SUBMITTED BY: Sandra White Hinton (researched and written by Cheri Todd Molter; transcribed by Caitlin Crenshaw & Cheri Todd Molter)
Lt. Lal White’s Letter to his Father: October 7, 1863
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.
Information about some of the other individuals mentioned in this letter:
“Bro. Oliver” was Oliver P. White, Lal’s brother, and, when the war started, Oliver was a thirty-seven-year-old Sampson County farmer. He enlisted on March 10, 1862 as First Lieutenant. He served in Company I, 46th Infantry (North Carolina) of the Confederate Army. He surrendered with his regiment on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Court House, VA (North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster, 1993).
“Lofton B. Hall” was listed as “Loftin Hall” in his military records. Hall was born in Sampson County, N.C. and was a thirty-year-old laborer when he enlisted in the Confederate Army on July 15, 1862. Hall served in Company E of the 2nd Infantry (North Carolina) and was listed “on rolls through October 1865” (North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster, 1993).
Other Notes:
There is a hole in the letter where the name of a Union General would be if it were intact. After doing some research, it was determined that General Ulysses Grant was in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the time that Lal White wrote this letter, so it was probably “Grant” that was written there.
Also, Lal White mentioned a “piece of pocosen [sic] Swamp” in this letter. Pocosins are naturally occurring wetland bogs with acidic, sandy, peat soil and woody evergreen shrubs throughout. They are formed by the accumulation of organic matter, resembling black muck, in broad, low-lying shallow basins that do not drain naturally. The word “pocosin” is Algonquian in origin, meaning “swamp on a hill” (https://www.ncpedia.org/pocosins).
Lal wrote the following letter to his father, James White Sr., in October 1863. (Links to PDFs of handwritten pages 1-4 follow.)
Lal White October_7_1863_page_1
Lal White October_7_1863_page_2
Lal White October_7_1863_page_3
Lal White October_7_1863_page_4
Transcription from the original:
Army of Northern Virginia
October 7th, 1863.
James White Sen. [Senior]:
Dear father: your kind letter bearing date Oct 1st came to hand on yesterday evening, and found me in remarkably good health, but I was very sorry indeed to learn that you were unwell, from a disease or misery in your breast & stomache [sic], also I am sorry to hear the sad news from J. B. Meloin, his being wounded so seriously and supposed to be by deserters. I hope that he may get well and succeed in finding out the one that inflicted the wound. I fear those deserters will do injury to many good citizens of our [county, for they are] worse than enemies in our land. I still remain at the same place from which I wrote you before. I heard from Bro. Oliver the other day he is about 30 miles from us. I am of the opinion that he is in General [Henry] Heth’s Division in General A.P. Hill’s Corps. So if we have any engagement up here I shall be very apt to see Oliver, sturring [sic] around. We have been expecting a fight up here for the last month but every thing [sic] appears quiet at this time though the enemy is in very strong force on the opposite side of the river, we are stationed on the Rapidan River about 18 miles from Orange Court House, a little town where the rail road runs to, so you can perceive that we are at some distance from any rail road. I can see the yankees every day they are about a quarter of a mile from us when we are on picket duty. We go on picket every fourth day, but the duty is most disagreeable as we [page 2] remain only one day on picket at a time and do not have any shooting with the enemy, awhile we were allowed to talk with the yankees a cross the river, but now it is forbidden to hold Communication in any way with them. I suppose it is best not to be too intimate with such a treacherous enemy; at least our Generals think so. The weather is very fine and pleasant up here. I am somewhat astonished at so early frost in your country though we have had frost up here some time ago, yet this climate is much colder than it is in North Carolina. General [Braxton] Bragg appears to be still in the West since his victory over [General William] Rosecrans. I suppose that General [illegible: probably ‘Grant’] is at Chattanooga Tenn where he has entrenched and fortified his army and has also received some reinforcements. So I fear that General Bragg will be much troubled to drive him any further. I do hope that Bragg can be speadily [sic] reinforced with fresh troops. The late battle of Chickamauga was as hard a fought battle as any of the war. This army here in Virginia it is hard to tell much about it. I am unable to say whether we will have any fight or not, although General R. E. Lee thinks we will be attacked by General [George Gordon] Meade, the Yankee general, sometime shortly. I am very glad indeed that Murdock escaped the Conscript act, and I do hope that he & James can remain at Home. You requested me to try for a furlough to go home. I can inform you that they are not granting furlough to officers at this time. Furloughs are [page 3] stopped for the present, owing to our being pressed by the enemy, but I expect they will commence granting furloughs some time [sic] this winter if everything remains quiet, it will be much better for me to go home this winter than this fall for I had rather be at home during the inclement wether [sic], when it is extreemly [sic] cold up here. So if I can get a furlough I prefer one this winter.
