Samuel Johnston's Gettysburg Report

[Scott Brown]

And the Peterkin letter....

 

[Tom Elmore]

Scott, thanks for posting these letters in their entirely. A lot to digest, but for now just focusing on the timeline: Johnston's June 27, 1892 letter to McLaws suggested that he joined Longstreet around 9 a.m. after having delivered his report, but in his letter to Peterkin Johnston said he returned around 7 a.m. and presumably immediately reported to Lee (with Longstreet present). The latter time is more in line with Coupland Page's estimate that he reported to Taylor around 8 a.m., after Lee had already departed to see Ewell. Lee instead initially encountered Trimble and accompanied him to the cupola of the Alm's house, then they returned to Ewell's headquarters where they found Ewell, Early and Rodes.

So, integrating the above accounts (plus others) into a (very rough) proposed timeline:

4:00 a.m. - Johnston and his group depart on their reconnaissance.
4:00 a.m. - Pendleton and his group (including Page and Peterkin ) depart on their reconnaissance.
Between 4:30 a.m. (sunrise) to 4:45 a.m. - Lee and Longstreet seen together west of the Seminary.
Between 5:00 to 5:15 a.m - Lee and A. P. Hill conversing, Longstreet rides up and joins them.
5:30 a.m. - Lee introduces Longstreet to Colonel John L. Black.
Between 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. - Johnston delivers his report in person to Lee, Longstreet and A. P. Hill, Longstreet rides off.
Prior to 8 a.m. - Lee departs his headquarters.
7:45 a.m. - Peterkin returns and reports to Longstreet.
8 a.m. - Page returns and reports to Colonel Walter H. Taylor.
Between 8:15 to 8:30 a.m. - Lee with Trimble in the cupola of the Alms House.
8:45 a.m. - Lee meeting with Ewell, Early, Rodes and Trimble at Ewell's headquarters.
9:00 a.m. - Lee back at his headquarters.
9:15 a.m. - Lee and staff officers ride south along Seminary Ridge, encounter Major Poague.

 

[Scott Brown]

Tom, what is your source for Longstreet's arrival?

 

[Scott Brown]

And are you familiar with the article Johnston references on "Perry" and the Battle of Gettysburg(h)? I've never been able to find it. Presumably he means William Perry of the 44th AL.

Sooooo many questions on this recon, and exploration of it just generates more.

 

[Tom Elmore]

July 2, sunrise. Gens. Lee and Longstreet, with their staffs, rode by in our rear, boot-to-boot. [H. Russell Wright, Kershaw's brigade, "Longstreet at Gettysburg," Recollections and Reminiscences, 1861-1865, SC Division, UDC, vol. I:34-35]

July 2, soon after sunrise. Lee and Longstreet held a conference, on horseback, in McPherson's [Herbst] woods. [Capt. James F. Hart, Bachelder Papers, 2:1245]

July 2, sunrise. Longstreet was at Lee's HQs by sunrise. [Col. Benjamin G. Humphreys, Delayed Report of an Important Eyewitness]

July 2, about 5:10 a.m. Longstreet arrived on Seminary Ridge, met Lee conversing with A. P. Hill. [Crumbling Defenses, or Memoirs and Reminiscences of John Logan Black, Colonel C.S.A., ed. and published by Eleanor D. McSwain, Macon, Georgia, 1960, p. 37]

 

[Scott Brown]

Thanks!

 

[speedylee]

And the Peterkin letter....

View attachment 385666

View attachment 385667

View attachment 385668

Scott,

I want to thank you for posting these letters. I have a better feel now for the matter than I did before reading them. I don't claim to know precisely what happened that morning, but I have a better understanding for some of soldiers involved.

Again, thanks. This is much appreciated. It is a great this to have this CivilWarTalk forum to exchange info with other folks.

Lee Elder

 

[Scott Brown]

Scott,

I want to thank you for posting these letters. I have a better feel now for the matter than I did before reading them. I don't claim to know precisely what happened that morning, but I have a better understanding for some of soldiers involved.

