Lee, Robert E. (1807-1870) to Jefferson Davis
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07176 Author/Creator: Lee, Robert E. (1807-1870) Place Written: Head Quarters, Army of Northern Virginia Type: Letter signed Date: 27 July 1863 Pagination: 2 p. 25.3 x 20.3 cm Order a Copy
"There are many thousand men improperly absent from this army. I have caused to-day an appeal to be made to them to return at once to duty. I do not know whether it will have much affect, unless accompanied by the Declaration of Amnesty." (In response 4 days later, Davis issued proclamation granting amnesty to hose who returned within 20 days. 15,000 did return.) Ink is severely faded.
Head Quarters ANVa
July 27th 1863
His Excellency Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederate States
Mr President
Feeling the importance of increasing the aggregate of our Armies as rapidly and as much as possible I beg leave to be sent to your Excellency a few considerations upon the subject. It does not appear to me that the activity and efficiency of the Conscription Bureau is as great as it might be. From all that I am [illegible] the enrolling officer of the different districts, and the Medical examining officers are natives of the districts in which they operate. Besides this, the purchasing commissaries and Quarter Masters in the various Counties and at the posts in the interior are usually assigned to duty in their [illegible]. That the enrolling officer has every temptation to be careless and good-natured in the performance of his duty; the number of exemptions given by the medical officers is very great, and the few who are not exemptions are again returned in number by details for special duty with the Assistant [2] Commissaries & Quarter Masters who gather around them their friends and relations in order to keep them out of the Army. A case been reported to me of one Captain & A.C.S. near Danville who has thirteen able bodied conscripts in his employment and I have heard of others who have still more. I would respectfully subject to your Excellency whether in the Assignments necessary under the late proclamation something may not be done to remedy the defects of the former Conscriptions, and some dissemination of the great number of details made from among the Conscripts might not materially promote the increase of the Army.
There are many thousand men absent improperly from this Army. I have caused today an appeal to be made to them to return at once to duty. I do not know whether it will have much effect unless accompanied by the declaration of an Amnesty. I doubted the policy of this, But I would respectfully [illegible] that perhaps a general Amnesty declared by your Excellency might bring many [inserted: delinquents] back to the different Armies of the Confederacy.
I am with great respect
Your obt Servt
RE Lee
Genl
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