Lone Star Valor: Texans of the Blue & Gray at Gettysburg

CAPTURED AND RECUPERATED IN THE HOSPITAL

W

ILLIAM

M. A

BERNATHY

17

TH

M

ISSISSIPPI

I

NFANTRY

McKinney, Texas

The Democrat

Galveston, Texas May 23, 1895

Colonel W. M. Abernathy

Hon. W. M. Abernathy of McKinney, colonel and inspector general Northeastern division of Texas, was private, company B, Seventeenth regiment of Mississippi infantry, Barksdale’s brigade, McLaw’s division, Longstreet’s corps, Army of Northern Virginia, in 1862; participated in the campaigns of 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865; was wounded three times and left because of wounds in a hospital at Gettysburg; carried to David’s Island, New York, and exchanged as being too badly disabled to serve: rejoined his command and was detailed as courier at Longstreet’s headquarters in the latter part of 1864 and surrendered at Appomattox.

INTENSITY AT THE PEACH ORCHARD

W

ILLIAM

M. A

BERNATHY

17TH M

ISSISSIPPI

I

NFANTRY

McKinney, Texas

The Democrat

October 5, 1899

Private William Abernathy, 17th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. John Hoopes.

His Flag Now.

An Interview With W. M. Abernathy

He Stands by the President and the Flag.

McKinney, Texas, September 30. – Ex-Confederate W. M. Abernathy, whose name was mentioned in the Fort Worth notes in The News, makes a statement, giving some facts regarding the Gettysburg battle. He also wants it understood plainly that he is loyal to our president and army. He says:

"I am glad to see Col Cummings has corrected the statement in The News that he and I belonged to the Seventeenth Massachusetts at the Battle of Gettysburg. Even here in my office I have hung up a record showing I was a member of the Seventeenth Mississippi and surrendered with Lee at Appomattox, we had a hard time explaining to J. Pearson Welch, Warden and some others the color of the regiment to which I belonged. Now, I guess I can go to the fair on ex-Confederate day.

"Yes, I was at Gettysburg, and the colonel has not told all. We were supporting Moody’s battery and it lost so many men that volunteers were called for to help them man their guns. The colonel’s cheery voice, ‘Come along, boys,’ was the first to answer. Lundy Gunn, a brawny sergeant of Company A, was second. Well before Cummings ceased speaking a dozen were running to the guns. If all good ex-Confederates get to heaven I’ll beat the colonel there for he will have to rummage around the Pennsylvania fields for his hand before it starts.

"My old comrade is mistaken about fighting the Seventeenth Massachusetts that day. I walked over the ground and examined their monuments some two years ago. The first troops we encountered were from New Jersey. They were formed along the Emmitsburg Pike. Their monuments are in the peach orchard. Here we had another tough fight. Lieut. Ramrean was shot through the left arm and part of his right hand shot off. He still cheered on the boys. After driving back the Indianans, I noticed him; he had been shot through the mouth. He was still in front waving that old black hat, blood oozing from his mouth. There were no well men helping the wounded that day. The wounded men went to the front and Jim R. was leading the left of the company in the charge on the Excelsior brigade and their batteries. They too, have monuments to commemorate the valor of the New York Excelsior’s.

"About six hundred yards back of the New York Excelsior monuments is where our brigadier Barksdale, was killed. A marble tablet marks the spot. Back nearly the same distance the line of monuments to a Wisconsin command. Here they stopped our brigade to finish the job next day which they didn’t do.

I am coming to Dallas fair not to glory having helped drive those who carried the flag there. It’s my flag now. I made peace at Appomattox. I am ready to jubilee when our boys carry it in triumph over in the Philippines. I am with our president. We will never lower it one inch or carry it back now one step.

DEVOTION FROM A FORMER SLAVE

W

ILLIAM

M. A

BERNATHY

17

TH

M

ISSISSIPPI

I

NFANTRY

McKinney, Texas

Weekly Democrat-Gazette

January 31, 1907

Simon Abernathy, former slave of William Abernathy. Margarett Duckett.

Greetings From Old Servant

Hon. W. M. Abernathy sends the following from his bed of sickness.

"Quite a number of people asked me about my old servant Simon in Mississippi. I have had his letter several days and now let him answer:

"My Dear Friend – I received your letter and check on Christmas eve. I must thank you for remembering me. It does my heart good to hear from you as much or more than my presence. I am quite well and was glad to hear you and your family was the same. Well, you and I are one more year nearer our eternal home where I trust we shall meet and know each other. Please always kindly remember me to Mrs. A and the children. I am over always your faithful,

Simon.

