napoleon 12 pounder
Sergeant
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2011
- Location
- huntington beach, ca
I just finished reading these excerpts of Col Freemantle's diary, the English officer who
visited the south at the time of Lee's advance into the north. I found them very
interesting especially his accounts of how he was received and the determination of
the southern people to fight until victory was won. Thanks to jessgettysburg1863 for the original post. It is too large to post the entire thing so I'll give you a tease and the link. here is the link:
http://www.newsinhistory.com/blog/fascinating-details-gettysburg-campaign
respectfully,
Napoleon 12 pounder
Fascinating Details from the Gettysburg Campaign
Submitted by tonyp on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 08:48
Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Lyon Fremantle, an Englishman who was a member of Her Majesty’s Coldstream Guards, wanted to take an unusual “vacation” in the spring of 1863. He was keenly interested in the civil war then raging in America, and so requested an official leave of absence to travel in the United States and see the war for himself.
From April 2 to July 16, 1863, Fremantle was a tourist with a front-row seat to the U.S. Civil War. He observed theBattle of Gettysburg perched in a tree, and had striking encounters with General Longstreet, and later General Lee, right after the epic clash known as Pickett’s Charge.
Fremantle had a great eye for detail, and wrote everything down in his diary. When he returned to England, he published portions of his diary in the September issue of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. A copy of that magazine made its way to the editors of the Daily Richmond Examiner in the Confederate capital, and they printed the following excerpts in the Oct. 8, 1863, issue of their newspaper.
Tuesday, June 30
This morning, before marching from Chambersburg, General Longstreet introduced me to the commander-in-chief. General Lee is, almost without exception, the handsomest man of his age I ever saw. He is fifty-six years old, tall, broad shouldered, very well made, well set up -- a thorough soldier in appearance; and his manners are most courteous and full of dignity. He is a perfect gentleman in every respect. I imagine no man has so few enemies, or is so universally esteemed. Throughout the South, all agree in pronouncing him to be as near perfection as a man can be. He has none of the small vices, such as smoking, drinking, chewing, or swearing, and his bitterest enemy never accused him of any of the greater ones. He generally wears a well-worn long grey jacket, a high black felt hat, and blue trousers tucked into his Wellington boots. I never saw him carry arms, and the only mark of his military rank are the three stars on his collar. He rides a handsome horse, which is extremely well groomed. He himself is very neat in his dress and person, and in the most arduous marches he always looks smart and clean.
Wednesday, July 1 (first day of the Battle of Gettysburg)
At 2 P.M., firing became distinctly audible in our front, and although it increased as we progressed, it did not seem to be very heavy.
At 3 P.M., we began to meet wounded men coming to the rear, and the number of these soon increased most rapidly, some hobbling alone, others on stretchers carried by the ambulance corps, and others in the ambulance wagons; many of the latter were stripped nearly naked, and displayed very bad wounds. This spectacle, so revolting to a person unaccustomed to such sights, produced no impression whatever upon the advancing troops, who certainly go under fire with the most perfect nonchalance; they show no enthusiasm or excitement, but the most complete indifference. This is the effect of two years’ almost uninterrupted fighting.
At 4:30 P.M., we came in sight of Gettysburg, and joined General Lee and General Hill, who were on the top of one of the ridges which form the peculiar feature of the country around Gettysburg. We could see the enemy retreating upon one of the opposite ridges, pursued by the Confederates with loud yells.
The position into which the enemy had been driven was evidently a strong one. His right appeared to rest on a cemetery, on the top of a high ridge to the right of Gettysburg, as we looked at it.
General Hill now came up and told me he had been very unwell all day, and in fact he looks very delicate. He said he had had two of his divisions engaged, and had driven the enemy four miles into his present position, capturing a great many prisoners, some cannon, and some colors; he said, however, that the Yankees had fought with a determination unusual to them. He pointed out a railway cutting, in which they had made a good stand; also, a field in the centre of which he had seen a man plant the regimental colour, round which the regiment had fought for some time with much obstinacy, and when at last it was obliged to retreat, the colour-bearer retired last of all, turning round every now and then to shake his fist at the advancing rebels. General Hill said he felt sorry when he saw this gallant Yankee meet his doom.
At 4:45 P.M., all became comparatively quiet on our left and in the cemetery, but volleys of musketry on the right told us that Longstreet’s infantry were advancing, and the onward progress of the smoke showed that he was progressing favourably; but about 6:30 there seemed to be a check, and even a slight retrograde movement. Soon after 7 General Lee got a report, by signal, from Longstreet to say “we are doing well.”
A little before dark the firing dropped off in every direction, and soon ceased altogether.
In the fight to-day near 6,000 prisoners had been taken, and 10 guns. About 20,000 men must have been on the field on the Confederate side. The enemy had two corps d'armee engaged. All the prisoners belong, I think, to the First and Eleventh corps. This day’s work is called a “brisk little scurry,” and all anticipate a “big battle” to-morrow.
