USA > Texas > The Confederate capital and Hood's Texas brigade > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32
100
THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL
During this engagement, the 5th Texas covered itself with glory, and won the palm of distinction. The two brigade, Gen- eral Hood had under his command captured five guns and four- teen stand of colors, as trophies of the work accomplished. Gen- eral Pope's force numbered forty thousand, according to General Halleck's report, re-enforced by General Reno, eight thousand. a body of troops from the Kanawa valley under General Cox and all of MeClellan's army, except one division.
General Lee had from one hundred and thirty to forty thou- sand to contend with on this occasion, and, according to D :. Jones (his biographer), he only had fifty thousand men at bis disposal. The whole Confederate force in the Department of Northern Virginia was only sixty-nine thousand five hundred and sixty-nine, able for active duty.
Our entire loss amounted to six thousand killed and wounded while that of the Federals approximated thirty thousand. from all reliable sources. "General I,ee paroled seven thousand prison- ers on the battie-field."
"To form an idea of this horrible day, the reader must its. agine a field over which the sword flashed and fifty thousand bayonets bristled the hills from morning till night, and as many rifles poured their volleys of lead, while a perfect storm of hai rained all over the ground." This done, you will have the feld over which death rode in his chariot of fire August 30, 1862.
When the roll was next called after this fearful display of bravery and exertion, the brigade was found to be decimated fully half its numbers, killed, wounded and missing. A young Texan was found lying wounded just beyond the captured hat- tery, next morning, with the dead piled all about him. As the litter-bearers raised him up, and he surveyed the ground, help- less and feeble from the loss of blood from a fearful wound, be exclaimed: "My God! so many dead all around! It seems hai I done my duty as faithfully as I should have done, I too would be dead, and not simply wounded." Noble sentiment of a boy. after being shot down in the thickest of the fight.
The wounded and dead Texans were scattered a distance of two miles. The Chinn house was converted into a hospital, and the regimental surgeons were busily engaged in attenticas to the wounded, from early morning till the "wee sma' hours." They were not sufficient in number to care for the large number thrown upon their tender mercies, and worked like Trojans, as- sisted by the citizens and women of the surrounding country. many being removed to the farm houses in the vicinity, and nursed by females. Others were sent to Warrenton. Gordons- ville and Charlottesville.
AND HOOD'S TEXAS BRIGADE.
Clothing had become scarce in the Confederate ranks by this time, and after the battle of Manassas the rebels, without any compuuctions of conscience, proceeded to relieve the dead Fei- erals of shoes, socks, and their outer garments. This may seem revolting to the sensitive reader, but when we remember tha: Hood's Brigade had already gained the soubriquet, "ragged Tex- ans," is it to be wondered the men did not stand on ceremony. or allow any feeling of sentiment to prevent them from appropriating garments of which their dead enemies stood in no immediate need? Thus does war blunt the sensibilities. Those who would before have shrunk from wearing a garment of even a dead relative. were now glad, through their pressing necessities, to be able to obtain whole articles of clothing, even if worn by a dead Federal soldier. It seems sad they were compelled to resort to such means to provide for themselves, but such are the facts, and facts are stubborn things. Not only the Texans, but other Confeder- ates, renewed their clothing in this way, but we believe after this battle was the first time it had been resorted to as a disa- greeable contingent.
After burying the dead and caring for the wounded, the march was resumed, and General Lee soon manifested his plan of cross- ing the Potomac into Maryland.
There soon occurred a piece of stubbornness on the part of the brigade, the particulars of which were furnished by an old sol- dier, and also mentioned in General Hood's work, "Advance and Retreat."
Some time during the battle of Manassas, Hood's brigade had captured some Fedeal ambulances. Major-General Evans, of South Carolina, ordered General Hood to turn them over to his men. This General Hood refused to do, saying he would cheer- fully obey if he had been ordered to turn the captured property over to General Lee's quartermaster, but he considered bis men had better right to them than troops from another State.
General Evans was his superior in command, and ordered General Hood to be placed under arrest. On the march :0 Maryland. "he was ordered by General Longstreet to proceed to the rear. to Culpepper Court House, and there await the assers- bling of a court-martial. General Lee, being apprised of the matter. sent instructions he should remain with his command, but continue under arrest.
