To Edwin M. Stanton1Jump to section
My dear Sir: Washington July 28 1863
A young son of the Senator Brown of Mississippi, not yet twenty, as I understand, was wounded, and made a prisoner at Gettysburg. His mother is sister [of] Mrs P. R. Fendall, of this city. Mr Fendall, on behalf of himself and family, asks that he and they may have charge of the boy, to cure him up, being responsible [for] his person and good behavior. Would it not be rather a grateful and graceful thing to let them have him? Yours truly A LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] Copy, DLC-RTL. Brackets are in the source. In the Lincoln Papers there is a letter dated July 18, 1863, from Mary L. Fendall to Mrs. Stephen P. Lee, whom she addresses, ``Dear Cousin'': ``The various reports we heard of the great suffering of the wounded at Gettysburg . . . made me so anxious concerning the fate of Robert . . . I decided to go & see for myself. . . . Everything in Gettysburg is in the utmost confusion. No provisions of any kind can be obtained & the atmosphere of the whole town is absolutely stifling. . . . If it is quite impossible for us to bring Robert home, don't you think we might get him transferred to a Hospital in this city where we could give him the care he so sorely needs. . . .''
No further correspondence concerning the case has been found. Captain Robert Y. Brown of the Eighteenth Mississippi, CSA, a son of Albert G. Brown, was exchanged and re-entered the Confederate Army in June, 1864.