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| Welcome
to A Soldier's General, the
companion web site for A
Soldier's General: The Civil War Letters of Major General Lafayette
McLaws. |
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The University of North Carolina Press published the book
on April 22, 2002. |
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| This
story is as relevant today as it was in the 1860's. How do you
deal with politics and generals? How do you train raw recruits
and officers when most have never thought of fighting in the
military? How do you raise a family of three sons and a daughter
when you are never home? How do you advise your wife on family
finances and options when the mail can easily be disrupted?
How do you correct your commanding officer when he is wrong
and lies to you? These questions and many more are dealt with
by Lafayette and Emily McLaws in his letters home. |
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| Lafayette
McLaws has receded into history due in large part to his poor
penmanship. His July 7, 1863 letter to Emily, Zachary Taylor's
niece, is perhaps the most cited McLaws comment on the War.
He takes James Longstreet, his boyhood friend and West Point
classmate, to task for his mismanagement of the July 2 attack
at Gettysburg. This site will help orient you to who McLaws
was, why he was important, and what the future holds. |
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| A
Soldier's General is also a working research site. A biography
is in the research stage with the goal of using new primary
research to tell the story. McLaws led a division whose four
brigade commanders were pre-War civilians, something few other
commanders were challenged with. Yet his men and officers fought
well and many continued to be promoted, even after McLaws left
the Army of Northern Virginia. The site provides useful information
on his life, family, commands, and men. It will continually
be updated as new information is uncovered. You can add to this
by joining in discussions and chats, referring new information
to the editor, and helping to uncover the stories of McLaws
and his division. |
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| I
look forward to your active participation in learning more about
this part of the Civil War. |
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Best wishes...
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