General Lee crossed the Potomac into Maryland September 4th. Longstreet's corps was finally massed at Hagarstown, after destroying the bridge of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, over the Monocacy river, which was effected by the Texas brigade. From thence they moved through Frederick City and Boones- boro, to Hagarstown.
102
THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL
On the morning of the 14th they were ordered back to South Mountain, to meet the advance of Mcclellan, who was endeavor- ing to "break through Boonesboro Gap, divide our lines, and de- feat our armies in detail," as General Jackson had gone with his troops to Harper's Ferry.
The Texans had grown very indignant at the injustice to Gen- eral Hood. They were ordered into line of battle just before reaching the gap. This was obeyed. Next came the command to ford the river. This was not obeyed. General Evans de- manded a reason. He was informed, if he would give them General Hood, they would fight, but not under him.
General Evans became very angry, and threatened to turn a brigade upon them. This did not frighten them into submis- sion, so he sent to General Lee the information that the Texas brigade had mutinied. When the cause was explained, General Lee sent General Hood to the charge of his command. When he was seen approaching, the brigade opened ranks, and as he rode through hats flew up and cheer after cheer rent the air, notwithstanding they were in the presence of the enemy.
After reaching the head of the column, his clear, ringing "forward" rang out, and the men willingly obeyed. General Lee said to him, in a voice betraying the feeling which warmed the heart of that great and noble warrior, "I will suspend your arrest until the impending battle is decided." He knew full well the valuable services rendered by Hood and his men, and could ill afford to cater to military etiquette and exactions while danger confronted the army at this critical moment.
General D. H. Hill's division was already in and around Boonesboro Gap, and the battle began at daylight. Longstreet arrived at the pass at four o'clock, and his men were rapidly sent into the mountains.
"The pass known as 'Boonesboro Gap,' is a continuation over the broad back of the natural turnpike. The road is winding, narrow, rocky and rugged, with either a deep ravine on one side. and the steep sides of the mountain on the other, or like a huge channel cut through the solid rock."
The fortunes of the day were becoming desperate in the face of overwhelming numbers, when Longstreet's re-enforcements ar- rived. The brave men, who had held out all day, were giving away. Evans was assigned to the extreme left, Drayton to the right, and Hood and his ragged Texans occupied the center.
The Federals advanced over the rugged way, cheering at their success. General Hood was ordered to the right, as the troops on that part of the field were giving way. He ordered the Texas, Law's and Wofford's brigades to fix bayonets. When the enemy
IO3
AND HOOD'S TEXAS BRIGADE.
came within seventy-five or a hundred yards, he rang out. "charge!" He says: "They obeyed promptly with a genuine Confederate yell, and the Federals were driven back pell-meil. over and beyond the mountain, at a much quicker pace than they had descended."
The ground lost had been restored. the enemy foiled in his effort to relieve Miles at Harper's Ferry, but no decisive victory was gained. Our men had stubbornly and doggedly held their ground, with little loss, preventing re-enforcements from going to Harper's Ferry, until General Jackson could be heard from.
From all reliable sources, it does not appear that General Lee expected a fight at Boonesboro Gap as General D. H. Hill was left there only to watch the enemy, while Jackson went to Har- per's Ferry and Longstreet to Hagarstown.
Consternation filled the minds of the Northern people when it was known that General Lee had crossed the Potomac. General McClellan decided to mass his troops, after a dispatch to General Hill fell into his hands, and, by a masterly stroke, defeat the rebels by preventing concert of action between commanders; hence, this engagement.
Firing ceased as night came on. Generals Lee, Longstreet and Hill held a council, and, after a long debate, decided to fall back towards Sharpsburg, and accordingly the troops crossed the Antietam to Sharpsburg, where they took position on the moru- ing of September 15th.
Meanwhile, General Jackson had gained an almost bloodless victory at Harper's Ferry. He had planted his batteries during the night, and made the attack upon Bolivar Heights at daylight. The white flag was run up at 7 o'clock. General Miles, the Fed- eral commander, being mortally wounded in the thigh.
The object of General Jackson's attack bron Harper's Ferry was to capture the stores, munitions of war and army sapplies at that point. He first obtained possession of Maryland Heights. then of Loudon Heights, and, by a dextrous movement of troops. crossed Ewell's Division over the Shenandoah river. and suc- ceeded in enfilading the Federal position at Bolivar Heights.