Again, thanks. This is much appreciated. It is a great this to have this CivilWarTalk forum to exchange info with other folks.

Lee Elder

You're most welcome, Lee. Happy to assist.

If it's any consolation, nobody really knows what happened that morning. There is enough wiggle room in those letters to at least partially support all of the varied interpretations on this recon. I believe that - regardless of wherever he really went, and whatever he really saw - the Intel was of course hours old by the time Hood's division stepped off, and as a result, Johnston doesn't deserve any "blame". That being said, I still find the "did you get there?" question intriguing to ponder.

Best,
Scott Brown

 

[lelliott19]

And are you familiar with the article Johnston references on "Perry" and the Battle of Gettysburg(h)? I've never been able to find it. Presumably he means William Perry of the 44th AL.

I think maybe it's another "Perry." If he was talking about W F Perry of the 44th AL surely he would have used a military title - "Col Perry" which was Wm F Perry's rank at Gettysburg, or else "General Perry" since he eventually made Brigadier?

Some of the known dates help narrow it down:
1. Samuel R Johnston died 24 Dec 1899, so the letters had to be written prior to that date.
2. There is an incomplete date on the letter to Rev Peterkin but there's a note (by the date) that says the letter was not written prior to 1878 when Peterkin became a Bishop.

So the letter was written after Peterkin became a Bishop and before Sam Johnston died -- between 1878 to 1899. General W F Perry was alive when these letters were being exchanged; he died in 1901. But I still think Gen. Perry would have been used at least - even if Johnston didn't know his name or initials.

I'm leaning towards an article written by Leslie J. Perry. He was a former editor of the Paola Republican (Paola, KS.) In 1889, this Perry was appointed as a civilian serving on the board of publication for the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. At various times he had ex-Confederate Generals appointed as assistants (Cadmus M Wilcox, Charles W Field, Lunsford L Lomax, and South Carolinian, John B Erwin.) In September 1892, Perry wrote his first article for the Evening Star (Washington, DC.)

I'm guessing it was the article referenced here, resulting from interviews with General Longstreet upon his return visit to Antietam in June 1893. The article created quite a stir and commentary about it appeared in a number of newspapers. Here's a link to the whole article by Leslie J Perry, as reprinted November 11, 1911, but the article below should fill you in on most of the content.

 

[Scott Brown]

I think maybe it's another "Perry." If he was talking about W F Perry of the 44th AL surely he would have used a military title - "Col Perry" which was Wm F Perry's rank at Gettysburg, or else "General Perry" since he eventually made Brigadier?

Some of the known dates help narrow it down:
1. Samuel R Johnston died 24 Dec 1899, so the letters had to be written prior to that date.
2. There is an incomplete date on the letter to Rev Peterkin but there's a note (by the date) that says the letter was not written prior to 1878 when Peterkin became a Bishop.

So the letter was written after Peterkin became a Bishop and before Sam Johnston died -- between 1878 to 1899. General W F Perry was alive when these letters were being exchanged; he died in 1901. But I still think Gen. Perry would have been used at least - even if Johnston didn't know his name or initials.

I'm leaning towards an article written by Leslie J. Perry. He was a former editor of the Paola Republican (Paola, KS.) In 1889, this Perry was appointed as a civilian serving on the board of publication for the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. At various times he had ex-Confederate Generals appointed as assistants (Cadmus M Wilcox, Charles W Field, Lunsford L Lomax, and South Carolinian, John B Erwin.) In September 1892, Perry wrote his first article for the Evening Star (Washington, DC.)

I'm guessing it was the article referenced here, resulting from interviews with General Longstreet upon his return visit to Antietam in June 1893. The article created quite a stir and commentary about it appeared in a number of newspapers. Here's a link to the whole article by Leslie J Perry, as reprinted November 11, 1911, but the article below should fill you in on most of the content.
View attachment 386092
View attachment 386093

Very interesting! Thank you.

