SUBMITTED BY: Sandra White Hinton (transcribed by Cheri Todd Molter and Caitlin Crenshaw)
Note from Sandra: Here are Lal’s letters. Please do upload them. His handwriting is so neat! All the Whites were educated, and they were all Masons, as well.
Uploads here: may25_1863 Lal White and here: may_25_1863_bottom_part Lal White
Lallister M. White, or “Lal”, was born in Sampson County, North Carolina. He was a farmer before the Civil War started. On April 20, 1861, when Lal was twenty-eight years old, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and served in Company A of the 30th Infantry (North Carolina). On Sept. 3, 1863, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. On May 12, 1864, Lt. Lal White was killed at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia.
Transcription from the original:
2nd Army Corps Northern Virginia
3rd Division 4th Brigade, 30th Reg’t
of N.C. Troops May 25, 1863.
Murdock:
Dear brother: In consideration of a promise I made you on leaving home last month, I must and will endeavor to make good that promise by writing you a letter ever [sic] now, and then, I wrote father one on yesterday, but owing to the irregularities of the mail I do much fear that the letter will be delayed for some time. It is a great pleasure to me to set [sic] down in my tent and commence writing a letter to relatives at Home. It oftimes appears to me that on such occasions I feel as if a conversation was in reality carried on between us. I well know that you are at present, thronged with business and the responsibility of a large crop on your hands.
Hence you do not for a moment suppose that anytime [sic] spent in writing a letter would in the least add one item to your every day [sic] work. Thus I can make due allowance for your silence during such times of trial and vexation. But the best plan that I ever could adopt was “to have a time for every thing [sic] and do every thing [sic] in its proper time.” The world was not made in one day, neither was King Solomon’s Temple built in so short a time. We are now at a camp which I suppose is the most pleasant of any heretofore occupied by us, it is about one mile from the Richmond and Fredericksburg Rail Road [sic], on the south side of said Road, in a beautiful Oak and Hickory grove where the sun is almost forbid to shine, in consequence of such clusters of trees, surrounded with [a line removed in scanning process]
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I very often think of you, your dear companion and those dear little children whom the God above has spared amid trial and afflictions, my prayers are for your safe deliverance beyond the tide of warfare, where no trouble and sorrows are known to come. This unholy war, and deathlike struggle may last for years to come. We can not tell, the storm has arrisen [sic] and it will shake this entire continent e’re it is over. Yet believe me, the only safe plan is to put your trust in Him that hath power to Rise and make alive. Though you may never see a letter from me again nor hear of where I am gone yet I hope all will be well with me for I consider that I am engaged in a just cause, many of us fall on the battle field [sic] and no account is never known of what has become of us. Thus many poor soldiers pass into the eternal world, yet we hope to live again in the eternal world. Please remember me to friend Arthur Brown, tell him it would be a source of pleasure for me to hear from Him. The health of the troops is generally good, we do not know how soon we may receive marching orders. Remember me to father, mother, James, Ann and the little boys. Tell Frank that when I come Home again we will kill some more birds.
I remain your brother sincerely
L.M. White
P.S. you can address me as follows
L.M. White
Co “A” 30th Regt N.C.T.
4th Brigade 3rd Division
Richmond V.a.
BACK OF DOCUMENT
If you direct a letter to me as above, in case I move I shall be
very sure to get it.
Transcription with Modern spelling and punctuation:
2nd Army Corps Northern Virginia
3rd Division 4th Brigade, 30th Reg’t
of N.C. Troops May 25, 1863.
Murdock:
Dear brother: In consideration of a promise I made you on leaving home last month, I must and will endeavor to make good that promise by writing you a letter ever[y] now and then. I wrote father one on yesterday, but owing to the irregularities of the mail, I do much fear that the letter will be delayed for some time. It is a great pleasure to me to s[i]t down in my tent and commence writing a letter to relatives at Home. It oftimes [often times] appears to me that on such occasions I feel as if a conversation was in reality carried on between us. I well know that you are at present thronged with business and the responsibility of a large crop on your hands. Hence, you do not for a moment suppose that any time spent in writing a letter would in the least add one item to your everyday work. Thus, I can make due allowance for your silence during such times of trial and vexation. But the best plan that I ever could adopt was “to have a time for everything and do everything in its proper time.” The world was not made in one day, neither was King Solomon’s Temple built in so short a time. We are now at a camp, which I suppose is the most pleasant of any heretofore occupied by us. [I]t is about one mile from the Richmond and Fredericksburg Rail[r]oad, on the south side of said Road, in a beautiful Oak and Hickory grove where the sun is almost forbid[den] to shine, in consequence of such clusters of trees, surrounded with [a line was removed during scanning process]
NEXT PAGE
I very often think of you, your dear companion, and those dear little children whom the God above has spared amid trial and afflictions. [M]y prayers are for your safe deliverance beyond the tide of warfare, where no trouble and sorrows are known to come. This unholy war and deathlike struggle may last for years to come. We cannot tell, the storm has [arisen] and it will shake this entire continent e’re [before] it is over. Yet believe me, the only safe plan is to put your trust in Him that hath power to Rise and make alive. Though you may never see a letter from me again, nor hear of where I am gone, yet I hope all will be well with me for I consider that I am engaged in a just cause. [M]any of us fall on the battlefield, and no account is never known of what has become of us. Thus, many poor soldiers pass into the eternal world, yet we hope to live again in the eternal world. Please remember me to friend Arthur Brown, tell him it would be a source of pleasure for me to hear from Him. The health of the troops is generally good; we do not know how soon we may receive marching orders. Remember me to father, mother, James, Ann, and the little boys. Tell Frank that when I come Home again, we will kill some more birds.
I remain your brother sincerely,
L.M. White
P.S. you can address me as follows
L.M. White
Co “A” 30th Regt N.C.T.
4th Brigade 3rd Division
Richmond V.A.
BACK OF DOCUMENT
If you direct a letter to me as above, in case I move, I shall be
very sure to get it.