At supper this evening, General Longstreet spoke of the enemy’s position as being very formidable. He also said that they would doubtless entrench themselves strongly during the night.
visited the south at the time of Lee's advance into the north. I found them very
interesting especially his accounts of how he was received and the determination of
the southern people to fight until victory was won. Thanks to jessgettysburg1863 for the original post. It is too large to post the entire thing so I'll give you a tease and the link. here is the link:
http://www.newsinhistory.com/blog/fascinating-details-gettysburg-campaign
respectfully,
Napoleon 12 pounder
Fascinating Details from the Gettysburg Campaign
Submitted by tonyp on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 08:48
Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Lyon Fremantle, an Englishman who was a member of Her Majesty’s Coldstream Guards, wanted to take an unusual “vacation” in the spring of 1863. He was keenly interested in the civil war then raging in America, and so requested an official leave of absence to travel in the United States and see the war for himself.
From April 2 to July 16, 1863, Fremantle was a tourist with a front-row seat to the U.S. Civil War. He observed theBattle of Gettysburg perched in a tree, and had striking encounters with General Longstreet, and later General Lee, right after the epic clash known as Pickett’s Charge.
Fremantle had a great eye for detail, and wrote everything down in his diary. When he returned to England, he published portions of his diary in the September issue of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. A copy of that magazine made its way to the editors of the Daily Richmond Examiner in the Confederate capital, and they printed the following excerpts in the Oct. 8, 1863, issue of their newspaper.
Tuesday, June 30
This morning, before marching from Chambersburg, General Longstreet introduced me to the commander-in-chief. General Lee is, almost without exception, the handsomest man of his age I ever saw. He is fifty-six years old, tall, broad shouldered, very well made, well set up -- a thorough soldier in appearance; and his manners are most courteous and full of dignity. He is a perfect gentleman in every respect. I imagine no man has so few enemies, or is so universally esteemed. Throughout the South, all agree in pronouncing him to be as near perfection as a man can be. He has none of the small vices, such as smoking, drinking, chewing, or swearing, and his bitterest enemy never accused him of any of the greater ones. He generally wears a well-worn long grey jacket, a high black felt hat, and blue trousers tucked into his Wellington boots. I never saw him carry arms, and the only mark of his military rank are the three stars on his collar. He rides a handsome horse, which is extremely well groomed. He himself is very neat in his dress and person, and in the most arduous marches he always looks smart and clean.
Wednesday, July 1 (first day of the Battle of Gettysburg)
At 2 P.M., firing became distinctly audible in our front, and although it increased as we progressed, it did not seem to be very heavy.
At 3 P.M., we began to meet wounded men coming to the rear, and the number of these soon increased most rapidly, some hobbling alone, others on stretchers carried by the ambulance corps, and others in the ambulance wagons; many of the latter were stripped nearly naked, and displayed very bad wounds. This spectacle, so revolting to a person unaccustomed to such sights, produced no impression whatever upon the advancing troops, who certainly go under fire with the most perfect nonchalance; they show no enthusiasm or excitement, but the most complete indifference. This is the effect of two years’ almost uninterrupted fighting.
At 4:30 P.M., we came in sight of Gettysburg, and joined General Lee and General Hill, who were on the top of one of the ridges which form the peculiar feature of the country around Gettysburg. We could see the enemy retreating upon one of the opposite ridges, pursued by the Confederates with loud yells.
The position into which the enemy had been driven was evidently a strong one. His right appeared to rest on a cemetery, on the top of a high ridge to the right of Gettysburg, as we looked at it.
General Hill now came up and told me he had been very unwell all day, and in fact he looks very delicate. He said he had had two of his divisions engaged, and had driven the enemy four miles into his present position, capturing a great many prisoners, some cannon, and some colors; he said, however, that the Yankees had fought with a determination unusual to them. He pointed out a railway cutting, in which they had made a good stand; also, a field in the centre of which he had seen a man plant the regimental colour, round which the regiment had fought for some time with much obstinacy, and when at last it was obliged to retreat, the colour-bearer retired last of all, turning round every now and then to shake his fist at the advancing rebels. General Hill said he felt sorry when he saw this gallant Yankee meet his doom.
At 4:45 P.M., all became comparatively quiet on our left and in the cemetery, but volleys of musketry on the right told us that Longstreet’s infantry were advancing, and the onward progress of the smoke showed that he was progressing favourably; but about 6:30 there seemed to be a check, and even a slight retrograde movement. Soon after 7 General Lee got a report, by signal, from Longstreet to say “we are doing well.”
A little before dark the firing dropped off in every direction, and soon ceased altogether.
In the fight to-day near 6,000 prisoners had been taken, and 10 guns. About 20,000 men must have been on the field on the Confederate side. The enemy had two corps d'armee engaged. All the prisoners belong, I think, to the First and Eleventh corps. This day’s work is called a “brisk little scurry,” and all anticipate a “big battle” to-morrow.
At supper this evening, General Longstreet spoke of the enemy’s position as being very formidable. He also said that they would doubtless entrench themselves strongly during the night.