"During his service in the Confederate army, Major General Lafayette McLaws (1821-1897) served under and alongside such famous officers as Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnston, James Longstreet, and John B. Hood. He played a significant role in some of the most crucial battles of the Civil War, including Harpers Ferry, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. A prolific letter writer, McLaws left behind a wealth of handwritten material documenting his experiences before and during the war.

Despite all this, no biography of McLaws or history of his division has ever been published. In effect, says John Oeffinger, the public has all but forgotten one of the first major generals appointed in the Army of Northern Virginia.".

"A Soldier's General gathers ninety-five letters written by McLaws to his wife and other family members between 1858 and 1865, making these rich sources available to a wide audience for the first time.

The letters, painstakingly transcribed from McLaws's notoriously poor handwriting, contain a wealth of opinion and information about life and morale in the Confederate army, Civil War-era politics, the impact of war on the Confederate home front, the Southern press, and a man's efforts to advise and remain connected with his wife and children while engaged in a distant conflict.

Among the fascinating threads woven through the letters is the story of McLaws's fractured relationship with childhood friend Longstreet, who had McLaws relieved of command in 1863. (McLaws ultimately demanded a court-martial to restore his honor.)"--BOOK JACKET.