Dear Jan,

Welcome. We are very aware of The Perfect Gentleman, and have discussed the various errors we have found, but as it seems to be the only biography on Custis, so far, we have no choice but to compare it with the sparse mention of him in biographies of his father, mother, brother, etc.

Fascinating was exactly the word I used to describe him. My interest was generated when I read that he volunteered to take his brother Rooney's place in prison so Rooney could visit his dying wife. At the time, the issue of tit-for-tat executions of officers had not been resolved, and although chances were small, it was possible that Custis might have been hung if the south had hung a Northern officer during the 48 hours that Rooney would have been on parole. I just thought that was a gutsy thing to do and it started my search to discover more about the man. I didn't realize how difficult that might be. Even the four Lee daughters have had more written about them than Custis, but it doesn't appear that any of the family, including their parents led very happy lives. It is very surprising how much you discover when you start probing. Please write me and tell me what you think anout Custis and the Lee family, as it is difficult to separate one from the other, since his family seems to have had more impact on him than any other source.
Regards,
Judi McParland