Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

William W. Vest letter to Mary Garrett Vest Watkins, 1887 May 25

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William W. Vest letter to Mary Garrett Vest Watkins, 1887 May 25

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Page 1

Williamsburg 25 May 1887.

Dear Mary

Yours of the 9th & Geo's
were duly recd. I am glad that you
and the boys are pleased with my idea
of sending them to the Military Institute.
I wrote to Gen. Smith on the 18th stating
what I proposed to do & on the 21st. I recd.
a letter from him on the subject, enclosing
appointments as pag Cadets for
both Geo & Waller. He did this thinking
it would be well to have them report
1 July or as soon as possible, on account
of the better climate of Lexington. They
will be instructed during July & August
It would suit my financial matters
best to have them report at Lexington
by 15 July.

I send enclosed one of the papers
sent by Gen. Smith, showing Geo's
appointment as a Cadet, &c &c.
You will see that Geo, must immediately

Page 2

send a note to Gen. Francis H. Smith Lexington
accepting the appointment.

Waller whose appointment I have in the
same terms of those of Geo, must also
send a note to Gen Smith accepting
the appointment. I annex such a note as
each must send.

You will see from the circular attached
to Geo's appointment a list of articles which
each cadet is required to have before he is
admitted.

I propose to get these at the Institute.
Any thing they may have on hand
will not be useless but I think it better to save
you any trouble in the matter & will order
at the proper time that they be furnished
at Lexington

Now as to the manner of getting from your
residence to Lexington I presume the
route would be first to Danville,
thence to Lynchburg & thence by
Richmond & Alleghany road to Lexington

Page 3

Mr. Clark of Danville a friend of your
fathers, whom I saw at the springs last
summer is an old traveller and can tell
you all about it. Write him a note say
by 1 July & get the information, as to time, route,
& expense & let me know what he says.

I hope the boys will think that this opp=
=ortunity of being usefully educated &
properly taken care of a matter of the
greatest importance & will make the best
use of it. I propose to keep them at College
until they have graduated.

If they stand in need of any particular
thing before leaving home let me know.
When they are at Lexington in charge
of Gen Smith all reasonable wants will
be supplied

My love to the boys. & yrself
Kind regards to Mr. Watkins

Affly yrs.
W.W. Vest.

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Vest, William W. , “William W. Vest letter to Mary Garrett Vest Watkins, 1887 May 25,” Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, accessed March 28, 2024, https://cwfjdrlsc.omeka.net/items/show/249.
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