 

[AThompson]

July 2, sunrise. Gens. Lee and Longstreet, with their staffs, rode by in our rear, boot-to-boot. [H. Russell Wright, Kershaw's brigade, "Longstreet at Gettysburg," Recollections and Reminiscences, 1861-1865, SC Division, UDC, vol. I:34-35]

July 2, soon after sunrise. Lee and Longstreet held a conference, on horseback, in McPherson's [Herbst] woods. [Capt. James F. Hart, Bachelder Papers, 2:1245]

July 2, sunrise. Longstreet was at Lee's HQs by sunrise. [Col. Benjamin G. Humphreys, Delayed Report of an Important Eyewitness]

July 2, about 5:10 a.m. Longstreet arrived on Seminary Ridge, met Lee conversing with A. P. Hill. [Crumbling Defenses, or Memoirs and Reminiscences of John Logan Black, Colonel C.S.A., ed. and published by Eleanor D. McSwain, Macon, Georgia, 1960, p. 37]

Tom,

Do you know of an accessible copy of the H. Russell Wright source? I've been digging into this particular topic (of where Lee was at this time) and would love to see a copy of that. I did a google search and checked out my go-to's for buying obscure sources and haven't been able to come across an available copy of that.

Any help in the right direction would be much appreciated!

 

[Tom Elmore]

Tom,

Do you know of an accessible copy of the H. Russell Wright source? I've been digging into this particular topic (of where Lee was at this time) and would love to see a copy of that. I did a google search and checked out my go-to's for buying obscure sources and haven't been able to come across an available copy of that.

Any help in the right direction would be much appreciated!

I did not photocopy it but copied it by hand (as follows) at a library many years ago, but unfortunately cannot recall where, although at the time I remember thinking what a valuable resource these UDC volumes were. It was possibly in Macon, Georgia.

"On evening July 1 Longstreet's command marched without halting to Gettysburg, reaching there sometime before day. My brigade, Kershaw's, halted in a swamp and remained there until gray dawn. We were then moved back and forth, up and down the battle lines, some three or four times. At last we were halted and were told to be ready to move forward at a moment's notice. At sunrise, Gens. Lee and Longstreet, with their staff, rode by in our front, boot-to-boot."

As near as I can determine from piecing together available sources, Kershaw's brigade halted between 9 and 10 p.m. on July 1 in front of a large house on the north side of the Chambersburg Pike that was in use as a hospital, then (after midnight?) they moved across the road close to the Samuel Lohr farm on the west side of Marsh Run, which might be considered swampy ground. Soon after sunrise on July 2 the brigade was called into ranks and advanced to near Willoughby Run.

 

[AThompson]

I did not photocopy it but copied it by hand (as follows) at a library many years ago, but unfortunately cannot recall where, although at the time I remember thinking what a valuable resource these UDC volumes were. It was possibly in Macon, Georgia.

"On evening July 1 Longstreet's command marched without halting to Gettysburg, reaching there sometime before day. My brigade, Kershaw's, halted in a swamp and remained there until gray dawn. We were then moved back and forth, up and down the battle lines, some three or four times. At last we were halted and were told to be ready to move forward at a moment's notice. At sunrise, Gens. Lee and Longstreet, with their staff, rode by in our front, boot-to-boot."

As near as I can determine from piecing together available sources, Kershaw's brigade halted between 9 and 10 p.m. on July 1 in front of a large house on the north side of the Chambersburg Pike that was in use as a hospital, then (after midnight?) they moved across the road close to the Samuel Lohr farm on the west side of Marsh Run, which might be considered swampy ground. Soon after sunrise on July 2 the brigade was called into ranks and advanced to near Willoughby Run.

Thank you Tom. The UDC was kind enough to provide a copy to me a few days later. It's not an easy task trying to place the First Corps before they start the attack on July 2. Everyone sort of clammed up about it, it seems.