Robert Emmett Rodes

“ A halt at Williamsport was absolutely necessary, from the condition of the feet of the unshod men. Very many of these gallant fellows were still marching in ranks with feet bruised, bleeding and swollen, and withal so cheerfully, as to entitle them to be called the heroes of the Pennsylvania campaign. None but the best of soldiers could have made such a march under such circumstances.
As soon as possible after arriving at Williamsport, a strong guard was placed over it, and the necessary instructions were given to General Jenkins about obtaining supplies of cattle and horses. ”

“ The fighting on the centre and left was of a most desperate character, and resulted in the loss of many valuable officers. Among them and most to be regretted, was Major A. M. Gordon, of the Sixth Alabama, a young officer of great promise and great purity of character. General Pender, in speaking of the first advance of my troops, stated to me that Colonel Christie and his regiment, which he handled in magnificent style, especially attracted his attention, and that the Colonel deserved promotion. ”

“ Better marching, less straggling, hardships more cheerfully borne, conduct in an enemy's country more commendable and more generally marked by gentlemanly and soldierly characteristics, and finally, better behavior in battle than was exhibited by this division during that period, has not been, and I believe will never be exhibited by any other troops in the service. By their conduct at Gettysburg, I claim to have won the expression from the General commanding the army, who saw their attack on the 1st of July, "I am proud of your division." ”

“ This attack was accompanied, preceded, and succeeded by the fiercest and grandest cannonade I have ever witnessed. My troops lay about half way between the artillery of the Second corps, and that of the enemy on Cemetery Hill, and directly under the line of fire of fully one hundred guns; a most trying position even when the opposing artillerists confined their attention to each other, and one which became fearfully so, when both parties, as they did at short intervals, dropped shells in their midst, whilst the sharpshooters were constant and skillful in their attentions. ”

“ Arriving in the field before Martinsburg, ahead of the troops, I found General Jenkins, with his command, before the enemy, skirmishing with him occasionally. The enemy's forces were drawn up in line of battle on the right of the town, exhibiting infantry, cavalry and artillery. General Jenkins, through Captain Harris, of my staff, had summoned the Federal commander to surrender, which he declined doing. ”

“ Three brigades, Ramseur's, Iverson's and Doles', with three batteries of artillery, were ordered across the Potomac at once. It was not until this day that the troops began to exhibit unmistakable signs of exhaustion, and that stragglers could be found in the line of march, and even then none but absolutely worn out men fell out of line. The whole march from Culpeper courthouse to Williamsport, which was an extremely rapid one, was executed in a manner highly creditable to the officers and men of the division. ”

“ After driving in the enemy's line of skirmishers, the advance line was halted by General Ramseur, who commanded the right brigade, to enable him to report to me certain important facts (for statement of which I refer to his report) he had discovered as to the nature of the ground and of the defences. These facts, together with Early's withdrawal, of which I had been officially informed, and the increased darkness, convinced me that it would be a useless sacrifice of life to go on, and a recall was ordered. ”

“ Notwithstanding repeated efforts made by him and by myself in person, none of the troops in his rear would move up, until the old Stonewall brigade arrived on the ground and gallantly advanced in conjunction with the Thirtieth North Carolina regiment, Colonel Parker, of Ramseur's brigade, which had been detached to support a battery, and was now on its return. Occupying the works on the right of Ramseur, and thus relieving him when his ammunition was expended, the Stonewall brigade pushed on, and carried the Chancellorsville heights—making the third time that they were captured. ”

“ It is proper to mention that during the night of the 2d, and on the 3d, my troops did not occupy any portion of the town, except that still held by the sharpshooters of the Alabama brigade, under that promising young officer Major Blackford, of the Fifth Alabama. These sharpshooters, together with those of Doles', Iverson's and Ramseur's brigades, annoyed the enemy's artillery and infantry constantly during the period of our occupation of the town, and acted with rare and praiseworthy gallantry. ”