your letter came to me in four days from the time it was mailed. So write me how long it takes my letters to get to you. I have been under the impression that Bro. James was in service as I never get any letter from him. I get the most of my information from you & W.C. Butler about home & affairs at home. I suppose that James don’t study about a poor fellow in Service, as he never attempts to write to me. While he is taking his case at home, his mind hardly ever turns on we poor soldiers here in the Wild woods. Tell W.C. Butler & James that I expect that the deserters will get them if they don’t look sharp. Tell Murdock to do all he can and keep the mill from breaking if possible. also tell him to try and raise some fish in that pond for there are some fine trout in that pond to my knowledge. Give my kind regards to Murdock & family, also to James & W.C. Butler, you can say to Lofton B. Hall’s wife that I see Lofton every day, he is looking well and is a good soldier, he is in the 2nd N.C. Regiment in Capt [James Turner] Scales company. Lofton deserves credit
[page 4]
I have nothing worth your attention to write, when you write Me again tell me what you planted on the Harm place, and how much you made. I am under the impression that you planted potatoes out there, also write me if you made any Corn in that piece of pocosen [sic] Swamp, I want to know what that place turned out in Corn. Remember me to my dear old Mother, tell her that I yet remember her and do sincerely hope she is doing well and in good health, also remember me to Jonathan Owen, and my friends in general. I must close
farewell until I write again
very respectfully your [illegible] son
L.M. White
Transcription with modern spelling and punctuation:
Army of Northern Virginia
October 7, 1863
James White [Sr.]:
Dear father: Your kind letter bearing date Oct 1st came to hand on yesterday evening, and found me in remarkably good health, but I was very sorry indeed to learn that you were unwell from a disease or misery in your breast & stomach; also I am sorry to hear the sad news from J. B. Meloin, his being wounded so seriously and supposed to be by deserters. I hope that he may get well and succeed in finding out the one that inflicted the wound. I fear those deserters will do injury to many good citizens of our [county, for they are] worse than enemies in our land. I still remain at the same place from which I wrote you before. I heard from Brother Oliver the other day; he is about 30 miles from us. I am of the opinion that he is in General [Henry] Heth’s Division, in General A.P. Hill’s Corps. So, if we have any engagement up here, I shall be very apt to see Oliver, stirring around. We have been expecting a fight up here for the last month, but everything appears quiet at this time, though the enemy is in very strong force on the opposite side of the river. We are stationed on the Rapidan River about 18 miles from Orange Court House, a little town where the railroad runs to, so you can perceive that we are at some distance from any railroad. I can see the yankees every day; they are about a quarter of a mile from us when we are on picket duty. We go on picket every fourth day, but the duty is most disagreeable as we [page 2] remain only one day on picket at a time and do not have any shooting with the enemy. Awhile, we were allowed to talk with the yankees across the river, but now it is forbidden to hold Communication in any way with them. I suppose it is best not to be too intimate with such a treacherous enemy; at least our Generals think so. The weather is very fine and pleasant up here. I am somewhat astonished at so early frost in your country, though we have had frost up here some time ago, yet this climate is much colder than it is in North Carolina. General [Braxton] Bragg appears to be still in the West since his victory over [General William] Rosecrans. I suppose that General [illegible: probably ‘Grant’] is at Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he has entrenched and fortified his army and has also received some reinforcements. So, I fear that General Bragg will be much troubled to drive him any further. I do hope that Bragg can be speedily reinforced with fresh troops. The late battle of Chickamauga was as hard a fought battle as any of the war. This army here in Virginia, it is hard to tell much about it. I am unable to say whether we will have any fight or not, although General R. E. Lee thinks we will be attacked by General [George Gordon] Meade, the Yankee general, sometime shortly. I am very glad indeed that Murdock escaped the Conscript Act, and I do hope that he & James can remain at Home. You requested me to try for a furlough to go home. I can inform you that they are not granting furlough to officers at this time. Furloughs are [page 3] stopped for the present, owing to our being pressed by the enemy, but I expect they will commence granting furloughs sometime this winter, if everything remains quiet. It will be much better for me to go home this winter than this fall, for I had rather be at home during the inclement weather when it is extremely cold up here. So, if I can get a furlough, I prefer one this winter.
Your letter came to me in four days from the time it was mailed. So, write me how long it takes my letters to get to you. I have been under the impression that Bro. James was in service, as I never get any letter from him. I get the most of my information from you & W.C. Butler about home & affairs at home. I suppose that James don’t study about a poor fellow in Service, as he never attempts to write to me. While he is taking his case at home, his mind hardly ever turns on we poor soldiers here in the Wild woods. Tell W.C. Butler & James that I expect that the deserters will get them if they don’t look sharp. Tell Murdock to do all he can and keep the mill from breaking if possible. Also tell him to try and raise some fish in that pond, for there are some fine trout in that pond to my knowledge. Give my kind regards to Murdock & family, also to James & W.C. Butler. You can say to Lofton B. Hall’s wife that I see Lofton every day; he is looking well and is a good soldier. He is in the 2nd N.C. Regiment in Capt. [James Turner] Scales’ Company. Lofton deserves credit.
[page 4]
I have nothing worth your attention to write. When you write me again, tell me what you planted on the Harm place, and how much you made. I am under the impression that you planted potatoes out there. Also write me if you made any Corn in that piece of pocosin swamp; I want to know what that place turned out in Corn. Remember me to my dear old Mother; tell her that I yet remember her and do sincerely hope she is doing well and in good health. Also remember me to Jonathan Owen, and my friends in general. I must close.
Farewell until I write again.
Very respectfully your [illegible / letter torn] son,
L.M. White