fear I cannot be with you anywhere. I do not think Richmond will be
permanent.

"Truly, R."

I may as well say here, that "Cousin Anna" never did leave "Ravensworth"
during the war. She remained there, with only a few faithful servants,
and managed to escape any serious molestation. "Nannie" was Mrs.
S. S. Lee, who shortly after this time went to Richmond.

On May 25th, my father was transferred, with all the Virginia troops,
to the Confederate States Army. He ceased to be a Major-General, and
became a Brigadier. No higher rank having been created as yet in the
Confederate service. Later, when the rank was created, he was made
a full general.

By the end of May, to quote from General Long,

"Lee had organised, equipped, and sent to the field more than thirty
thousand men, and various regiments were in a forward state of
preparation."

When the Confederate government moved from Montgomery to Richmond,
and President Davis took charge of all military movements, my father
was kept near him as his constant and trusted adviser. His experience
as an engineer was of great service to the young Confederacy, and he
was called upon often for advice for the location of batteries and
troops on our different defensive lines. In a letter to my mother
he speaks of one of these trips to the waters east of Richmond.