The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-11-03
Gen. Law Dead
Was Ranking Officer of Southern
Armies

Barlow, Fla, Oct. 31.--Mai Gen. r.
Nj. Law, ranking surviving officer nt
the army of the Confederate States
of America died here today, after 4
weeks illness. y.a' ~. ~
EVander MC1ver Law, schooln1as-
Ter, soldier and editor, was born, lin
Darlington, S. c., in 1886. ,Ha was
graduated from the South Carolina
Military academy in 1856, and began
teaching at Kings Mountain Mill
tary school at York, 9. c.; the next
year, remaining there until he moved
to Tuskegee, Ala, in 1860, to estab-
lish military school ~ @ySs
Upon the secession Of Florida In
January, 1861, General Law aban.
doned his plans and led a company
of Alabama volunteers to- aid the
Florldans, assisting in the capture
of Pensacola and the forts at that
place. He remained i'm Florida two
months, going into the ConfSderSte
army as lieutenant colonel Of the
Fourth Alabama regiment when the
states organized. His first post psss
an assignment at. Harper.s Ferry.
but he shortly returned to Virgissia
and was wounded at the first battle
Of Manassas. He attained the rank
of colonel during the Psninst11a
campaign and after the battle OF
Seven Pines, was elevated to- the
rank of senior colonel of. his hriRz
ade, leading his command wfhh.
signal gallantry through the Seven
Days battle; from Gaines MiHfato
Malvern Hill. &.yh &at2sEi,
General Law commanded his brig
ade in 1862, going through the Sec
ond battle of Manassas and the
battles of Boonesboro and Antletam
and emerging as brigadier sgen-
eral in time for the battle OF Fred.
ericksburg.
30 Under Longstreet, In the Suffolk
campaign the next year and at, GET
tysburS, when upon the woundfnE hOf
General Hood he succeeded 4 10 s.thN
command of the division, The WxH
signally successful, having BEN
breveted on the field at GettysblTx
by General Longstreet for md
neuvering his division on the RoIksd
Tops in such a manner as to geff2ct
the disastrous repulSe OF KilpatfiEIRts
division Of mounted Federal trtiors
General Law went TO, the 'westefn
army with LongstFeet in 1S63Safid
commanded division at Chiek&-
mauga, GeneraE LongstFeek corn
mending him for his distinguishes
conduct" q In 1864 he returned EsSt
and was with General Lee tfironth
the Wilderness and succeeding caniE
paigns until the battle of Cold Haf-
Dor, where his division repuisad
Smiths Sixteenth Army corps witk
a loss OF $500 men, ana in which
engagement he was serio q sly
wounded 's 1r. - ~. ~ etrg
Returning to duty in February.
1865, General Law. was assigned TO
Gen. Wade Hampton's cavalry com!
mand, later becoming chic fof stan
to Gen. Joseph E. Johnstone% Upon
the illness Of General Butler, Cen
eral Law was elevated to the rasisS
Of major general and assigned 10
command Buffers division. This
command he held until his surrend&r
at Greensboro, n. c., on April 25.t cFi
General Law came to Florida IN
1893 and the following year. estanE
lished the South Florida Military In
stttute, the forerunner5 of the y;fYI-
Versty of Florida. Later he becRfrf
editor of the Barlow CouriefSfnf6rl
mant and served in that capacity M
til his retirement from active, life
in 1915. h. .' 49, 2 ~. ,tssiz
He repeatedly had refused ifonofs
at the hands OF the state organfzR&
ton of United Confederate Veterans
and at the state reunion I'm 1g16 on
posed vigorously the adoption iof sssss
resolution proposing his ma mo for
commander in chief OF the trfationat
organization. declaring that the hoss-
on of being senior surviving officer
OF the southern armies ID was Ssfi.
cient. This distinctions he had held
six years prior to his deatn, - taS'
General Law, who was 81 Shesfs
old. suffered a stroke of paraIytas
last Sunday and had beenhunSoh.
scious since Tuesday He Is surxsyesl
by three sons and one daughter: ma
wife died last July. FuneraF ar
rangementS will be- announced MeB-
day; -.," t- ,i.sf,t4lE 6tsAs,