“ All my sharpshooters, about 250 men, were, as soon as possible, sent to strengthen Wright's line. Rodes' (old) brigade, under Colonel O'Neal, the first to arrive, was deployed behind Wright's on a ridge some 300 yards in his rear. The main line was strongly posted on a spur of the mountains, which commanded the ridges occupied by Wright and O'Neal. The enemy attacked in force, driving the front line of skirmishers back slowly. Wright's men fought obstinately, as did the sharpshooters. ”

“ Leaving Colonel Lightfoot with his regiment, the Sixth Alabama, as a guard at Martinsburg, and ordering the pioneers of the division to continue, during that day and the next, the destruction of the railroad, I put the division in motion for Williamsport, and arrived there by dark, after the most trying march we had yet had—most trying because of the intense heat, the character of the road, and the increased number of barefooted men in the command. ”

“ Whilst these movements were taking place on the left, Ramseur and Doles pushed forward on the right, passed the first line of entrenchments, which had already been carried, passed the first and second line of our troops, and became fiercely engaged. Doles, deflecting to the right, passed up a ravine behind the grave-yard on Chancellor's hill, and finally came out in the field nearly opposite the house, driving the enemy before him, and actually getting several hundred yards to the rear of those troops opposing the rest of my division, as well as of those opposing General Anderson's division. ”

“ On arriving on the field, I found that by keeping along the wooded ridge on the left side of which the town of Gettysburg is situated, I could strike the force of the enemy, with which General Hill's troops were engaged, upon the flank, and that, besides moving under cover, whenever we struck the enemy, we could engage him with the advantage in ground. ”

“ General Jenkins had already proceeded in pursuit of the enemy, by a road west of Berryville. One portion of his command, under my orders, pursued him by the Charlestown road. Just before reaching the road to Summit Point, I was informed by an officer of cavalry that the enemy pursued that route, and later that he had gone towards Winchester. I followed him to Summit Point, where we bivouacked, after having marched about twenty miles, not including the wide detours made at Berryville by the brigades of Daniel, Doles, Ramseur and Iverson, in the effort to surround the enemy. ”

“ On the morning of May 3d, being the rear division, I established my line with Rodes' and Iverson's brigades on left of plank road, as before. Ramseur's brigade on the right, then Doles, and finally Colquitt on the extreme right. The attack was renewed about 6 o'clock A. M., and soon after I received orders to move forward, which I promptly obeyed, first giving directions to each brigade commander to push forward until the enemy was encountered, and engage him vigorously, running over friend and foe alike, if in the way. ”

“ I immediately determined to surround them if possible, and ordered General Jenkins to march to the left of the town, to cut off the retreat of the enemy towards Winchester. The infantry, save one brigade, without being halted, were ordered to move to the right and left of the place to unite in its rear. These movements were begun and executed under cover, but before their execution was much advanced, it became apparent to me that the enemy was retreating, and I ordered the Alabama brigade, Colonel O'Neal commanding, to advance rapidly upon the town ”

“ The brigades of Daniel, Iverson and Ramseur occupied the United States barracks at this place, that of General Doles bivouacked on the campus of Dickinson College, a portion of his force acting as guard for the town, while the Alabama brigade bivouacked on and picketed the Baltimore turnpike, one and a half miles from town. Large supplies of cattle, horses and flour were obtained here and on the march, and in the barracks stables a large quantity of grain was found. ”

“ Here, during the 13th, 14th and 15th, battle was again, and eagerly by my division, offered to the enemy. During these three days my division occupied the extreme left of the line of battle. Nothing of importance occurred here except a brisk attack of the enemy's skirmishers (after being reinforced) , and his cavalry, upon Ramseur's sharpshooters. This attack was made late on the afternoon of the 14th of July, after the withdrawal of nearly all the artillery, and of all the main line of infantry. The enemy had unquestionably discovered this movement. ”

