George Washington Lewis to his daughter, Louisa Lewis, 4 letters, 1843, 1849, 1863

His first letter speaks of his plans to educate Louisa as well as her brothers (January 22, 1843); Lewis complains about the lack of letters from Louisa while he has been in Berkeley Springs and talks about the loss of both his wife Jane and son Sam during the summer, his sorrow, and his poor health (September 3, 1849); Lewis has returned to Washington from Bath Springs and gives an account of his travels and of the family around Washington (September 6, 1849); Lewis describes his visit to his son Tom, in his camp at Petersburg, Virginia,where he found his tent to be insufficient for winter. Lewis discusses his hope for Tom’s transfer to Richmond, and his introduction of Tom to Senator Collier from Petersburg. Lewis is thankful they have heard from Byrd and that he is well, since the cavalry has undergone the heaviest fighting so far. He mentions the deaths of St. Tomas Tayloe and Captain Newton, shares all the news about General Lee’s front that he knows, says that he doesn’t expect a decisive campaign in northern Virginia this fall and fears the loss of Tennessee, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and the South’s saltworks. Also writes that the various quarrels between the Confederate generals could be disastrous and fears the rapid depreciation of Confederate money (October 20, 1863).