Col William Dabney Stuart - 56th Virginia Infantry

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Colonel William Dabney Stuart

Born 30 Sep. 1830 in Staunton Va. the son of Martha M. Dabney and Thomas Jefferson Stuart.

He graduated Virginia Military Institute in 1850 and taught there for several years. On 17 Sept 1861 he enlisted as a 1st Lieut in the 15th Virginia Infantry. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and, in the Fall of 1861, transferred to the 56th Virginia Infantry. On May 3, 1862, he was elected Colonel of the 56th.

In June 1862, the 56th Virginia reported 466 effectives. The regiment sustained 100 casualties during the Seven Days. Col Stuart was in command of the regiment at Turner's Gap (South Mountain; Pickett's Brigade Richard D Garnett commanding; 8th, 18th, 19th, 28th and 56th Va.) After sustaining casualties here, Stuart took only 40 men into action at Sharpsburg; 8 of those were wounded.
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At Gettysburg, the 56th Virginia Infantry (Garnett's Brigade, Picketts Division) took part in the assault that would become known as "Pickett's Charge." Colonel Stuart formed his regiment on the extreme left of Garnett's brigade for the assault on Cemetery Ridge.

Stuart reportedly rallied his man with the exclamation, "See that wall there! It's full of Yankees. I want you to take it." Soon after and early in the advance, Col Stuart was shot in the abdomen and fell dangerously wounded.

He was transported back to Virginia and died in Staunton, Va on July 29 or 30, 1863 at the age of 32 years.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13486314
 
Good stuff :smile:

But this:

See that wall there! It's full of Yankees. I want you to take it." Soon after and early in the advance, Col Stuart was shot in the abdomen and fell dangerously wounded.

is a fairy tale :wink:

I'll show you in a month. There is no way from where he was sitting with or without "glasses" (binoculars) or his soldiers without glasses to see that "wall" or any "wall". "Soon after and early in the advance" (and I am not even mentioning the fact that there was not a "wall" there other than knee-high pilled up rocks to contain grazing pigs...)
 
Great! Thanks @E_just_E

I figured as much ......Seems like a lot of the remembered quotes are fairy tales :nah disagree: which is why I wrote he "reportedly rallied his men with the exclamation...." Cant wait to see it in person!!!!:bounce::dance::bounce:
 
It is alarming how much of what is written and repeated about this war is fairy tales. Even when the quotes can be verified through different sources, they can be interpreted to mean whatever the writer wants it to mean.
 
Keep in mind two things always, when you look at quotes and tales of actions that far back...ANYone who survived that horrendous conflict lived a decently long life, on average. Soldiers, as soon as the guns are silent, will very often join with their late enemies in celebrating deeds done bravely...sometimes over a beer, sometimes over coffee...but they will celebrate, because for many of them, that's all there is...carrying hate will burn you up...carrying admiration does no such thing...
Secondly, many Fraternal Organizations sprang up after this Historic Calamity. ALL of these were basically service organizations, in the sense that they marched every chance they got, to foster patriotism and unity. The Barbara Fritchie Society was one such...I have a Relative's badge from one of their gathers, as well as a couple from the Grand Army Of The Republic..WT Sherman, ol' Uncle Billy, after the war, would have shared his last dime with one of his troopers, and often with a stray ex-reb, as well. Within such a framework, Romance blossoms....The Lost Cause was planted in fertile ground, for good or ill. So were the legends of men like John Reynolds, John Buford, George Pickett, and yes...even John Brown...
What men are is what they are, and it is all they have. What WE need them to be is different, and Ironic, because the second the guns go so deafeningly silent THEY become part of the WE again...and it is ferocious hard to forget that which once was.
 
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