47th Col. John McLaughlin captures his Brother Henry
-with contributions from Maureen Frei
In one of those interesting sidelights of the war, Col. Mclaughlin and the 47th came up against his brother Lt. Henry McLaughlin and his Alabama regiment.during the Vicksburg campaign. Henry was captured, and he and his brother had what the Col. called a "singular meeting on the battlefield." The event caught the attention of the local newspaper. Below are the texts of that newpaper article, a letter from Col. McLaughlin to his sister that alludes to the event (and is a very interesting look at the mindset of the Col. during the campaign), and a letter Henry wrote to his sister from prison. He languished in prison until his Sister arrange his release by meeting with President Lincoln. She wrote an article circa 1920 about that meeting, which that I have also included here. I have edited the letters for spelling and added some punctuation for clarity. I have not altered any words.
Indianapolis Daily Journal Thursday Morning June 4, 1863
Among the rebel prisoners that arrived here yesterday was Lieut. Henry McLaughlin of an Alabama regiment, formerly of this city. He is a brother of Lieut. Col. John A. McLaughlin, of the 47th Indiana. Both brothers fought almost face to face in one of the fiercest battles near Vicksburg, one in command of a regiment and the other in command of a company. Lieut. McLaughlin removed from here some years ago, and tarried at Florence, Ala., where he has a wife and child. He was visited at the Soldier’s home last evening by his relatives here, who conversed with him freely for some time.
A letter from Col. McLaughlin to his Sister: (1)
Head-Quarters 47th Ind Infty
Rear of Vicksburg June 15th, 1863
Dear Sister,
I received yours of the 3rd inst and take this opportunity to answer.
I was glad to get a letter from you once more. It has seemed to me that all my sisters might write oftener than they do, but if they think not, then I cannot complain, or won’t.
I have letters from Lou as late as the third of this month they were all well then. I have been fortunate in getting letters of late through private sources and otherwise. Last evening I got a letter from cousin John B. McLaughlin written at Murfreesboro Tenn. He tells me that his brother James is with him in the same Co which is Co. G 89th Ill, Infty in Gen Willich Brigade which is in the 1st Brig 2nd Division Army of the Cumberland. They have been in several hard battles, but came through all right – so far.
He made inquiry if I knew anything of Henry. I told him of our singular meeting on the battle field and that the last I heard from him was from the Indps Journal of the 4th when he was receiving visits from his old friends and relatives at his old home Indianapolis, I fancy this will be rather startling news to the boys. Dock Mitchell has bin down here as you say, but I did not get to see him. I saw Dr. Bullard while he was here, but I could not get away to go see Tomh (?), for I am the only Field officer with the Regt and have been for a long time and the consequence is I am tied down here with the Regiment all the time and Gen Grant’s lines are closed to citizens and have been ever since we invested this place, and it is proper that it should be so, or there would be more of them than soldiers, and in various ways impede the armies operations. This is the 26th day of the siege and how much longer it is going to last you know as much as I do. The impression is that the end is not many days off, but what to base an opinion of this kind I cannot see. Of course it is 26 days nearer a close than when it commenced and there supplies must necessarily be getting short, but there may be hard fighting before the close. There certainly will be if Johnson attempts to attack our rear, but in no event do we expect defeat, or the loss of Vicksburg. This army don’t know what defeat means, they have yet to learn the application of that term. We feel confident that we could hold this garrison in its works and send out enough to whip Johnson with fifty thousand of his best troops, before they get in hearing of this place. You may think that we feel to invincible. I tell you that invincible feeling is what makes an invincible army. You once get an army impressed with the belief fully that they can whip the enemy and they will do it sure. And then let them whip them five or six times in succession and they will think of nothing else than being able to repeat it.
The career of Gen. Grant’s army since the 26th of April has been one of the longest and most brilliant of the war by far. And we intend to add one more, and the crowning star to the already long list of victories- Vicksburg yes it must and shall be ours. This is not only my feelings but the determined feelings of this vast army surrounding as with a terrible line of bayonets the entire rear of the besieged place.
Let God and justice be our motto and right will be on our side, and victory perch upon our banner. Union and liberty now and forever our reward.
Write soon and often dear sister and be assured that your letter will ever be most thankfully received.
I remain as ever, your affectionate brother
Jno. A. McLaughlin
Lt. Col. 47th Ind Vols
A letter from Lt. Henry McLauglin to his Sister from prison: (1)
Prison Johnsons Island Ohio June 24th (18)63
Dearest of sisters,
Do not think for a moment that I have forgotten you although political convulsions and contending armies have even prevented correspondence. But now I am situated so that I can write short letters I embrace with pleasure the opportunity although it is from a prison cell. The ties of nature as well as those of affection still bind my sister’s dear to me. They may censure me for the past, but if they do I cannot help it. I know that my life has been mingled with error….
