Barksdale's Brigade at Gettysburg

lelliott19

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Dear Sir:
At the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 5:30 p.m., Barksdale's Brigade charged through the Trostle House yard, on the right of the First Brigade, First Division, Fifth Corps. The flag of the leading regiment was borne so bravely by the color bearer through the gate of the yard, and I saw him so plainly in advance of his regiment, that I am anxious to get the name of his regiment for insertion in the History of the 118th Corn Exchange Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, now being written. If you can aid me in this, you will greatly oblige, yours,
J. L. Smith,
Late 118th P.V. Reg't
Inquiry 118th asks who was the color bearer.JPG


In reply, Mr. Smith received the following account of the positions of the respective regiments of Barksdale's Mississippi brigade on July 2, 1863:
Peach Orchard.JPG


"If the "Trostle House" was the dwelling of the "Peach Orchard," by which name is commonly known the position assaulted and carried by Barksdale's Brigade; the regiment in question was the 21st Mississippi, Col. B. G. Humphreys, which held the right of the brigade. The next regiment, the right centre, was the 17th, Lieut. Col. Fizer. The Federal troops occupying this position were a Pennsylvania brigade, their commander, Gen. Graham, and a number of his men with artillery being overrun and captured by the 21st. If we remember correctly the color bearer and guard of said regiment were all killed or wounded in the charge."


Although the writer of the reply might have been uncertain of the name of the buildings, he seems fairly certain of the alignment of Barksdale's brigade and the positions.
His reply continues:

Or the Zouaves.JPG


"If the Trostle House was farther to the Federal right, held by troops among whom were some in Zouave costume, it was charged by the 13th (Col. Carter) and 18th (Lieut.-Col. W. H. Luse) Mississippi Regiments."

Source: The Greenville Times., (Greenville, MS) September 11, 1886, page 2, column 4.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/499195939917270580/
 
@RobertP knows every inch and minute of that day, for the Mississippians. Owe what understanding I have to him, with JPK's regiment ( and his brother's ) up against the men from Mississippi, July 2nd.
Thanks JPK, I’m no expert but do have an interest in that charge because of BillieP in the 17th Miss. of Barksdale’s Bgde. I pulled out my copy of Tucker’s
“Barksdale’s Charge“ to refresh and it was indeed the 21st Miss. at the Trostle farmhouse. That regiment was on the brigade’s right and had angled slightly southeast to take out Bigelow’s 9th Mass. Battery, whose guns were placed just across the lane from the house.

510D9655-615B-4C87-8893-8C8E6CDBE0B6.jpeg


After a very fierce stand by the battery they were overrun. Tucker writes, “One Yankee of the 118th Pa. Vol. Inf., Tilton’s Bgde., witnessed the sight of the 21st Mississipi’s Flowing silk battlefield and the daring color-bearer, when he ‘advanced through the gate of the Trostle House’, in triumph. Here, the powder-streaked Rebel ‘stood gallantly and courageously waving his colors in the midst of the thickest of the melee’ around the four captured Mass. guns.”

No name though.
 
Here's what J. L. Smith later wrote in his History of the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Corn Exchange Regiment:

The yard and grounds of the Trostle House soon swarmed with skirmishers from Barksdale's brigade. The
Mississippians crowded every corner, knoll and rock that offered protection, pouring in a destructive and accurate fire. Their line of battle, with colors well to the front, developed distinctly and still continued to envelop the right and the battery, punishing it most seriously. They soon covered the rear as well as the flank. With a mad rush they made for the guns. Bigelow was almost surrounded; he had lost eighty horses. Nearly all his men were killed or wounded. Yielding to the inevitable, the pieces were abandoned, and all four fell into the enemy's hands, to be subsequently, however, retaken before the close of the day. This spot no longer tenable, a further withdrawal was necessitated. Just as it commenced the color-bearer of the 21st Mississippi regiment advanced through the gate of the Trostle House and, halting in the road, stood gallantly and courageously waving his colors in the midst of the thickest of the melee. Beside him a Confederate skirmisher was seen to drop on one knee and take deliberate aim at Captain Richard W. Davids. His shot was effective. The ball penetrated his body; staggering, he fell into the arms of Smith, who was by his side, and with his aid and that of others he made an effort to reach the rear, but fell within a few paces of where he had been shot and expired where he fell. He met his fate with true soldierly composure. . . .

