The only success which can be looked for in the West will be gained by
the energy & daring of old Longstreet, towards whom I cannot help
saying that I think the President & those immediately about him are
grossly unjust
My visit to the West has taught me one thing very clearly: & I have
heard the same remark made dozens of times by officers of the Virginian
army who have been moved to the West. It is that in all that
constitutes pluck & efficiency your cavalry in Virginia is vastly
ahead of the Western troops commanded by Wheeler, Morgan, or
Forrest. I can give you a dozen [illegible] of this when we
meet. You have no notion how you have gained in the estimation of
Longstreet & those about him since they were transferred to the
West. It was nothing but “distance that lent enchantment to
the view” of the achievements performed by Wheeler & others:
-- as soon as we got near them & found what manner of men they
were, we took off our hearts metaphorically to you, & acknowledged
that we had never done you full justice before.
I know you will rejoice to hear that in the last 4 or 5 days, (since I
met Fitzhugh in his room) old Von Borck has made [illegible]
improvement. For the first time I have, within the last four
days, come to the conclusion that he is likely entirely to recover from
his wound.
I don’t believe that you will have a great battle, like
Fredericksburg, this year in December. Goodbye my dear friend
until we meet face to face.
[Illegible] believe me,
Very sincerely yours
Francis Lawley