The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-30
The @essenger.
DEATH OF A DISTINGUISHED
CONFEDERATE

CONf EO01hA1A
Georgia and the south ave lost .
faithful, heroic and disfinEutxhed sol
der in the death Of Major General La
fayette McLaws. He died nj Savannah
ON ed inst. He was the Oldest living
soldier of his rank with but one keep
ton. He was born in liza ut Augusta.
Ga. He first attended the University
of Virginia, and thence went TO West
Point Military Academy. where he was
graduated in 1872. He served in the
Mexican war. In 1851. aB captain CT
infantry he was in b expedition
against the Mormons and Navajo In
dams. He entered the Confederate
service and early began to face perils
foc his native southland An
says that as brigadier general his ser
vices in the battle OF Lee's Mill, his
m~anoeuvres on the retreat to Richmond
and at the battle of Williamsburg
brought his advancement May e, when
be was made major general Al the
battles of Savage Station and Malvern
Hill he commanded divisions. and on
the retreat of the federal army from
the Virginia peninsula his division
watched the operations at HarrisOn's
Landing. His division was with the
army Of Northern Virginia in its march
into Maryland.
He captured Harpers Ferry and
Maryland Heights and rejoined the
main army al Sharpsburg in time to
restore the Confederate line. He was
It Fredericksburg, Charlottesville,
ttysburg and Knoxville. He defeat
- General Sedgwick's assault at
S>~icm church, and was in the command
Il Georgia and opposed Sherman's
march through the state General
Jchnston's surrender included his COM
mand, and after the war General Nc
Laws established himself in business in
Augusta.
He was appointed collector OF inter-
nal revenue in 1875 and collector of the
port of Savannah in 1876"
He was a good soldier and has left
a distinguished record. The soldiers
Of other states respected General Nc
the critical hour. He was never too
slow, and no battle was lost because of
his dilatOriness, incapacity or unfaith-
fitness. But few soldiers Of Georgia
rendered such noble, distinguished ser
vices, and he deserves well of his ma
tiv state and of the entire south. A
monument to his memDr should be
reared at the capital city. Atlanta. We
do not know a more gallant, a more
trustworthy, a more capable soldier of
his grade from Georgia. He and Cor
don deserve the palm we would sup
pose, among the Georgia officers. We
would not put Longstreet with them,
for Of all soldiers of high rank he was
the slowest of the slow. Those who
have studied Gettysburg know how
much of the failure is to be laid at his
door. General McLaws was thoroughly
versed in the matter. and our recoGec-
ton is, that he showed up IOngstreets
blur Gers and misstatements most eff
fectually. In Longstreet's book he pre-
petuates blunders enough to sink his
crc6ibility out of sight. By the way.
it is said that his bOok was written by
a Yankee officer, the Georgian furnish
ing the material. His book is credited
no whe1e but in the north They like
it because it abounds in dispraise OF
southern soldiers. LOnsstreet blund-
cred IN war and he blnnders in peace.
You may put it down That whea Con-
fed. ate, soldiers sought and obtained
places of profit within a few years after
the war that there was a lack OF moral
stamina and patriotic backbone in them
that after all there was not the
sort of material out Of which are
fashioned men Of heroic mold with
great souls. 81, =