Colonel Gwyn gave orders to "about face." It has been said that our brigade was withdrawn with undue haste. Now, if it was not time to retire, when the guns of the 9th Massachusetts were in the hands of Barkesdale's Mississippians, who were on our right flank, and firing so close that Corporal S. M. Caldwell, of Company E, was shot through the right side of the head, then all we had learned or knew of the art of war as veterans was in vain. Lieutenant S. N. Lewis and other officers emptied their revolvers at the now eager enemy, who were charging and firing on us. Our men withdrew slowly, firing on them as we fell back. Organization was fairly preserved. The whole battlefield was in a twirl since the attack had begun in the frequent changes of front, and directions and requirements had become so intermingled that they were at the moment trying to unwind themselves. There were times when regularity of formation was lost; but the colors indicated vantage ground and confidence to the hesitating ranks, and the men kept their eyes on the colors. It is said that the 21st Mississippi Regiment of Barkesdale's Brigade, McLaw's Division, who charged on us and the 9th Mass. Battery, lost every color-bearer. Many of our men had their cartridges on the ground ready for quick firing as the Rebels charged on us. They were the troops who charged on us in our first and second positions.​
 
Here's my take (attached) of the situation described at about 6:55 p.m. July 2:
Thanks Tom. :bounce: Even with detailed accounts, maps sure help me "see" what was happening. I appreciate you sharing this one.

I should have mentioned that the account of Barksdale's Mississippians was probably written by "J S MCNeily" ... John Seymour McNeily (Pvt. Co. E 21st Miss; Service record listed as "Seymore McNeely.") J S McNeily initially enlisted in a company that went from Natchez to Pensacola, but joined Co E 21st MS in 1862. His brother, Wm P McNeily (listed as William P McNeely) was Captain of Co E 21st MS. J S McNeily wrote a number of articles about the Mississippi brigade. After the war, he purchased and edited the Greenville Times (the newspaper in which the account appeared) and was later connected with the Vicksburg Herald, and several other MS newspapers. Bio info from
https://books.google.com/books?id=Tfo7AAAAIAAJ&q=McNeilly#v=snippet&q=McNeilly&f=false – p 129.

McNeily wrote another article for the Mississippi Historical Society in which he quotes a letter from Judge J B Booth, a survivor of Company F, 21st Mississippi:
I remember vividly the effects of the first shot that came from the battery in our front, that called forth General Barksdale's request to General Longstreet to allow him to order in his brigade and take the battery. The shell exploded in the ranks of my company, near me. J T Worley was killed and Capt. H H Simmons, John H Thompson and John T Neely each lost a leg but survived the war.....By the same shot, there were other casualties but I did not recall the names and companies of those killed and wounded. Captain Stamps was killed in three feet of me soon after the brigade went forward. We were just entering the peach orchard when he was stricken down.
J B Booth recounts men killed by artillery.JPG

Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society., v.14 (1914) pp. 231- 265.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x002644017;view=1up;seq=243 ;
 
Last edited:
Enterprise, Miss. Sept. 8, 1863.
MR EDITOR:
The following circumstances attending the fall of Brig Gen William Barksdale, at the Battle of Gettysburg, related by his adjutant general, Captain John A Bardsdale [sic, Barksdale*], will be of interest to his friends:
"Gen Barksdale was struck twice - first in the shoulder and afterwards in the chest. When last wounded he said to Boyd, a courier, 'I am killed. Tell my wife and children that I died fighting at my post.' Just at this time Boyd was wounded in the leg, which made it impossible for him to render Gen Barksdale any assistance. He, therefore, left him, the enemy not being more than twenty yards distant. The cause of my not being with him at the time he was shot is, that about fifty yards from where he was struck my horse was killed under me. I was with him at the time and remarked to him that I was on foot. He told me to go back to a battery, about 250 yards, and order it to the front. This I did, and returned as rapidly as possible. When within forty yards of the brigade I saw Gen Barksdale's horse galloping over the field without a rider, and the men falling back, while the enemy was advancing. To go to him was impossible."

circumstances of barksdales mortal wounding.JPG
circumstances part 2.JPG

Source: Reprinted from the Mobile Evening News, September 11, 1863 published in The Weekly Corinthian., (Corinth, MS) April 03, 1901, page 3, column 1. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...le+Gettysburg&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

*John Allen Barksdale (5 Feb 1836 - 8 May 1864) Adjutant of Barksdale's/Humphreys' Brigade. Killed in action at Spotsylvania; presumed buried on the battlefield. https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14014554
 
A lot of credit is given to that unsupported 6 gun battery of the 9th Mass. at Trostle farm for buying the 30 minutes necessary to plug the large gap on Cemetery Ridge. Some say it saved the Union army that day.
 
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