George Washington Lee

GEORGE WASHINGTON LEE LETTER

The letter appeared in the Oct.-Dec. 1996 issue of the Virginia Genealogist Magazine. The original is owned by Isabell Cameron of Berry Creek, California .

Letter written to Abner Gresham Lee by his father, George Washington Lee: October 9th, 1867 Feather River, Sutter County, Cal.

A.G. Lee. I will now write you a few lines to let you know that I am still alive and in tolerble health and dohope this may find you alive and in good health. I have your letter of last March the 7th, 67, before me which is the last leter I have had from you, and the last one that I have seen or heard of from you was theleter you wrote to E. W. after you had heard that Rachel was dead, and as you speak of Scalp takin it maybee that your Scalp has left the head; but I hope not. Well your leter that youbefore the one on the 7th ofMarch got lost so I could not find it and, I waited to see if I would find it but have not found it yet. In it you wanted to know something about your mother which I have entirely forgoten but E. W. says that you wantedto know how old she was when she died. Well she was Borne May 12th 1802 and died June 4th, 1852. You wanted to know if your uncle Levi had any son named Alfred. Now I can say to you that he has not. He has ason named Andrew but I have forgot his middle name though it appears to me it was Lawrence or Baley. I had a Cozen in Tennesse named Alfred but whether he had any middle name or not I don't know and he married one of my Cozens daughters on my mother's side by the name of Gailbreath and there was one of his brothers by the name of Abraham Lee and I think his wife was a Piron. Alfred and Abraham was sons of uncle Jehew Lee by Richard Henry Lee's second wife whose maiden name was Miller. Alfred and Abram are onley 1/2 cozens to me. They were Brothers to Isaac Lee of Mud Praire, Ill.and uncles to Peter T. Lee also of Mud Prairie, Ill. Now if aney one of them had a son cauled Alfred I don't know it. Well there must bee maney thousands of us as my grate grandfather was certainly the firstLee that ever was in North America with his familey. He was one of the setlers of Jamestown, Va. I haveforgotten great-grandmother's maiden name. She was Welch and born and raised in the City of Wales. The(y) had 4 sons and how maney daughters I do not now remember but I remember seeing of two.Old Aunt Rhodey Watkins and Aunt Judey. The 4 sons was named John, Peter, Evens and Richard Henrey who is my Grandfather. Well Richard Henry Lee married Mary Grisham who was the sister of thetwo John Grishams Brothers, full Welch also, and he had by her 7 sons and 3 daughters (to wit) Grisham,William, Jesse, Archer, Young, George and Abner. These was the sons. The daughters was named Dorothy, commonaly cauled Dolley, Mary & Elizabeth. Well I never saw uncle Grisham nor none of his family. He married Priciley Staples and staid in Virginia and was a gunsmith to the U. S. in time of the Revolution. Was then quite an old man and had children as old as my father so his family must have spredto many hundreds by this time. Uncle William also maried a Staples and mooved to Kentucky in an earlyday. Him and his family I have saw excep one son and two daughters. He had 5 sons and 4 or 5 daughters. Uncle Jessee maried but I have forgoten his wife's name. he went to Geogia, Oglethorp County, had a large family but I never saw him or aney of his children. Uncle Archer died in the Arme of the Revolution. Uncle Young maried a Mathewes and had children how maney I do not Know. I never sawhim. he staid in Virginia. I saw one of his sons, Guy Lee. Uncle George maried and moved to Kentucky . Who he married I do not know. I never saw him or any of his children. They lived on the National Road between Vandalia and the Urebar River in Ill. Your grandfather you know all about. Now Aunt Dolley married a Thorton. The(y) lived in tennesse though I never aney of them. Aunt Mary maried her cousin Thomas Lee son of G.uncle Peter Lee and had many children. I never saw aney but her grandson William Lee, Willis Reeves brother-in-law which you have saw. Aunt Elizabeth maried her cousin, also son of G.U. Peter, Richard Henrey Lee. the(y) both moved to Kentucky in an earley day andthen to Mo. She was Elizabeth Holley's grandmother & Dr. Wright's Grand mother. She was the youngest;and grandmother died and grandfather maried a Mary Miller and had by her 5 sons and 1 daughter (to wit)Richard, Barnet, Miller, Gehew & Stepen. Uncle Richard maried a Mary Devenport, had 5 or 6 boys and as maney girls. I have saw them amaney a time. Uncle Barnet maried Mary Dewroset & had one son and5 or6 daughters. I have saw them all often. Uncle Miller I have saw but it was when I was little. Who he maried I do not know. It likely that Stephen D. Lee of the confederate armey was one of his sons as he move to Alabama in an early day. I hope the President will have enough in Congress to sustain his vetos this winter. Well you will get a letter I wrote to Robert Cheshire. I had no envelop and sent it to town by George & Cam. George knew who it was to, put it in envelop, gave to Cam to Direct and he Directed it to you instead of to R. C.