Robert E. Lee to Charles Carter Lee

I am glad My dear Carter that you have safely returned from that tract of Mountain & Rock & think that its hard & rough surface must have occasioned you & your horse many a jolt & stumble. "Steep barren mountains with some little narrow strings of bottom covered with rock"!! Mercy upon us! It must be a beautiful piece of land. However as you say, there may be iron among them & perhaps may be far enough West to touch on the coal region. I notwithstanding, must stick to Engineering for better for worse as we say in matrimony, and relinquish such hard & black prospects to Bachelors like yourself. Hoping at the same time & sincerely wishing, that you may be able to find among so many acres a snug place for a residence within striking distance of us all, that we may be occasionally gladdened by your cheerful Phiz. I have executed the deed you sent according to the direction in the postscript of your letter. And I find there set down 70,000 acres in Patrick Cy. Does that mean the Order, which I thought only amounted to 18,000 acres. And has any of the Taxes on that part been reduced? That land in Harrison, too is a new tract where did that come from? That at least must be clear of the Alleghany & the Monongahela taking its rise there must connect it with the Ohio. I see by the papers that the Legislature (VA.) has redeemed all lands east of the Blue ridge & released them from the lien under which they were held by the Literary fund (So Sales extracted it) Does not Patrick come under that law? It is a hard case out of so much land none should be good for any thing & a provoking one too - What in the world kept you so long at B. neck that I could not get a sight of you? Did you think we of the Army were Gentlemen of as much leisure as you of the Citizens & Navy? And could go & come when we choose. I can tell you some of us are worked pretty hard too - and as My Capt. has taken it into his head to get married, these days of courting & preparation he frolicks & I work, though that I do willingly & would do more - There is nothing new here nor never will be. Miss Mary Randolph is keeping the young Gentlemen in amusement. All within doors however & I suppose before morning we shall have Snow which will confine them even more than the cold, wind & dust. By the last Boat I sent to Smith the order & Receipt you mentioned for Mr. T. & also a Power of Attorney to act for me when you & he proceeded to a division etc. I then thought that he would meet you at Kinlock & that I would see him before I did you & could learn of proceedings & results. For I think neither of you are very satisfactory in communications. Suppose after you get these deeds you speak of recorded in Hardy, you should fall on some other plan. How are we ever to get the land again if it were possible to do any thing with it? Answer me that Master Carter. Do write to me in your travels & "Prate of yr whereabouts" for God knows when I shall see you again - Yours truly &

As ever

R. E. Lee