At the same time they were attacked from both front and rear. There was nothing left but capitulation.
"The garrison surrendered with eleven thousand prisoners. ser- enty-three pieces of artillery, thirteen thousand small arms and other stores."
"Liberal terms were granted General Miles and the officers under his command," says General Jackson in his official report. Leaving General A. P. Hill to receive the surrender, in obedi- ence to orders from General Lee, the intrepid leader left with the
104
THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL
remaining divisions of his army, and, after a forced march, reached the vicinity of Sharpsburg on the morning of September 16th.
The Federals crossed the Antietam above the position of the Confederates. Having obtained possession of Compton's Gap, ou the direct road from Frederick City to Sharpsburg, they were pressing our forces, and seemed determined upon a battle.
After entering Maryland General Lee, on September 8th, is- sted a proclamation to the people setting forth his object in com- ing into their midst, to enable them to place themselves under the protection of the Confederates. He said:
"We know no enemies amongst you, and will protect you in every opinion. It is for you to decide your destiny freely and without restraint. This army will protect your choice, whatever it may be; and while the Southern people will rejoice to welcome you to your natural position among them, they will only welcome you when you come of your own free will."
General Lee and the people of the South were doomed to be disappointed at the conduct of the people of Maryland, who had signified, in so many ways, their allegiance to the Confederate cause.
"It was expected," says Pollard, "that Southern sympathizers in the State that so glibly ran the blockade in the interest of trade, might as readily work their way to the Confederate ranks as to the Confederate market; and it was not expected that the few recruits, who timidly advanced to our lines, would have been so easily dismayed by the rags of our soldiers, and by the prospects of a service that promised equal measures of hardship and glory."
The people of Maryland only stared at the Confederate army as a curiosity, and after all their protestations of friendship, when the opportunity offered to take up arms in its defense, tacitly re- fused to follow the standard of the "Southern Cross."
105
AND HOOD'S TEXAS BRIGADE.
CHAPTER XIII.
Position of Sharpsburg-Disposition of the Troops-General Lawton, Divi- sion Commander, Wounded -- General Hood Takes His Place -Perilous Location of the Texans-Two Corps Engaged on Hood's Front-Terrible Slaughter on Both Sides-Texans Distinguish Themselves in a Baptism of Fire and Blood-Results of the Battle-General Lee Withdraws His Army Across the Potomac -Mcclellan Too Crippled to Renew Attack-Northern Papers Assert General Lee's Retreat a Master-Piece-Review of the Cam- paign-General Lee's Appreciation of Texans-General Hood's Address to the Division -General Lee Compliments His Men-Hood Appointed Major-General-Compliments of Europeans to Southern Bravery-World Still Neutral-English Minister Asks Relaxation of Blockade -- Southern Conscription Act -- Reflections Upon Continued Faith of the South.
Sharpsburg lies in a deep valley surrounded by hills, about ten miles north of Harper's Ferry, and about eight miles west of Boonesboro. Situated in the valley of Antietam, which winds its way longitudinally through the fertile plain uutil it empties into the Potomac, surrounded by the majestic loveliness of the Blue Ridge only two miles distant, it slumbered, almost in for- getfulness'of the outside world, until the clash of battle re-echoed through its midst, and the little town, forever after, became his- toric ground. The battle has been called by the Federals Antie. tam; by the Confederates Sharpsburg, and a dreadful remen- brance it has ever been to each of the contending parties.
On the march to Sharpsburg, the two brigades under General Hood's command, and Frobel's cavalry, acted as rear guard. The men had received no meat for several days, and very little bread, subsisting principally upon green corn and green apples. Their spirits were defiant. When they missed their rations made it up in joking about the situation, and how they would enjoy again meeting the Federals.
During the afternoon of the 16th, General Hood was ordered to take position near the Hagarstown turnpike, in an open field, in front of Dunkard's church. The reader will remember that in the last chapter it was explained the Federals had crossed the Antietam, beyond the range of our batteries. This position of General Hood was given to meet that advance. General Jackson occupied Hood's left, and formed his line with his right resting on the Hagarstown road, and his left extending towards the Potomac. The enemy attacked Hood that afternoon, but his men repulsed them gallantly, driving them back some distance.
