A very Merry Christmas to all of our compatriots from your Wade Hampton Chaplains' Corps.

I want to share with all of our Camp members and friends this very lovely Christmas letter from General Robert E. Lee to his wife, Mary. It gives us many insights into Lee's thoughts and priorities:

Fredericksburg

December 25, 1862

I will commence this holy day dearest Mary by writing to you. My heart is filled with gratitude to almighty God for His unspeakable mercies with which He has blessed us in this day, for those He has granted us from the beginning of life, and particularly for those He has vouchsafed us during the past year. What should have become of us without His crowning help and protection? I have seen His hand in all the events of the war. Oh if our people would only recognize it and cease from their vain self boasting and adulation, how strong would be my belief in final success and happiness to our country. For in Him alone I know is our trust and safety. Cut off from all communication with you and my children, my greatest pleasure is to write to you and them. Yet I have no time to indulge in it. You must tell them so, and say that I constantly think of them and love them reverently with all my heart. They must write to me without waiting for replies. I shall constantly think of them and love them feverently with all my heart. They must write to me without waiting for replies. I shall endeavor to write to Mildred from whom I have not heard for a long time. Tell dear Charlotte I have received her letter and feel greatly for her. I saw her Fitzhugh this morning with his young aid, riding at the head of his brigade on his way up the Rappahannock. I regret he could not get to see her. He only got her letter I enclosed him last evening. She ought not to have married a young soldier, but an old "exempt" like her papa, who would have loved her as much as he does. Fitzhugh and Robert were very well. But what a cruel thing war is war. To separate and separate and destroy families and friends and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world. To fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world. I pray on this day when "peace and good will" are preached to all mankind, that better thoughts will fill their hearts of our enemies and turn them to peace. The confusion that now exists in their counsels will thus result in good. Our army was never in such good health and condition since I have been attached to it and I believe they share with me my disappointment that the enemy did not renew the combat on the 13th. I was holding back all that day, and husbanding our strength and ammunition for the great struggle for which I thought he was preparing. Had I divined that was to have been his only effort, he would have had more of it. But I am content. We might have gained more but we would have lost more, and perhaps our relative condition would not have been improved. My heart bleeds at the death of every one of our gallant men. Give much love to every one. Kiss Chass and Agnes for me, and believe me with true affection.

Yours, R.E. Lee