"24th
Virginia Infantry's Action at Gettysburg."
This
is a small excerpt of an article written by Colonel Joseph Mayo, for the
Richmond Times Dispatch Dec.13,1914 He was a survior of that dreaded day at
Gettysburg.
The
24th's Action
"At
2:00 A.M. on July 2, the 24th Virginia and Pickett's division proceeded
eastward on the Chambersburg Pike toward Gettysburg. Under a broiling sun the
Virginians rapidly crossed South Mountain and by 2:00 P.M. had trudged
twenty-three miles through suffocating dust. The exhausted men encamped early
in the afternoon near Willoughby Run. They Were three miles west of Gettysburg,
which for the previous two days had been the scene of a desperate Struggle. As
July 2 closed, the Virginians sensed that tomorrow would bring their entry into
the combat.
By
3:30 A. M. on July 3, the Virginians had broken camp and were headed down the
Cashtown Road for Gettysburg. Kemper's brigade led the rest of Picett's
division and arrived just west of Gettysburg around 8:00 A. M. Under the
watchful eye of Lee the brigade headed south and began discarding all
nonessentials.
Along
the march, the men had witnessed Confederate burying parties interring the dead
of the previous days battle. After a twenty-minute rest stop at Pitzerss Run,
the troops turned eastward.
Around
11:00 A. M., Kemper's brigade formed line of battle behind the crest of a ridge
just west and south of the Spangler House. Major James Dearing's artillery
battalion was stationed on the crest of Seminary Ridge. Four hundred yards
behind Dearing's men, Kemper alligned his brigade from left to right as
follows: 3rd, 7th, 1st, 11th and 24th Virginia. The Virginians remained in the
open field behind the ridge for the next three hours. Under a blazing sun, the
men could do little except watch and wait.
By
noon, Col. Terry had instructed his captains on the general plan of battle. The
company commanders barely had time to return to their Commands and instruct the
men on the location of the enemy position and the difficulty of their task; for
at 1:00 P. M., the Confederate artillery commenced shelling the enemy position
on Cemetery Ridge. The Union artillery quickly replied in kind, and for the
next two hours the ground shook from the incessant artillery fire.
Remaining
in the open field behind the Confederate artillery, the 24th Virginia
"suffered considerably from the iron hail of the enemy's batteries. The
only protection that the man had were small piles of rocks. Needless to say,
these
rocks
were of little value against artillery. Major Hambrick suffered a painful
head
wound from the splinters of an apple tree struck by a Union shell. In addition
to the artillery fire, the sun took its toll on the troops. Several men
actually fainted from the heat. The entire brigade suffered more than a fifteen
percent casualty rate before the actual charge began.
At
1:40 P. M ., Col . E. Porter Alexander, commander of Longstreet 's artillery,
advised Gen. Pickett to advance. The dapper general had formed his division in
two
lines; Kemper's and Garnett's brigades first, followed by Armistead's
regiments. Once Longstreet had consented to the charge, Pickett rode among his
men and exclaimed:
"Up,
men, and to your posts! Don't forget that you are from old Virginia!"
With
everything ready, Pickett dispatched Capt. Robert A. Bright to instruct
Gen.
Kemper that he was "to dress on Garnett and take the red barn for . . .
[his]
objective point." At approximately 3:00 P. M., the Confederate artillery
ceased
firing and Col. Terry ordered the 24th Virginia to prepare to advance.
There
was no cheering, only a resolute determination to take the enemy position.
The
regiment quickly moved "by the left flank to the depth of a regiment"
and
then
headed eastward. The Henry Guards acted as skirmishers 200 yards in advance of
the main assault line. As Dearing's men cheered, soldiers from the Virginia
highlands passed through the Confederate artillery "deliberately [and] in
good order." Continuing eastward, Kemper's brigade crossed the double
fence at Spangler's lane and then reformed the line. The brigade had never
looked better.
