Mrs. Robert E. Lee was the future wife of the great General Robert E. Lee.

She was an only child, but had many cousins. Her cousins lived kind of far away but the roads were very bad so when they visited they usually stayed several days.

Some people who knew her thought she was definitely going to grow up and have a completely joyful life, but her life had many joys and many sorrows, as the author puts it

"If her life were someday written in music, it would be a great symphony, of blended joys and sorrows the joyous tempo childhood, and girlhood changed into one of care and trouble, of tragedy in which received wounds that could never be healed, even in those last days of tranquility. Such a symphony would represent the great thundering of battle, conflagration, surrender, desolation, and finally the heart sob of family with no home to call their own, But through it all would run the theme sublime character of Mary Custis Lee."

She was related to George Washington.

Her maiden name was Mary Anna Randolph Custis, she lived in Arlington mansion, and it was on 1100 acres of land.

Mary was the fourth child in her family but she was the only child that lived. The first child lived only one day, the second lived only 5 days less than one year, and the third lived five days more than one year. he was the only boy. Then came Mary.

Mary's interest lay mostly in their family portraits. One she especially liked was a portrait of Colonel Daniel Parke, and he was born in Virginia and educated in England. Colonel Parke was a military aide to the Duke of Marlborough in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. When the battle was won the Duke elected him to tell the Queen of England.

God was a very  important part of the Custis household. On Sunday morning at ten o'clock they would go to church, afterwards Mary and her Father would take a walk, meanwhile her mother would talk to the servants about God and religion to prepare them for when they were free. After her walk Mary was expected to learn a hymn, and after her mother was finished with "Sunday School" with the servants Mary was to recite her hymn to her.

Mary's father had an even temper, and was a kind man. He even allowed

part of his land to become a picnic ground.

When Mary was 15 General Lafayette came to visit. General Lafayette had visited the Arlington Mansion once when her father was 3, and though he didn't remember it very clearly he had not forgotten the interesting thing that happened during his visit.