William Ambers writes a 3.5 page response to Ms. Davidson's (likely Mary Davidson of Lexington, Va.) request for information on the early life of Edgar Allan Poe. Ambers shares reminiscences gathered from James A. Clarke, of Manchester Va., who was a childhood friend of Poe. The contests of the letter were published November 19, 1885 in an article in the State, a Richmond, Virginia newspaper.

Ambers writes a second letter offering a few more names of those who were childhood friends of Edgar Allan Poe. He wishes Ms. Davidson success on her Poe research project.

Item is likely a copy of a paycheck from the State of Virginia for his service.

Mary G. Markoe of Baltimore, Maryland writes to General R.E. Lee describing the final days, death, and burial of her friend Anne Kinloch Lee Marshall, Lee's sister, in 1864. Anne Lee married Revered William Louis Marshall also of Baltimore, Md. In the final section of the letter, the author asks that General Lee provide her son, Francis "Frank" Markoe, a former Confederate officer, advice regarding taking the oath of allegiance to the United States. She includes the compelling three page letter from her son, Frank, dated May 25, 1865, written to her from Canada where he had travelled just after Lee's surrender at Appommattox. In it he clarifies his circumstances and his wishes to come home to Baltimore, but is unwilling to take the oath and return without Lee's blessing.

Letter explaining why Mr. Wyvill's son is not returning to Washington College for the 1867 session.

Dr. Charles H. Smith, Medical Examiner for the Arlington Mutual Life Insurance Company writes to Robert E. Lee to ask if he is interested in being the president of company. Lettter is two pages and describes the company. Also included is a published prospectus of the company, a published chart of insurance price tables, the company's charter and bylaws, and two published lists of all who are insured by the company and and the envelope addressed to Lee in which these items were delivered. Eight items total including the letter and its enclosure.

Lexington, Virginia lawyer James D. Davidson writes a one page note to Robert E. Lee asking him to explain his family relationship to Arthur Lee, signer of the Virginia's Deed of Cession in 1784. Lee responds initially on the same page. The note was then delivered back to Davidson who corrected his initial question and asks for an updated response which Lee provides on the reverse of the page.

Henry Jewett Fuber, Sr., the Vice President of Universal Life Insurance Company basedin New York, writes to Robert E. Lee to once again offer him an opportunity to join the company as its Southern officer or agent. According to the letter, Lee had turned down a previous offer from Furber and his company. The letter is ten pages.

The publication was signed by Robert E. Lee's daughter Mildred Childe Lee and dated 1871.

This is a photographic copy of a document generated by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Second Auditor's Office. The document notes Washington and Lee University's official surrender of Virginia bonds and certificates which included George Washington's gift of James River Company stock.