Who knows, old Simon, we are one year nearer the knowledge. Meantime, from my bed of sickness, I pass up rheumatic old Simon’s greetings and good wishes to the Courier-Gazette and Democrat Gazette, their readers, our friends, and especially to that faithful comrade Joe T. Hannaford, Morrilton, Ark., whose name brings a smile and a God blessing. He sought me at Gettysburg and found me down but faithful Simon was already beside me, grieving piteously."

TRIBUTE TO BILLY ABERNATHY

W

ILLIAM

M. A

BERNATHY

17

TH

M

ISSISSIPPI

I

NFANTRY

McKinney, Texas

McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette

August 17, 1911

Battle of Gettysburg. Engagement in the Peach Orchard. Library of Congress.

W. M. Abernathy; An Appreciation. Ft. Worth Lawyer Pays Fine Tribute – Tells Of Old War Times. Many Fights, Narrow Escapes, And Record Of Great Morality Among Their Company. Ft. Worth, Tex., Aug 16, To the Courier Gazette:

Some kind friend has sent me your paper of Aug 9, containing sketch of my old-time friend, neighbor and messmate in the Virginia army, Hon. W. M. (Billy) Abernathy, noting his sudden death on the 8th inst. I call him Billy, for such was he ever known to us of the Early Grove mess in Marshall County, Miss., where we enlisted in April 1861, as neighbor boys (not in 1862 as the sketch has it.) We were in it from the first and for half a century he has kept the faith as a true son of the South, than whom none braver or better under the flaming red cross to glory and victory. We stood together on that fatal 2nd of July, 1863, looking down into the valley of death in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg from 8 o’clock in the morning till about 4 p. m., in the afternoon, on Seminary Ridge, awaiting the order to rush down on Sickles with his bloody angle of 10,000 men in blue with munitions of artillery and all the latest improved arms, which our single thin gray line was ordered to break and scatter, but at a cost of 275 of the 448 men in ranks of our regiment, 17th Mississippi Infantry. I was sergeant major of the regiment and numbered the guns going in, outside of the officers. In two hours these 275 were put out of action and when the night came there was gathered in a single tent on that field of glory all the field and staff of the regiment except Dick Jones, killed dead on the field – that is. Col. Holder wounded in the groin, Lieut. Col. Fizer wounded in the head, Sergt. Major Cummings, a similar wound in the hand and the orderly of the Col. Brown Jones, disabled also. When shot I was making for a battery in front which I failed to reach, but Billy heard the order to go for it and was among the captors of this death dealing machine of war and was shot off one of the cannons of the enemy after waving his hat in victory astride it.

Since Billy came to Texas, I have met him now and then at reunions and heard from him by letter often. In one of these he told me of the last days before the surrender how our company of originally 125 (B, 17th Miss,) was reduced to but seven at the wind-up, and that one day shortly before this, they went bathing and every one of the seven showed on their bodies honorable wounds received in defense of the constitutional liberty of our beloved Southland.

Billy was in every march and fight with his command from the first great battle of the war at Manassas (which the federals name more appropriately for them, Bull Run) fifty years ago last July, till the last shot at Appomattox, April 9, 1865.

He wrote me once of how these boys wept when they were told the war was at an end and without our gaining what we went out to battle for and that they smashed the guns against trees and stumps rather than suffer the disgrace of grounding arms. You may search the records of that great war and no company sizes up with a better showing for courage and fidelity to the cause than our little company of boys – Co. B, 17th Miss. Regiment, Barksdale’s Brigade, McLaws’ Division, Longstreet’s Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, R. E. Lee, General.

Billy was well known to Marse Robert as one of his most trusted couriers and his children will certainly cherish this noble example of so worthy a sire as one so near to the greatest commander in all the annals of history for ability and morality and humanity.

Mississippi was the storm center of the great upheaval and these Mississippians will ever be proud of having acted so long and faithfully their part in maintaining local self-government and Home Rule, a cause that is never lost.