106
THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL
Night closed the contest, which left them so close together as to be able to hear distinctly the orders of their officers.
General Hood went in search of General Lee, with the request that his two brigades be relieved from the immediate presence of the enemy, -- that they were suffering with hunger and fatigue. General Lee sent the brigades of Lawton, and Trimble, and Hayes, of Ewell's division, to their relief, b.t exacted the prom- ise that they must return to relief of these troops at a moment's warning.
"Off duty!" Reader, do you know the charm of those words after men have been marching, fighting and starving for days?
Now commenced a hunt for supply wagons difficult to find. The red haze of early morn was mantling the eastern sky before the men had their food cooked, and many were only preparing the meal when the order came "To arms!"' "General Lawton sends his compliments, with the request that you come, at once. to his support," was the message brought by a courier to Get- eral Hood.
The Federals had commenced firing along General Lawton's line at three o'clock. As they marched back to their position of the previous evening, a courier brought tidings that Genera! Lawton was wounded, and General Hood must take command of the division. As they crossed the pike and filed through a gap iz the fence in front of Dunkard's church, General Lawton was borne in a litter to the rear.
To give an idea of the perilous position into which General Hood was commanded to take his men, we will quote from Gen- eral Jackson's official report:
"General Lawton, commanding division, and General Walker. commanding Lawton's brigade, were severely wounded. More than half of the brigades of Lawton and Haves were either killed or wounded, and more than a third of Trimble's. and all the reg- imental commanders in those brigades, except two, were killed or wounded. Thinned in their ranks and exhausted of their ammunition, Jackson's division and the brigades of Lawton. Trimble and Hayes retired to the rear, and Hood, of Longstreet's command, again took the position, from which he had been re- liered."
The sun had just risen, and in Hood's front were drawn up in battle array heavy columns of Federal infantry, "not less than two corps," says General Hood, and to oppose this array of the "best army the world had ever seen." General Hood bad about two thousand effective men. With Law in command of one brigade, and Colonel Wofford, of the isth Georgia part of Hood's Brigade ), in command of the Texas brigade. they moved forward to the assault.
107
AND HOOD'S TEXAS BRIGADE.
The reader naturally asks, why were three brigades and a di- vision removed and only two brigades sent to take their position at this critical moment? General McLaws had been ordered to move forward with his command at the same time as General Hood, but he was behind, and did not seem to appreciate the fact that the fortunes of the day might rest in a single order be- ing dilatorily obeyed.
The odds were tremendously against the men, yet they went "gallantly into the fight. driving the enemy from the wood and cornfield, back upon their reserve, and forcing him to abandon his guns to the left."
General Hood, realizing his terrible position, sent to General Hill for troops to assist in holding the left of his position. Every time, the courier returned with the answer: "No troops to spare." Again and again he sent messages for re-enforcements, while his devoted band was struggling with the thousands pouring in like a flood.
There they stood, fighting as only desperate men can fight, challenging even the admiration of the enemy in their front, cheered alone by the hope of able resistance until help should come after awhile. Every man who withstood the carnage that day at Sharpsburg agrees that to "Hood's Brigade" this was the most terrible rencontre of the four years service.
The battle raged along the line for five miles, but the leaders did not seem to realize that in front of Hood's men the enemy had massed his strength, knew nothing of McLaws' tardiness, and were abashed when they learned how Hood's soldiers had withstood the hottest fire of the day. General Hood says in his report: "Here I witnessed the most terrible clash of arms, by far, that has occurred during the war. The two little giant brigades of my command wrestled with the mighty force, and although they had lost hundreds of their officers and men, they drove them from that position, and forced them to abandon their guns on our left. One of these brigades numbered only eight hundred and fifty-four men."
The Ist Texas lost, in the cornfield, fully two-thirds of their number, whole ranks of brave men were mowed down like grass. The enemy began an enfilading fire, as our line was in a right angle, and the division was compelled to move to the left and rear to close up the unoccupied space between our left and Jack- son's right, that general having moved his troops, leaving their left entirely exposed. It seems strange that such a state of things should have existed, but such are nevertheless the facts. The most deadly combat waged until every round of ammuni- tion was exhausted. General McLaws appeared upon the scene
THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL
at 10:30 o'clock, when General Hood, with colors flying, moved to the wood in the rear. The men supplied themselves with am- munition, and returned to the wood, near the church. which ground was held till a late hour in the afternoon, when they moved to the right and bivouacked for the night.
