Hi,
Thanks again for your comments. Below are just a few of the numerous quotes in the book describing the Army of Northern Virginia en-route to Gettysburg. The final quote describes the army retreating back to Virginia a few days after Gettysburg.
PICKETT’S INFANTRY DIVISION
June 3rd 1863
‘At Taylorsville Pickett’s division, fully equipped, was made ready for the most active field service.’
Corporal David E. Johnson
Company D. 7th Virginia Infantry Regiment
STUART’S CAVALRY DIVISION
June 5th 1863
‘At about ten o’clock the whole column, which was about two miles long, was ready and in splendid trim to pass in review.’
Corporal George M. Neese
Chewis Battery
PENDER’S INFANTRY DIVISON
June 22nd 1863
‘Their clothing is serviceable, so also are their boots, but there is the usual utter absence of uniformity as to color and shape of their garments and hats: gray of all shades and brown clothing, with felt hats, predominate.’
Lieut. Colonel A. J. L. Fremantle
Coldstream Guards
European Military Observer
ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
June 25th 1863
‘Our army is very large…and in the finest trim you ever saw. Horses, mules and wagons in good order, men well clad and fed…’
Colonel David Wyatt Aiken
7th South Carolina Infantry Regiment
McLAWS INFANTRY DIVISION
June 25th 1863
‘All were well shod and efficiently clothed.’
Lieut. Colonel A. J. L. Fremante
Coldstream Guards
European Military Observer
2ND MARYLAND INFANTRY REGIMENT
June 26th 1863
‘On this day’s march an old man walked along talking to us. He said “They have been telling us you rebs were a ragged set, but you seem to have pretty good clothes…”’
Sergeant J. Wm Thomas
Company A. 2nd Maryland Infantry Regiment
RODES’ INFANTRY DIVISION
At Carlisle, Pennsylvania. En-route to Gettysburg
June 27th/28th 1863
“I may now mention some of the points as to which I think the legend has not its facts right. It describes, for instance, the invading army as “half starved” and “in rags” and its equipment as “worn out”. My eyes saw differently. I used them to advantage, going about freely, as a grown man might not have done…….
…….Where were those “ragged uniforms? ” those “half starved stragglers?” that “army of plight?”Our newspaper prophets of a speedy Confederate collapse through its army’s miseries must have been talking about some other army! The passing uniforms undergoing our inspection were if not new, newish; there being no showing of torn coats and badly frayed trousers……knapsacks and haversacks, the whole personal kit, was in order; arms were at every man’s command………The officer’s uniforms were of a light – gray cloth, the garniture a brilliant gold galloon; the private’s a dark gray with a few martial frills. Further opportunity for inspection of cavalry, infantry, artillery and the transportation service confirmed my first impression of a fit, well – fed, well conditioned army………. I certainly saw the Confederates not as “ragged” and “half – starved”……….
………Everything was moving along with the regularity of a well organized parade. By the time I got back home any notion I had had of seeing an army fortelling defeat by signs of impoverishment and exhaustion was dislodged from my mind. We had been fed on lies.”
James. W. Sullivan
Civilian Eyewitness
PICKETT’S INFANTRY DIVISION
June 27th 1863
‘The officers and men are all in excellent condition.’
Major General George E. Pickett
2ND NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY REGIMENT
June 28th 1863
‘The citizens all express great astonishment at seeing us and our horses looking so sleek (and) fat. They thought to see us all of ragged and dirty skeletons… Our army is in fine condition and ready for any emergency.’
Lieutenant William Calder
Company F. 2nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment
PETTIGREW’S INFANTRY BRIGADE
June 1863
‘Pettigrew’s regiments were full, well clothed and well armed, altogether they were a fine body of men.’
Captain James S. Harris
Company B. 7th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
1ST SOUTH CAROLINA INFANTRY REGIMENT (HAGOOD’S)
June 1863
‘We were given new uniforms while here (Petersburg) and fixed up in pretty good shape.’
Private Frank M. Mixson
Company E. 1st South Carolina Infantry Regiment
RODES’ INFANTRY DIVISION
Late June 1863
‘This large body of men were three days in passing through our place, and they presented a most interesting and impressive sight…The men were in splendid condition and in high spirits.’
Thomas A. Ashby
Civilian Eyewitness
McGOWAN’S INFANTRY BRIGADE
June 1863
“In addition to this, we were in excellent health, and more properly equipped than at
any period prior or subsequent.”
J.F.J. Caldwell. The History of a Brigade of South Carolinians. Pages 95-96
IMBODEN’S CAVALRY BRIGADE
June 1863
‘Imboden’s brigade did not seem to have seen much hard service, at least I thought so because their clothes were new…’
John L. Collins
8th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment
CONFEDERATE PICKETS
RICHARD’S FORD VIRGINIA
June 1863
‘This was the first opportunity we had to become acquainted with the Confederates in a friendly manner at close range and it was a surprise, to some of us at least, to find these men quite like ourselves in a great many ways and not at all the “barbarians” some of our Northern journalists and orators had pictured them to be. They were clad in either butternut or grey clothes and were generally well dressed so far as comfort was concerned, but they did not present a very military appearance. Some wore hats of black, some of grey and some wore caps which we recognized as having been intended originally for use in the union army…’
Unidentified Union Soldier
146th New York State Volunteers
ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
AT WILLIAMSPORT, EN-ROUTE TO GETTYSBURG
June 1863
‘The men’s shoes are good and so are their clothes, though they look very coarse, being made from a yellowish- brown homespun.’
Captain Fitzgerald Ross
European Military Observer
55TH NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY REGIMENT
June 1863
‘When the fifty-fifth regiment left the cars at Hamilton’s crossing, near Fredericksburg, to take its place in its brigade in Heth’s Division, A.P. Hills Corps, of the Army of Northern Virginia, it was both in respect to its discipline and its appearance one of the finest regiments in the army…The men of the regiment were well clad, and the ranks of each company were full… The regiment crossed the Potomac with the Army of Northern Virginia in fine spirits, and when it reached Cashtown on the night of 29 June, it was in splendid condition.’
Lieutenant Charles M. Cooke
Adjutant 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
26TH NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY REGIMENT
June 1863
‘What a fine appearance the regiment made as it marched out from its bivouac near Fredericksburg that June morning. The men beaming in their splendid uniforms.’
Lieutenant George C. Underwood
Company G. 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
(DURING THE RETREAT FROM GETTYSBURG)
July 1863
‘Provisions were plentiful, and the men were in excellent spirits.’
‘I was surprised to see how well the men were shod… Many a European army would have been half without shoes, but here there were few barefooted men, and during our halt these few were supplied by stores sent up from the rear. Almost all their boots and shoes are imported from England through the blockade.
Captain Fitzgerald Ross
European Military Observer
As one can see, the bulk of these descriptions are from trained military observers and not from ordinary Pennsylvania folk who were unused to seeing the plain, unadorned uniforms worn by Lee’s men.
Cavalrymen of the 5th Virginia Regiment captured at the Battle of Aldie. June 17th 1863
Most wear Richmond Depot jackets. One has frock coat uncannily similar to the one shown in the famous 'Sniper' photo at Gettysburg. Included in the main photo ( of which this is an enlarged segment),are several civilian dignitaries, including women, invited to stand in with the prisoners. Many historians have mistaken these civilians for soldiers.
Jeff