- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
Estimated date/time: July 2, about 6:15 p.m.: “We were lying behind [Captain] Moody’s battery, just under a little hill, when General Longstreet and McLaws rode up and gave our Brigadier [Barksdale] his instructions, that when Hood’s division had driven them until his line was at an angle of 45 degrees, then we were to advance.” [Journal of William M. Abernathy, Co. B, 17th Mississippi]
Comment: These instructions appear to have been followed, but involved Brig. Gen. Kershaw’s brigade, not Hood’s men. Indeed, when Kershaw’s brigade neared the Emmitsburg Road, at about a 45 degree angle from Barksdale’s men, Kershaw later recorded that he heard Barksdale’s drummers beat the assembly, moments before they advanced.
Estimated date/time: July 2, about 6:40 to 6:50 p.m.: “Gen’l Longstreet, accompanied by Gen’l McLaws, rode near us and spoke briefly with Gen’l Wofford, who saluted smartly, turned his horse and galloped to the front of his brigade. … Moving out of the woods into the open … Genl’s McLaws and Longstreet had ridden, to our surprise, most recklessly out ahead of our advancing brigade, but had determined it necessary in order to see our proper line of advance. … When almost to the Emmitsburg Road, we reached and passed Genl’s Longstreet and McLaws, who had wisely halted and allowed us to pass by. We greeted them with a cheer, to which both Genl’s doffed their hats in salute. Longstreet called out, ‘Cheer less boys and fight more. Your work is up ahead – give them the steel!’ Our feelings slightly injured at this mild rebuke, and heedless of his advice we nevertheless answered with another cheer.” [Feed them the Steel!, Wartime Recollections of Captain James L. Lemon, Co. A, 18th Georgia]
Comment: Others recorded this same event:
“Barksdale’s Brigade made its advance, and was soon followed by Wofford’s, which Longstreet also accompanied in person.” [Military Memoirs of a Confederate, by Gen. E. P. Alexander, p. 399]
“Today Longstreet led a Georgia regiment in a charge against a battery, hat in hand, and in front of everybody.” [Sir Arthur Fremantle]
“General Longstreet threw himself in front of one of our Georgia regiments and with three cheers for him they dashed on irresistibly.” [Edwin Taliaferro, Letter, July 9, 1863, Papers, Virginia Historical Society; Taliaferro served on McLaws’ staff]
“At the commencement of the charge, General Longstreet went some distance forward with Wofford’s brigade, urging them on by voice and his personal example to the most earnest efforts. The troops needed no outside impulse, but his conduct was gallant and inspiring.” [Lafayette McLaws, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. 7, p. 74]
“Just as we rode from the timber into the open … I noticed that we were riding in front of Wofford’s men. I called General Longstreet’s attention to this … He checked his horse and held him until Wofford’s men had gotten in front of us. … General Longstreet from the minute he came into the open where [he] could see Round Top, had field glasses constantly upon that eminence … deeply interested in Hood’s efforts. [William Youngblood, courier to Longstreet, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. 38, p. 312]
Comment: Longstreet’s focus on the action in the direction of the Round Tops was also recorded by Frank Moran, a Federal soldier in the 73rd New York, who was wounded and captured by Barksdale’s men just east of the Sherfy buildings, and slowly made his way to the rear of the Confederate lines.
Estimated date/time: July 2, about 7:05 p.m.: “Just after passing Sherfy’s barn I met General Longstreet riding, unattended, to the front … The General, seeing me wounded, politely bowed and passed on without remark. He was looking attentively toward Round Top, although the heaviest firing at that time was directly in his front and across the Emmitsburg Road [from Barksdale’s attack]. Finally he put the spurs to his horse and disappeared in the direction of the Peach Orchard … [Account of Frank Moran, America’s Civil War, July 2003]
Comment: These instructions appear to have been followed, but involved Brig. Gen. Kershaw’s brigade, not Hood’s men. Indeed, when Kershaw’s brigade neared the Emmitsburg Road, at about a 45 degree angle from Barksdale’s men, Kershaw later recorded that he heard Barksdale’s drummers beat the assembly, moments before they advanced.
Estimated date/time: July 2, about 6:40 to 6:50 p.m.: “Gen’l Longstreet, accompanied by Gen’l McLaws, rode near us and spoke briefly with Gen’l Wofford, who saluted smartly, turned his horse and galloped to the front of his brigade. … Moving out of the woods into the open … Genl’s McLaws and Longstreet had ridden, to our surprise, most recklessly out ahead of our advancing brigade, but had determined it necessary in order to see our proper line of advance. … When almost to the Emmitsburg Road, we reached and passed Genl’s Longstreet and McLaws, who had wisely halted and allowed us to pass by. We greeted them with a cheer, to which both Genl’s doffed their hats in salute. Longstreet called out, ‘Cheer less boys and fight more. Your work is up ahead – give them the steel!’ Our feelings slightly injured at this mild rebuke, and heedless of his advice we nevertheless answered with another cheer.” [Feed them the Steel!, Wartime Recollections of Captain James L. Lemon, Co. A, 18th Georgia]
Comment: Others recorded this same event:
“Barksdale’s Brigade made its advance, and was soon followed by Wofford’s, which Longstreet also accompanied in person.” [Military Memoirs of a Confederate, by Gen. E. P. Alexander, p. 399]
“Today Longstreet led a Georgia regiment in a charge against a battery, hat in hand, and in front of everybody.” [Sir Arthur Fremantle]
“General Longstreet threw himself in front of one of our Georgia regiments and with three cheers for him they dashed on irresistibly.” [Edwin Taliaferro, Letter, July 9, 1863, Papers, Virginia Historical Society; Taliaferro served on McLaws’ staff]
“At the commencement of the charge, General Longstreet went some distance forward with Wofford’s brigade, urging them on by voice and his personal example to the most earnest efforts. The troops needed no outside impulse, but his conduct was gallant and inspiring.” [Lafayette McLaws, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. 7, p. 74]
“Just as we rode from the timber into the open … I noticed that we were riding in front of Wofford’s men. I called General Longstreet’s attention to this … He checked his horse and held him until Wofford’s men had gotten in front of us. … General Longstreet from the minute he came into the open where [he] could see Round Top, had field glasses constantly upon that eminence … deeply interested in Hood’s efforts. [William Youngblood, courier to Longstreet, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. 38, p. 312]
Comment: Longstreet’s focus on the action in the direction of the Round Tops was also recorded by Frank Moran, a Federal soldier in the 73rd New York, who was wounded and captured by Barksdale’s men just east of the Sherfy buildings, and slowly made his way to the rear of the Confederate lines.
Estimated date/time: July 2, about 7:05 p.m.: “Just after passing Sherfy’s barn I met General Longstreet riding, unattended, to the front … The General, seeing me wounded, politely bowed and passed on without remark. He was looking attentively toward Round Top, although the heaviest firing at that time was directly in his front and across the Emmitsburg Road [from Barksdale’s attack]. Finally he put the spurs to his horse and disappeared in the direction of the Peach Orchard … [Account of Frank Moran, America’s Civil War, July 2003]
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