I remember as though it was yesterday when last I saw you…how my heart ached to think I might never see your face again. Years have passed and strange things have occurred, and we have not met but I still believe we will. Do not think hard of me for being a rebel officer. We all have to be governed by circumstances, when they are unavoidable, and to you Dear Elisa I will say that my heart is true to the union as that of my Brother but we was differently situated. The circumstances that surrounded me I cannot give you now as I have written as much as the regulations allows. Write to me Elisa and give me all the news. Give my respects to Dock and tell him to write.
Ever your affectionate Brother,
Lieut Harry B. McLaughlin
Letter written by Mrs. S. Clay Brown (Susan Louise McLaughlin) (1)
Editor National Tribune:-
I read, with much interest, the notice in your paper a few weeks ago of the death, at Beacon, N.Y. of Mrs. Anna Priscilla Erving, and ex-army nurse of the Civil War. I had an experience very similar to hers. I was also an army nurse in the Civil War. For some time before the beginning of the war, my youngest brother had been living in the south. He had bought a small tract of land in Alabama and was living on it with his wife and one child. He thought the war would soon be over and he was not anxious to lose his home and all he had invested in it, so he continued in the south.
Very soon his life was threatened if he refused to go into the Confederate Army. He enlisted with the intention of escaping to the Union lines at the first opportunity. In one of the battles at the rear of Vicksburg he came face to face with his eldest brother who was Lt. Col. of the 47th Ind. Infy. The Ind. Reg. Captured the Ala. Reg. My brother was sent as a prisoner of war to Johnson’s Island near Sandusky, Ohio, where he remained a prisoner for twenty months. Early in 1865 he wrote to me asking if I could do something to secure his exchange. At that time my husband was with the 18th Ind. Near Winchester, Va. He had written me to come on and make him a visit. They had gone into winter quarters and the colonel’s wife was to be there for the winter, so why not I? I concluded to kill two birds with one stone, see what I could do for my brother and visit my husband. As I was one of the nurses appointed by Gov. Morton and I had interviewed the governor on several occasions, I asked him for a letter of introduction to President Lincoln and told him of my object in visiting the White House. He very kindly gave me the letter, in which he stated that a brother and also my husband were officers in the Union Army and that I wanted to secure the exchange of another brother who was a prisoner on Johnson’s Island. With this letter, I went to Washington and to the White House on the morning after my arrival. The President received callers only in the afternoon from two to four. I was there promptly at two o’clock only to find at least fifty others waiting in the hall outside the door. I secured a position as near the door as possible and was one of the first to be admitted.
I walked down the middle of a long room. The President sat at a table, alone at the very farther end of the room. The members of his Cabinet were ranged on the other side of the long room, from front to back. I stopped in front of the President and handed him Gov. Mortons’s letter. He took it and read it through very carefully. Then looking up at me he asked, “Upon which grounds do you ask for the release of this prisoner?” I answered, “upon the grounds that we believe him to be a loyal man who was forced into the Confederate Army against his will.” He turned Gov. Morton’s letter over and wrote on the back of it his instructions to the secretary of War. Then he gave me explicit instructions how to find the right room in the War Dept. building, even to what door to enter, what stairs to go up and which way to turn at the top, to find the right room. In this room some further instructions were written on the back of Gov. Morton’s letter and the letter was returned to me with very minute directions how to find the Commissioner of Exchange. I found the place, and presented my, now very valuable document. “That” said the officer in charge, “is all that you can do. Your brother will be in Indianapolis before you are.” And he was. But I wanted that letter of introduction fro Gov. Morton, with President Lincoln’s instructions on the back and also the instructions of the Sec’y. of War, on the back. I asked the Commissioner of Exchange if I could have it and what do you think he said? “I would be delighted to let you have it but we have to put it on file.”
I returned to Harper’s Ferry and called upon the Commander of that Past and asked him where the 13th Army Corps was located. He gave me an odd glance and he answered, “I don’t know. They passed through here four days ago, with sealed orders. No one but the General who issued the Order knows where they were going.” Not until they were out on the Atlantic Ocean did they know that they were on the way to take the place of Sherman’s Army at Savannah, Ga. When Sherman marched up the coast.
Mrs. S. Clay Brown
(1) Source: Indiana Historical Society Collection; McLaughlin/Jordan Papers #sc1030
first published 15 March 2003
updated 23 March 2004