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Savanna, Ga, March 13 1888

Isaac R Pennypacker

Phil Weekly press

Dear Sir

I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of a number of copies of the Press in which was published the first part of a a [sic] part of my article, reviewing so much of Genl Longs memoirs of Gen Lee, as refers to Longstreets corps at Gettysburg. If the remainder of the article has been published, copies of the paper containing it have not been received.

I would now have had the article, promised about Harpers Ferry, +c. ready for you, but happening to come across, a [member?] of the volume “War of the Rebellion?” published by act of Congress containing the reports of the several federal commanders engaged in the Maryland Campaign 1862. I found so much, which to me, was new matter, all substantiating my statements, that I have in a measure, remodeled my article and will rewrite it, quoting largely from Federal sources.

It will have to be borne in mind that, my statements of forces engaged + cover[?] are taken from returns made by the several commanders, to myself, or by me to my superiors and that then returns were never made under the belief that they would be captured. Not if they were wrong in the time they would have been there and then, could not since those returns were surrendered to Gen Lee they have never been seen by those who made them and therefore never could have been doctored to meet the views or prejudices of any body, and therefore must be taken as honest and true.

For instance my returns, rendered at them stated show that I attacked Maryland heights, without artillery and with out our 1600 men, in two Brigades , and that my force at Cramptons Gap was for three hours not over and never reinforced, when too late, by Cobbs Brigade numbering about 1200. The pass should have been taken in one hour and was not, until dark after [four or?] five or six hours fighting.

The flags (white) were not raised in Harpers Ferry until after 10 Am.

My troops did not leave this ground in front of Franklin until late in the evening of the 15th. All this can be proved.

Very respectfully,

Your Obdt. Servant,

L McLaws

Creation Date

3-13-1888

City

Savannah

County

Chatham County

State/Province

Georgia

Country

United States

Creator Life Dates

1821-1897

Keywords

Lafayette McLaws, Gettysburg, Crampton's Gap

Date Digital

6-24-1888

Document Type

Manuscript

Disciplines

Military History | Political History | Social History | United States History

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Letter: Lafayette McLaws to Isaac R. Pennypacker, March 13, 1888

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