C. C. Cummings

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION

G

EORGE

N. A

LDREDGE

14

TH

T

EXAS

(C

LARK’S

) I

NFANTRY

& 2

ND

T

EXAS

(C

HISUM’S

) P

ARTISAN

R

ANGERS

Dallas, Texas

Galveston Daily News

May 28, 1904

Judge Aldredge of Dallas, with a companion, was attending one of the great World’s Fairs many years ago. The two visited a panorama of the Gettysburg battle. The man explaining it to the sightseers was one-armed and dressed in the Union uniform. Ladies and Gentlemen, he said, there in the right-hand corner is where our brave boys met the shock of the enemy and drove them back in confusion. To the right in that wheat field, the carnage raged for hours, but finally our brave boys drove them back into the woods beyond, but with a terrible loss of life on both sides. There is the foreground you see the stone which marks where Gen. Armistead of the enemy fell, and that stone marks the point of the salvation of the Union. There they came on in frantic rage, but we mowed them down by the hundreds, nay, by the thousands. Thus he went on, and finally added: Ladies and Gentlemen, if there is anyone present who wants to ask me any questions I would be pleased to answer.’ At this the Judge stepped forward and said Who were we fighting?" Sometimes, in one enthusiasm of indorsement or statement, we may overlook an important thing.

A LINGERING WOUND

I

SAAC

A

LLEN

13

TH

M

ISSISSIPPI

I

NFANTRY

Stephenville, Texas

Stephenville Empire

December 8, 1883

Isaac Allen, better known as Pap Allen, a veteran of the Confederate war and who received a wound at the famous Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, is now unable to turn himself in bed from the effects of the wound. No trouble from the wound was experienced until the twenty-third of last October. He was shot in the thigh. Mr. Allen lives on Col. Eulcomb’s place, and has been known as an industrious, energetic man, never failing to make a good crop. We deeply sympathize with him in his affliction, and hope that relief may soon come to him.

A STRONG SPIRIT

H. S. A

RNOLD

6

TH

M

ISSISSIPPI

I

NFANTRY

Copperas Cove, Texas

The campaign through Maryland and into Pennsylvania had been made and after the Battle of Gettysburg had been fought, with all its loss, the spirit of this man was as strong and he was as valiant as at any time during the struggle. All he wanted was for the people at home to remain loyal and true and the armies of the South could not be crushed. This was the spirit that pervaded the army and which made it necessary for the North to resort to numbers and to have a continuing flow into their ranks to overwhelm the armies around Richmond.¹

Pickett’s Charge from a position on the enemy’s line looking toward the Union lines, Ziegler’s grove on the left, clump of trees on the right. Edwin Forbes. Library of Congress.

REMEMBERING CHANCELLORSVILLE AND PICKETT’S CHARGE

G. E. B

ARRINGER

28

TH

N

ORTH

C

AROLINA

I

NFANTRY

Farmersville, Texas

Born Feb. 27, 1834, Mount Pleasant, Cabaras County, North Carolina. Enlisted in the Confederate Army in the fall of 1861, at Mount Gillead, Montgomery County, North Carolina, as a private in Company E, Twenty-Eighth North Carolina Regiment, Gen. Lane’s brigade, Gen. Wilcox’s division, Gen. A. P. Hill’s corps, Army of Northern Virginia. My first Captain was W. P. Barringer, and first colonel was Jas. H. Lane. Was slightly wounded at Turkey Ridge, below Richmond. Was currier under Gen. Lane. Was in the battle of Chancellorsville, had my horse killed; was also at Gettysburg, where the second horse was killed. Was in Ream’s Station, Turkey Ridge, Jones’ Farm, near Petersburg, and many other small engagements. There were two couriers at each battle, and one was on reserve. It seemed that Gen. Lane preferred me to the other courier because I always got there. Our brigade lost 900 men in the charge at Chancellorsville. Gen. Lane’s brother and I were lying behind a small black jack stump and Lane asked me to move over a little as the shells were all coming on his side. I moved about four inches and just then a grape shot struck him between the shoulders and went entirely through his body. The shock threw him about ten feet, and when I went to him he said, You can do me no good, and was dead. I came home to get another horse and the army started to Pennsylvania. I overtook them on Sunday before the Battle of Gettysburg. I saw Picket’s charge. We tried the same charge but did not get to the breastworks. We went further to the left. We had to go through a field. We came back from Pennsylvania to Fredericksburg and were cut off by Sheridan’s army. I was not surrendered, nor paroled. Came to Texas Jan. 3, 1871.²

THE GALLANT CHARGE AND LOSS OF THE MISSISSIPPIANS

A. H. B

ELO

55

TH

N

ORTH

C

AROLINA

I

NFANTRY

Houston, Texas

Galveston Daily News

June 9, 1893

Texas Abroad

B. B. W., of Macon, Miss. In a recent issue of your valued journal was an editorial headed The Memory of Gettysburg, wherein you, as I believe, justly say: We have never been able to see why Gettysburg should have been regarded as such a triumph for the federal arms. Yet in my humble opinion, you fall into error – an error, an injustice, I have never before known outside of the Virginia press – when you seek to make Pickett’s charge the most daring, heroic and disastrous of Lee’s troops on the memorable 3d of July.