Upon
traversing the plain below, the Virginians moved alternately by "the front
and
by the left flank." This move was concealed from the enemy by a ravine, or
swale, which allowed the men to move in a northeasterly direction without
drawing enemy fire. From the bottom of the swale, the 24th Virginia and the
rest of Pickett's division began their charge. Once the mountaineers had
cleared the ravine and neared the Emmitsburg road, they received a devastating
fire from Benjamin Rittenhouse's battery located on Little Round Top. Colonel
Freeman McGilvery's battery also opened on the exposed right flank of the 24th
Virginia. This unsupported flank made an inviting target, which the Union
artilleryists hit with increasing frequency. However, the withering flank
artillery fire was just the beginning.
And
lastly, the sight of the impetuous Kemper,as rising in his stirrups and
pointing
to
the left with his sword, he shouted:
"There
are the guns boys.Go for them!" It was an injudicious order, but they
obeyed
it with a will, and mingling with Garnett's people, pushed rapidly up the
heights.Within a few steps of the stone fence, while in the act of shaking
hands
with
General Garnett, and congratulating him on being able to be with his men
(he
had been seriously hurt a day or two before).
I
heard someone calling to me, and turning my head, saw it was Captain Fry.
He
was mounted and blood was streaming from his horse's neck.Colonel Terry
had
sent him to stop the movement to the left. The enemy in force (Stannard's
Vermonters) had penetrated to our rear.
He
told me that Kemper had been struck down, it was feared mortally, and
Garnett
and Armistead had both been killed. With the help of Col. Carrington
of
the Eighteenth, and Major Bently, of the Twenty-fourth, I hastily gathered
together a small band and faced them to meet the new danger.
At
2:00 A.M. on July 2, the 24th Virginia and Pickett's division proceeded
eastward
on the Chambersburg Pike toward Gettysburg. Under a broiling sun
the
Virginians rapidly crossed South Mountain and by 2:00 P.M. had trudged
twenty-three miles through suffocating dust. The exhausted men encamped early
in
the afternoon near Willoughby Run.
They
were three miles west of Gettysburg, which for the previous two days had been
the scene of a desperate Struggle. As July 2 closed, the Virginians sensed
that
tomorrow would bring their entry into the combat.
By
3:30 A. M. on July 3, the Virginians had broken camp and were headed
down
the Cashtown Road for Gettysburg. Kemper's brigade led the rest of
Pickett's
division and arrived just west of Gettysburg around 8:00 A. M.
Under
the watchful eye of Lee the brigade headed south and began discarding
all
nonessentials. Along the march, the men had witnessed Confederate burying
parties interring the dead of the previous days battle. After a twenty-minute
rest
stop
at Pitzerss Run, the troops turned eastward.
Around
11:00 A. M., Kemper's brigade formed line of battle behind the crest
of
a ridge just west and south of the Spangler House. Major James Dearing's
artillery battalion was stationed on the crest of Seminary Ridge. Four hundred
yards
behind Dearing's men, Kemper alligned his brigade from left to right as
follows: 3rd, 7th, 1st, 11th and 24th Virginia.
The
Virginians remained in the open field behind the ridge for the next three
hours. Under a blazing sun, the men could do little except watch and wait.
By
noon, Col. Terry had instructed his captains on the general plan of battle. The
company commanders barely had time to return to their Commands and instruct
the
men on the location of the enemy position and the difficulty of their task; for
at
1:00 P. M., the Confederate artillery commenced shelling the enemy position
on
Cemetery Ridge. The Union artillery quickly replied in kind, and for the next
two
hours the ground shook from the incessant artillery fire.
Remaining
in the open field behind the Confederate artillery, the 24th Virginia
"suffered considerably from the iron hail of the enemy's batteries. The
only protection that the man had were small piles of rocks. Needless to say,
these
rocks
were of little value against artillery. Major Hambrick suffered a painful
head
wound from the splinters of an apple tree struck by a Union shell.
In
addition to the artillery fire, the sun took its toll on the troops. Several
men actually fainted from the heat. The entire brigade suffered more than a
fifteen
percent
casualty rate before the actual charge began.
