The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 215

A Letter from Vera Cruz in 1847

A LETTER FROM VERA CRUZ IN 1847
CONTRIBUTED BY ROBT. A. LAW
The subjoined letter, hitherto unpublished, requires little com-
ment. It is now in the possession of Mrs. Henry M. Manigault
of Summerville, S. C., to whose father-in-law it is addressed.
Written in a fine and remarkably clear hand, it is still easily legible,
except for two or three words where the fold occurs. In copying
it I have taken care not to change spelling or punctuation.
Its author, Arthur Middleton Manigault, born in Charleston,
South Carolina, in 1824, became in 1846 first lieutenant of the
Charleston company in the Palmetto Regiment, South Carolina
Volunteer Infantry. In this capacity he served throughout the
Mexican War. In the Confederate Army he was first an inspector
general on General Beauregard's staff, then colonel of the Tenth
Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, and in 1863 became a briga-
dier general. He was elected in 1880 adjutant general of his 'na-
tive state, and held that office six years till his death, which was
hastened by a wound in the head that he had received in the battle
of Franklin. A fuller sketch of his life is to be found in Apple-
ton's Cyclopaedia, of American Biography.
Camp near Vera Cruz,
April 9th 1847.
Dear Brother Henry
I was very glad to receive your letter which arrived here about
10 days ago, I would have answered it before, but the next morn-
ing we marched off for Alvarado from which place we only re-
turned two days since.
I am glad to hear that you are all well at home & that things
are going on smoothly, we occasionally receive a paper here & a
Charleston Courier creates a terrible excitement in camp, the pos-
sessor must quickly sneak off behind some hill, & there peruse it,
(,r he is very apt to be embroiled in more than one squable for the
possession of it, I am much amused at times with some of the
speculations of the editors relative to occurrences among us, which
often shoot wide of the mark & in future I will know just how
much of the contents of a newspaper can be relied on. Edward I
see has obtained a cas]taincy in one of the new 10 Regts. which I
was very glad to hear of. I think that he will be ])leased with the
life; I am, & he has every advantage not only in rank, but in serv-

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