The correspondent of the New York Herald said of this part of the engagement: "That those ragged and filthy wretches, sick, hungry, and in all ways miserable, should prove such he- roes in the fight, is past explanation. Men never fought better. There was one regiment that stood up before the fire of two or three of our long range batteries and two regiments of infantry, and though the air was vocal with the whistle of bullets and the scream of shells, there they stood and delivered their fire in per- fect order." The regiment referred to was the Texas brigade. They had passed through so many engagements. their ranks had been thinned to the proportions of a regiment.
Dr. Jones, in biography of General Lee, said with reference to this engagement: "Seeing Hood in their path, the enemy paused." A Northern correspondent, writing to his paper said: "While our advance faltered, the rebels. greatly re-enforced, made a sudden and impetuous onset, and drove our gallant fel- lows back over a portion of the hard-won field. What we had won, however, was not relinquished without a desperate struggle, and bere, up the hills and down through the woods and standing corn, over the ploughed land and clover, the line of fire swept to and fro, as one side or the other gained a temporary advantage."'
Hood was now fighting with his right towards the main line of the enemy, for General Hooker had swept around so far that his line was almost at right angles with his original position. "Hood threw himself into the action with great gallastry."
With regard to failure of re. enforcements, General Hood says: "I am thoroughly of the opinion that the victory of that day would have been as thorough, quick and complete as on the plains of Manassas August 30th, if General MeLaws had reached the field even as late as nine o'clock."
Next day both armies were confronting each other, but with no disposition to renew the attack. Both had lost heavily, and both spent the time in burying their dead and caring for the wounded. The Confederate loss was heavy. estimated between five and nine thousand. The Federals report that where Gen- eral Hooker engaged the enemey's left in front of Hood's di- vision of two brigades there were twelve hundred and fifty wounded. Summers' corps lost, in killed, wounded and missing, five thousand two hundred and eighty.
Mcclellan was in command at Sharpsburg. The corps which
109
AND HOOD'S TEXAS BRIGADE.
massed to turn the left flank had an aggregate attacking column of forty thousand, while the Confederates had less than fourteen thousand. General Mcclellan said in his report:
"The next morning I found our loss had been so great, and there was so much disorganization, I did not consider it proper to renew the attack that day, especially as I was sure of the ar- rival that day of two fresh divisions, amounting to about four- teen thousand men."
General Hood said that never before had he felt so much fear upon a battle-field that his horse might injure some wounded man, as they were lying so thick upon the ground it was almost impossible to avoid such a catastrophe.
Sharpsburg will be remembered by the horrible reflection that many of our noblest and best men were left unburied upon the battle-field. It will also be always a fearful dream. where a small handful of men withstood ten times their number, unsup- ported by the re-enforcements that did not arrive until it seemed human nature could no longer endure the strain upon brain and nerve. The Texans there made a record second only to those who fell martyrs of the Alamo.
The morning after this famous clash of arms, neither army was in fighting condition, although the rebels were eager to re- new the conflict. During the 18th, General Lee awaited General Mcclellan's advance, but as none was made, he withdrew his army to the south bank of the Potomac, crossing at Shepards- town. No attempt was made to prevent the evacuation of Mary- land. Why did General Lee retire across the Potomac? His army was exhausted. Instead of Maryland rising to the support of the Confederacy, he found them entirely hostile to the cause.
While General Mcclellan's army was crippled to an alarming extent, yet he was in easy distance of Baltimore and Washing- ton, where there was large re-inforcements of men and money. In the report of the Committee on Conduct of the War. General Sumner testified as follows: "General Hooker's corps was dis- persed, there is no question of that. I sent one of my staff officers to find where they were, and General Ricketts, the only officer he could find, said that he could not raise three hundred men in his corps. There were troops lying down, which I took to be Mansfield's. In the meantime, General Mansfield had been killed, and a portion of his corps were in confusion."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.