There were in the assault made on Cemetery heights other commands of the Army of Northern Virginia who not only went as far and sustained as heavy losses as Pickett’s division of Virginia – notably, Davis’ Mississippi brigade, whose position in that charge was to the immediate left of the Virginians, and whose colors of one or more regiments were being waved in close proximity to the federal earthworks on the heights while Pickett’s men were already in defeat. The Virginians, as intimated, had correspondents at hand to herald their great prowess and chronicle their wonderful losses in wounded and slain, while the Mississippians with equally as heavy slaughter, if they did not suffer any greater loss, were the first to beat a retreat, and yet to the outside world and Virginia correspondents, were not in it. Davis’ Mississippi brigade came out of the charge with every regimental officer killed or wounded, leaving regiments commanded by line officers, captain and lieutenants.

Among the wounded were our present able and faithful governor and intrepid soldier, Colonel John M. Stone of the Second; the late lamented Colonel Reuben O. Reynolds of the Eleventh, who, after a career as soldier and statesman, suppressed by none, has crossed over the river; Colonel Andrew M. Nelson of the Forty-second, a faithful soldier and upright man, who also has passed to the shores of eternity; Colonel Andrew M. Nelson of the Forty-second, a faithful solder and up right man, who also has passed to the shores of eternity; Colonel J. K. Connolly and Lieutenant Colonel A. H. Belo of the Fifty-Seventh North Carolina, attached to the brigade of Mississippians, and as gallant a body of men as ever honored any state. Colonel Belo is now the distinguished editor and proprietor of The Galveston News; and last – not least – that the true soldier and Christian gentleman of your city. Captain John W. Dillard of the Second Mississippi. To have attacked Meade in the impregnable heights of Gettysburg was, in my humble opinion, the one and only serious mistake in the military history of the Immortal Lee, which mistake he admitted and assumed, and when the true history of the memorable charge on July 3 at Gettysburg is recording it will be seen that there were other than Pickett’s division who fought nobly attested, as is claimed for these Virginians by decimated ranks.

THE HEROIC 55

TH

NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY REGIMENT

A. H. B

ELO

55

TH

N

ORTH

C

AROLINA

I

NFANTRY

Galveston, Texas

Galveston Daily News

September 14, 1895

A Sketch of the Fifty-Fifth North Carolina Regiment Written by Lieut. Charles M. Cook. Organized at Camp Magnum in the early part of 1862. Its position in the Fight At Gettysburg.

The regiment as it marched from the railroad depot to take its place in the lone, with its bright arms gleaming in the sun of that beautiful day, with quick, martial step, its company officers splendidly dressed, as if for a grand parade, its field officers mounted on fiery charges, and its magnificent band playing first Dixie and then Maryland, My Maryland, presented one circumstance of war, that is its pomp, and if not its most impressive, certainly its least horrible showing. Little did it occur to any of us that the aspect of this organization would be so completely and so unhappily changed within a few weeks.

