Biography/History:

George Sylvester Lea was born in Amite County, Mississippi, on June 20, 1836. He was the son of Hampton Muse and Mariah Gordon Lea. George Sylvester Lea and his siblings, Melissa Jane (b. 1838), [Cicely?] Mary (b. 1843), and Thomas Marshall (b. 1844), resided with their parents who engaged in farming. Lea enlisted in the Seventh Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, on April 27, 1861. He was wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on December 31, 1862. Lea was sent to Lumpkin Hospital in Rome, Georgia, for treatment. He rejoined his unit around April 1863 but was killed at the battle of Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864. After the war, Lea’s remains were retrieved by his father and a family servant named Kemp. He was reinterred at the Lea Family Cemetery near Huron, Amite County.

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of a typewritten manuscript (photocopy) containing transcriptions of letters written by Confederate soldier George Sylvester Lea of Amite County, Mississippi, and other Lea family members and friends between 1861 and 1864. The 112-page manuscript includes an introduction, a table of contents, and a photocopy of an image of George Sylvester Lea’s tombstone. The majority of the letters were exchanged by George Sylvester Lea and his father, Hampton Muse Lea. In the letters, George Sylvester Lea offers candid commentary on the war and relates war news. He also mentions the health of soldiers, who were apparently Lea family friends, and briefly discusses camp conditions. Early in his enlistment, Lea was stationed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast at Camp Beauregard near Ocean Springs and at Camp Clark near Bay St. Louis. His unit was subsequently transferred to Tennessee, and by 1864 it was encamped near Atlanta, Georgia. Additional correspondents include Thomas Marshall Lea and James E. Lea, an uncle of George Sylvester Lea.

Cataloged versions (photocopies) with additional historical materials are available in the library of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History: Lea Family Civil War Letters (call number 973.782 L433) and The Civil War Letters of George S. Lea, 1861-1864 (call number 973.782 L433c).

Series Identification:

1. Manuscript. 1861-1864; n.d. 1 folder. (restricted)