148 W. Canton Street, Boston,                                                                     

Saturday, May 14, 1910.

 

Mr. Hopkins:

            Dear Friend,—I don't think that either Poindexter Gen Armistead's brother can be relied upon as to when the General died, for they he both errs—as you, of course noticed—in saying that he the General was wounded on the 4^th of July. I thought that it would be an easy matter to fix it determine when he died, but I don't find it so. As I have alredy already written you, the biographical dictionaries and similar works say that he died on July 3, but they all may all be wrong. Lee's report of July 31, 1863, mentions A. as simply wounded, alt in the same report mentions a generals who was was killed or mortally and another who was mortally wounded. It is strange that L. did not say that A. was mortally wounded, for it would seem that he must by that time have known that such was the case (Rebellion Records, Vol. XXVII., Part 2, p. 311). In Lee's report of January—, 1864, he says that A. was killed in the battle (ibid., p. 325). Col. Wm. R. Aylett commanded A.'s brigade after A.'s death, and in his report of July 12, 1863, he does not tell when A. died (ibid., pp. 999-1000) I looked at / a file of the N.Y. Herald for a week after the battle, but I found no mention of A.'s death (my examination of the file was not a careful one). In the coming edition of the Boston Journal of July 7, 1863, was this: "Gen. Armistead, captured on Thursday, is dead", but the time is not given (of course "Thursday" is an error for "Friday"). In the Journal of July 11, 1863, is this: "The rebel Gen. Armistead, on his death bed, said he was sorry that he had ever gone into the rebellion. He thought it was a bad cause". A. is buried in Baltimore, and I guess you can get definite information as to when and where he died. I hope you will do this and put the statement record the information in your book. It is a point regarding which there are conflicting statements, and, if I were you I would get the information if possible, and give it (in a footnote or in the if not in the text). I would even give the hour of the day when he died if I could get it, and don't forget to tell where he died. I should myself like definite information on these points, for my search has excited my curiosity. Is Po Are Poindexter and Col. Rawley W. Martin living? If so, perhaps they have precise knowledge. I don't know Poindexter's address. Perhaps A.'s brother has definite information (his statement that Gen. A. was wounded on July 4 may have been merely a case of heterophemy, of which we are all guilty occasionally).

 

            A.'s brother says that A. was on at the / time of the first Bull Run battle, A. was battle (July 21, 1861), A. was on his way from Cal. to Va., but from Poindexter (p. 2) says that A. was in in April, 1861, A. was "made Colonel of the Fifty-seventh Virginia", and from P.'s language one would understand that A. had already arrived in Richmond. How do you understand? P. ("came straight to Richmond, and in April, 1861, was made Colonel of the Fifty-seventh Virginia")? Does not this language apparently have the import which I ascribe to it?

 

            I have forgotten whether, in speaking of Col. Ellsworth, you give his forename or forenames. Was his name Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth, or Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth? The authorities are divided so there is a little knot for you to untie. You can avoid this ti knot by saying "Col. E.E. Ellsworth", but I guess you don't want to plough round such stumps. (You will remember that Sir Boyle Roche Roche the Irishman who so delighted the world with his Irish / balls, said that the best way to avoid trouble is to meet it face to face face! Roche was the man, you know, who said "Nothing was heard but silence".)

 

            I find Kramer's book in the libraries here. Too bad that typographically the book is so slovenly. I see that he includes the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads, but why didn't he include the big battle (Battle of Pleasant Hill) fought between the same armies on the following day? A brother of mine, now deceased, of who was a member of the 30^th Maine Regiment, was in both of those battles. Kramer's book is a good one, and I thank you for calling my attention to it, but it might have been made much better. I don't know how careful he was in getting his figures and other data, but the typographical workmanship exempified by the book is far from good.

 

            I thank you for calling me my attention to Poindexter's address on Gen. Armistead, of which I find that our Public Library has a copy. I presume that P. is correct in saying that Gen. A. died on July 5. P. has quotations / from Col. Rawley W. Martin. are those quotations from something from by Martin which is in print?

 

            I will return soon return to you Capt. W Bowles E. Armistead's letter, together with the Poindexter pamphlet.

 

            I presume that Capt. Armistead took his dates July 4 and 5 from Poindexter's pamphlet, though the pamphlet doesn't say that Gen. A. died on the 4^th.

 

            As Gen. A. was buried in Baltimore I presume that you can find relatives of his there. As to when and where he died you can, perhaps, learn from Baltimore newspapers. Perhaps he died in Baltimore.

 

                                                                                    Very truly yours,

                                                                                                C.W.Lewis

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