The regiment crossed the Potomac with the army of northern Virginia in fine spirits, and when it reached Cashtown on the night of the 29th of June, it was in splendid condition. The regiment marched out of Cashtown early in the morning of the 1st of July going down the Chambersburg turnpike toward Gettysburg. We came in sight of the town about 2 o’clock a m. The union forces were on the ridge just outside of the town and formed across the turnpike to dispute our advance. Marye’s battery was placed General Heth on the south side of the turnpike and opened fire on the enemy. Davis’ brigade was immediately thrown into ling of battle of on the north of the road and ordered to advance. Archer’s brigade was formed on the south of the road and was ordered forward about at the same time. There was a railroad that had been graded but not ironed which ran nearly parallel with the turnpike and about 100 yards from it. The Fifty-fifth regiment was on the left of the brigade, and owing to the character of the ground was the first one to come into view of the enemy, and received the first fire in the battle. It was a volley fired by the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania regiment commanded by Colonel Hoffman from Cutler’s brigade. Two men in the color guard of the regiment were wounded by this volley, The regiment immediately returned fire and inflicted considerable loss upon the Fifty-six regiment. The Eleventh Mississippi regiment was on detail duty that morning so we had only three regiments of our brigade, the Second and Forty-second Mississippi regiments and the Fifty-fifth North Carolina. The regiments in our front were the Seventy-sixth New York, the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and the 147th New York of Cutler’s brigade. After the enemy’s position became known by their fire, our brigade charged them in magnificent style. The left of our regiment extended considerably beyond the right of the enemy’s line, and not the proper time our left was wheeled to the right. The enemy fled from the field with great loss. From the beginning of this engagement it was hot work. While the regiment was advancing, Colonel Connelly seized the battle flag and waved it aloft. This drew upon him and the color guard the fire of the enemy and before he fell badly wounded in the arm and hip. His arm was later amputated. Major Belo, who was near him at the time, rushed up and asked him if he was badly wounded? Colonel Connelly replied, Yes but do not pay any attention to the Mississippians. After the defeat of the forces in front of us, the brigade swung around by the right wheel and formed on the railroad cut. About one-half of the Fifty-fifth regiment being on the left extended beyond the cut on the embankment. In front of us there then was the Ninety-fifth and Eight-fourth New York (known as the Fourteenth Brooklyn) regiments who had been supporting Hall’s battery, and were the other two regiments of Cutler’s brigade, and Sixth Wisconsin of the iron brigade, which had been held in reserve when the other three regiments of that brigade were put in to meet Archer’s advance. Just then the order was received to retire through the railroad cut, and that the Fifty-fifth North Carolina cover the retreat of the brigade. The federal regiments in front of us threw themselves into line of battle by a well-executed movement, notwithstanding the heavy fire we were pouring into them, and as soon as their line of battle was formed, seeing a disposition on our part to retire, charged. They were held in check, as well as could be done, by the Fifty-fifth regiment covering the retreat of the brigade: A part of their regiment was in the road cut at a great disadvantage. One of the federal officers on the embankment, seeing Major Belo in the cut, threw his sword at him, saying: Kill that officer and that will end it. The sword missed Major Belo, but struck a man behind him. Major Belo directed one of the men to shoot the officer, and it was done. This somewhat checked their charge, and we fell back to another position. The loss of the regiment was very great in killed and wounded, and a large number were captured in the road cut. From that time until 3 o’clock in the afternoon we were not engaged. About that time Early came in with fresh troops from the left. We formed in line with them on their right and were hotly engaged in the battles that afternoon driving the enemy before us and capturing a number of prisoners. At sundown we were in the edge of Gettysburg and the regiment was placed behind the railroad embankment just in front of the seminary. In the afternoon Lieutenant Colonel Smith, while the regiment was waiting in reserve, walked toward the right to reconnoiter and was mortally wounded and died that night. Major Belo was also seriously wounded in the leg just as the battle closed that evening. Davis’ brigade during the night was moved from the position on the railroad cut near Seminary to a piece of woods across the Willoughby run west of the mineral springs, and there rested during the 2d. On the night of the 2d it was moved to its position on the confederate line known as seminary ridge, on the right center, and stationed in McMillan’s woods, our division being on the left of Longstreet and our brigade, being the left center of our division. General Heth had been wounded on the 1st and General Pettigrew was in command of our division. General Pickett’s division of Longstreet’s corps was on the right of our division and occupied a position just in the edge of Spangler’s woods. And it was from these positions that we moved out to that last fatal charge on the afternoon of July3. Our division was not supporting Longstreet as had been repeated published but was on line with his troops. Our regiment had suffered so greatly on the 1st that in this charge it was commanded by a captain, and some of the companies were commanded by non-commissioned officers. But the men came up bravely to the measure of their duty and the regiment went as far as any other, on that fatal charge, and we have good proof of the claim that a portion of the regiment led by Captain Satterfield who was killed at this time, reached a point near the Benner barn, which was more advanced than that attained by any other assaulting columns. Lieutenant T D. Falls of company C, residing at Fallstown, Ashland county, and Sergeant Augustus Whitey of company E, residing at Everett’s in Martin county who with Captain Satterfield, have recently visited the battlefield, and have made an affidavit as