.

215 Many of Lee’s own officers: Ibid., 413.

216 “Politicians,” Lee concluded: Robert E. Lee to Major Van Dorn, July 3, 1860, Debutts-Ely Collection, Library of Congress.

217 Four days after Lincoln’s election: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 413.

217 “Let me tell you”: Wikipedia, “Sam Houston,” 5.

217 “I hope, however, the wisdom”: Robert E. Lee to Custis Lee, December 14, 1860, Jones, Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee, 118–19.

219 “hold on to specie”: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 417.

219 “to suffer these Views”: Ibid., 418.

220 “a man’s first allegiance”: Ibid.

220 replied abruptly: Ibid.

221 “I will not, however”: Robert E. Lee in letter home, January 23, 1861, Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 420.

221 To Custis, he wrote almost in despair: Jones, Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee, 120–1.

221 On January 26 Louisiana seceded: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 426.

222 Rightly assuming that he would: Ibid., 425.

222 “On the right of the entrance”: Robert E. Lee to Agnes Lee, August 4, 1856, Debutts-Ely Collection, Library of Congress.

223 “I cannot be moved”: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 429.

224 Though travel was excruciatingly difficult: Mary P. Coulling, The Lee Girls (Winston-Salem, N.C.: Blair, 1987), 76.

224 “I am told”: Ibid.

224 she returned at the end of the summer: Ibid., 77.

224 She was appalled: Ibid., 78.

224 Even when Mary Lee: Ibid., 80.

224 As state after state: Jones, Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee, 119–21.

225 He was determined to remain: Coulling, The Lee Girls, 90.

225 Mary Chesnut: C. Vann Woodward, ed., Mary Chesnut’s Civil War (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1981), 26.

226 On April 4: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 434.

226 “Now they have intercepted”: Woodward, Mary Chestnut’s Civil War, 45.

227 Two days later Fort Sumter surrendered: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 435.

227 Francis P. Blair had already: John Nicolay and John Hay, Abraham Lincoln: A History (New York: Century, 1980), Vol. 4, 498.

228 Early in the morning: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 436.

228 “to enforce Federal law.” Ibid.

228 “I declined the offer”: Robert E. Lee to Reverdy Johnson, February 25, 1868, Robert E. Lee Jr., Recollections and Letters of Robert E. Lee (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page, 1924), 27–28.

229 “There are times”: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, A Biography, Vol. 1, 28n.

229 “I must say that I am”: John S. Mosby, Memoirs of John S. Mosby, Charles S. Russell, ed. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1917), 379.

229 “I am unable to realize”: Frances Scott and Anne C. Webb, Who Is Markie? The Life of Martha Custis Williams Carter, Cousin and Confidante of Robert E. Lee (Berwyn Heights, Md.: Heritage, 2007), 132.

230 “I have the honor”: Freeman, Robert E. Lee, Vol. 1, 440.