Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 7.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[153]

Lexington, Va., 23d September, 1869.

My Dear Mr. Corcoran--I am sure that you will be gratified to know that the proceeds of the concert given at the White Sulphur Springs for the benefit of the Episcopal church at this place, have enabled it to pay its last debt, and that the congregation, released from the burden that has oppressed them for years, and full of gratitude to those who have relieved them, for the reasons set forth in the annexed appeal, have determined to enlarge the church, and for this purpose have collected among themselves over $1,000.

I send you the appeal, not to solicit any additional contribution from you, who have already so generously aided us, but that you may be apprized of our efforts and be able to satisfy other friends as regards our purpose who may desire to assist us.

Wishing you a long life and a full measure of happiness,

I am most truly yours,

R. E. Lee. Hon. W. W. Corcoran.

Lexington, Va., 2 October, 1869.

My Dear Mr. Corcoran--I am exceedingly obliged to you for your interest in Washington College and for your desire to have assigned to it the claim of Mr. Peabody upon the State of Virginia. Mr. Russell wrote to me from Baltimore on the subject, and said that he was expecting you on the following day, when he hoped the matter would be arranged. One point he wished to ascertain, the corporate name of the college, and as he requested me to address my reply to New York, which will be too late for him to use, provided the assignment is made in Philadelphia, I will repeat the name to you in case you should require to know it. It is simply “Washington College, Virginia.”

I hope Mr. Peabody will send the papers of assignment to you, for I would prefer your taking charge of the matter to any one else. As I stated to you before I shall be as much obliged to Mr. Peabody for his kind intentions to the college in the event of its receiving nothing as though it had; for the moral effect will be the same, and it will mark his approval of a college founded by Washington and evince his wish for its success. But if the endowment of the college could be enlarged it would add greatly to our usefulness and to our means of aiding the destitute youth of the South. We shall have this year over fifty beneficiaries, and if we could afford it would have more, so great is the poverty of the people. On this account I hope the fund will be realized.

Mrs. Lee and my daughters unite with me in kind regards, in which Colonel White joins,

And I remain, most truly yours,

R. E. Lee. Hon. W. W. Corcoran.