“ Doles on the left, "Rodes' old brigade," Colonel O'Neal commanding, in the centre, and Iverson on the right. The artillery and the two other brigades moved up closely to the line of battle. The division had to move nearly a mile before coming in view of the enemy's forces, except a few mounted men, and finally arrived at a point, a prominent hill on the ridge, whence the whole of that portion of the force opposing General Hill's troops could be seen. ”

“ General R. E. Lee's, General Longstreet's, General Ewell's and General Early's reports of the Gettysburg campaign have been published, together with General J. E. B. Stuart's report of those stirring and important movements which preceded and which followed the great battle.
We are indebted to the courteous kindness of Mrs. Rodes for the MS. of the original report of Major-General R. E. Rodes, whose division bore so important a part in that campaign. ”

“ The division sustained a heavy loss in killed and wounded, principally on the second day, The conduct of its men and officers was such as to win the highest encomiums from General Jackson, and as had been rarely equaled. Its laurels were dearly bought, however, as will be seen by the tabular statement of killed and wounded herewith filed. I do not think that the enemy's loss was as great as ours, as he fought us generally from behind his barricades and earth works: still, it was heavy. ”

“ In the meantime the residue of Rodes', Iverson's and Pender's troops moving forward to the left of Hall and Christie, were met and repulsed by the enemy, thus leaving the flank of the party on the heights exposed to an overwhelming force. They were compelled to fall back behind the plank road, with the loss of over 100 men and both Alabama flags. ”

“ This brigade became sharply engaged under Anderson, behaving with great coolness and gallantry, as I have been informed by Generals Hill and Anderson. Brigadier-General Ramseur handled his own skirmishers, and with great skill and gallantry. The rest of the division was moved by the right flank to the top of the ridge near the road, and after being established in line of battle, was directed by Lieutenant-General Jackson to shelter itself, and await orders. ”

“ Colquitt's brigade was placed en echelon with reference both to Iverson and Colston, and 100 yards in rear, to enable our artillery to operate in the interval. This position was strongly fortified, and was held without molestation until Tuesday morning, when I pushed forward my whole line of skirmishers to feel the enemy. He was discovered to be in very great force, both of infantry and artillery, with formidable entrenchments. ”

“ This attack was met by the Twelfth Alabama (Colonel Pickens) , Colonel Lightfoot of the Sixth Alabama, with a small portion of his regiment, and some troops of Nichols' brigade, skilfully placed by General Iverson, and sustained against fearful odds, until I ordered up Colquitt's brigade, which quickly and handsomely repulsed it. The enemy being repulsed decidedly here, barely holding his own in the left centre, and compelled about the same time, by the artillery fire from the right, to abandon the epaulements, withdrew all his forces to the hill back of the Chancellorsville house. ”

“ The appendix marked A will show the strength and the loss of each brigade at Gettysburg. Appendix B will show the general, field and staff officers who were present in the engagements. In the accompanying reports of brigade commanders will be found an account of the operations of each brigade, and the part borne by each in the campaign, in a more detailed form than my limits will admit of, and to these you are respectfully referred. ”

“ First among them are Brigadier-Generals Junius Daniel, George Doles, and S. D. Ramseur; Lieutenant-Colonel T. H. Carter, Captain D. P. Halsey, A. A. G. of Iverson's brigade, and Colonel D. H. Christie, Twenty-third North Carolina, who has since died from the wounds he recieved, and Lieutenant Harney, Company ——, Fourteenth North Carolina, of my division, and Brigadier-General A. G. Jenkins and Major Sweeney, of the cavalry brigade. All the field officers, with one exception, are spoken of highly on all hands for their conduct. ”

“ Early on the morning of Wednesday, April 29th, it being announced that the Federal army had crossed the Rappahannock river, I marched from Grace church to Hamilton's crossing, and was placed in position on the extreme right of the army, extending perpendicular to the railroad, to Massaponax creek. ”