A SOLDIER'S GENERAL: THE CIVIL WAR LETTERS OF MAJOR GENERAL LAFAYETTE MCLAWS

BY JOHN C. OEFFINGER PRODUCED BY STEVEN, KANNON, ALEX ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, VIRGINIA] AUGUST 12TH/63 [WEDNESDAY]

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My dearly Beloved Wife I rode a long distance to day and have returned quite tir ed and very much heated as the sun must have been hott er or as hot at least as it ever is in . I must try an d send you a map of our theater of operations so that wh en I mention points, you can locate me— but the conveniences for a drawing are very few, and I a m a poor draughtsman as you know— to draw well is a very great accomplishment and I would be delighted to hear that our children had any talent for acquiring the art. Not one has any musical talent. So far as I know. Unless it is your prodigy Uldrick. Willie can make a noise as if he was whistling, Johnny cannot whis tle as well as W. And Laura cannot sing, one of them ma y have a talent for drawing; or they may all have the facu lty of acquiring knowledge. ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, VIRGINIA] AUGUST 12TH/63 [WEDNESDAY]

• It is said that this is a distinct faculty, s ome persons cannot acquire because th ey are continually doubting, their own ideas of the subject are constantly obst ruding themselves, very often in oppos ition to those of the instructor and cons equently they never say good lessons, but they really know more of the subje ct than those who are exact in their rec itations. ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, VIRGINIA] AUGUST 12TH/63 [WEDNESDAY]

• The head men of colleges are very seldom hear d of afterwards because they have the faculty of acquiring information from others, of absorbing the ideas of others, without having any of their o wn, whereas the doubter the independent thinker , who was slow with his books becomes the man of mark, who leads the community. The questio n is are our boys independent thinkers, who are destined to lead their fellows or are they quick i n acquiring the ideas of others only— and yet they may be good draughtsman, if they s tudy how to be, when they get old enough. QUESTIONS FOR LETTER TO WIFE

Why did Mr. Lafayette want his kids to be good at art.

Do you think Southerners and Northerners both had the same views on what they wanted there kids to be or was this just his own specific view? [ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, VIRGINIA] AUGUST 14/63 [FRIDAY]

• [Orange Court-House, Virginia] August 14/63 [Friday] • My Dear Wife • To day has been more pleasant than usual winding up wi th a thunder storm this evening, which has purified the at mosphere, and I hope will give us a little intermission of c ool weather. The condition of our affairs is calculated to produce depression in the minds of those who do not cal culate the advantages resulting from our reverses, but d espond because we have had them,and think everything is lost because we have been unfortunate during one mo nth. • The taking of Vicksburg will release our armies from the onus of defending the Mississippi at certain points, again st which the enemy can gather all his vast power at leisur e. [ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, VIRGINIA] AUGUST 14/63 [FRIDAY]

• Its fall & that of Port Hudson releases so much force to be actively employed in preventing depredations, by raiding parties, and will in time by establishing or carrying batteri es from point to point, as effectively and more effectively prevent the navigation of the river than ever before, and besides these places Vicks burg & Port Hudson Natchez &c will require a considerabl e force of the enemy to maintain them[,] thus weakening th eir army by detachments, while our army will always be co ncentrated. • Our invasion of Maryland & Pennsylvania was unsuccessful, because we failed in the , which if g ained would have given us Balti-more QUESTIONS FOR LETTER TO WIFE.

What factors do you think influenced the outcome of how Northerners and Southerners were educated.  Why do you think they lost the battle of Gettysburg? [BOSTICK'S MILL, ] [MARCH 5, 1865, SUNDAY]

March 5th— The rear of Taliaferros command passed my camp at 1 + 10 M [inutes] A.M.— My march commenced at 1V2P.M. Marched on— heard that enemy had crossed river at Mills Ferry & were adv ancing upon our forces advancing on Ashboro. I rode forward & found Hard[y]s — Blanchards & Hendersons in line of battle &c— This proved to be entirely a false alarm. Marched on & reache d fair grounds ten miles, thence by left hand road to Martins, o n banks of Job Creek which in conjunction with Adams Creek forms Little Mountain Creek. [BOSTICK'S MILL, NORTH CAROLINA] [MARCH 5, 1865, SUNDAY]

• Heard enemy were crossing at Society Hill [N.C.], one corps—and two corps at Cheraw— One corps not accounted for, Mrs Martin daughter in law of old M artin offered a room in house— left sick in house very disloyal • [returns to numbered pages] • neighborhood— men who had been in army had returned— Many bushwackers So tis said in the country. Negr o girl R. Genl Hardee camp on beyond, reached ca mp late at night—Genl Taliaferro turned to left QUESTIONS ON MR.LAFAYETTE ENTRIES

• How do you think the soldiers felt when they found out the battle was false alarm? • Why do you think he said the person that housed him was very disloyal?