Scope and Contents A letter, dated June 8, 1838, from James Lee in Williamsburg, Virginia to his wife Louisa Lee in Norfolk, Virginia. James’s first two paragraphs are heavy hearted. He thinks back to his earlier life when he looked forward to having his children near him to make his old age happier and more comfortable, “but he is gone.” The “he” here is presumed to be the Lees’ son Philip Ludwell Lee. Towards the end of the letter, James praises Virginia, the “only surviving pledge of our early love,” for...