At
1:40 P.M ., Col . E. Porter Alexander, commander of Longstreet 's artillery,
advised Gen. Pickett to advance. The dapper general had formed his division in
two
lines; Kemper's and Garnett's brigades first, followed by Armistead's
regiments.
Once
Longstreet had consented to the charge, Pickett rode among his men and
exclaimed:
"Up,
men, and to your posts! Don't forget that you are from old Virginia!"
With
everything ready, Pickett dispatched Capt. Robert A. Bright to instruct Gen.
Kemper that he was "to dress on Garnett and take the red barn for ...[his]
objective point." At approximately 3:00 P. M., the Confederate artillery
ceased firing and Col. Terry ordered the 24th Virginia to prepare to advance.
There was no cheering, only a resolute determination to take the enemy
position.
The
regiment quickly moved "by the left flank to the depth of a regiment"
and then
headed
eastward. The Henry Guards acted as skirmishers 200 yards in advance of the
main assault line. As Dearing's men cheered, soldiers from the Virginia
highlands passed through the Confederate artillery "deliberately [and] in
good order." Continuing eastward, Kemper's brigade crossed the double
fence at Spangler's lane and then reformed the line. The brigade had never
looked better.
Upon
traversing the plain below, the Virginians moved alternately by "the front
and
by
the left flank." This move was concealed from the enemy by a ravine, or
swale,
which
allowed the men to move in a northeasterly direction without drawing enemy
fire.
From
the bottom of the swale, the 24th Virginia and the rest of Pickett's division
began their charge. Once the mountaineers had cleared the ravine and neared the
Emmitsburg road, they received a devastating fire from Benjamin Rittenhouse's
battery located on Little Round Top. Colonel Freeman McGilvery's battery also
opened on the exposed right flank of the 24th Virginia. This unsupported flank
made an inviting target, which the Union artilleryists hit with increasing
frequency. However, the withering flank artillery fire was just the beginning.
In
addition to being blasted by artillery, the 24th Virginia came under
concentrated musketry. Continuing eastward, Kemper's brigade passed along the
south side of the Codori house. After the brigade had cleared the house, it met
the Union infantry in force. General George Stannard's Vermont brigade, which
was stationed in a cluster of trees southeast of the Codori house and
perpendicular to the Union line, took advantage of the Virginians' exposed
right flank. Musketry ripped huge gashes in the ranks of the regiment.
The
Virginians pushed forward, only to be hit from the front by William Harrow's
and
N.
J. Hall's brigades. Despite the murderous fire from the Union soldiers, the men
from the Virginia highlands continued to close ranks around their colorbearer,
Charles P. Belcher. The Virginians now opened fire and poured welldirected
volleys into the ranks
of
their Northern adversaries.
In
the confusion of battle, Kemper's men had drifted to the left. They passed a
piece
of
rough terrain in front of Hall's position, then became tangled with Garnett's
brigade. General Kemper, having been wounded, relinquished command of the
brigade to "Old Buck" Terry. In desperation, Terry tried to stop the
leftward movement, but his efforts went for naught. Individually, and in places
collectively, Kemper's and Garnett's men continued their easterly charge.
The
ranks of Kemper's brigade continued to be fragmented by the torrent of enemy
fire
on its right flank. To counter this problem, the 24th and part of the 11th
Virginia
were
ordered to form a right angle to the main line of the brigade. This tactical
maneuvre was designed to prevent Stannard's men from infiltrating the rear of
the brigade.
Owing
to Col. Terry's temporary advancement to brigade command, Lt. Col. Maury's
unexplained absence and Maj. Hambrick's wound, Capt. Bentley took command of
the 24th Virginia. Savage handto-hand combat began between the Virginians and
the Union troops just south of the angle.
Despite
the Federal advantage of a stone wall, at least part of the 24th Virginia was
able
to
get inside of the Union works. The mountaineers stormed over the wall, causing
many Federals to surrender. Continuing forward, Capt. Bentley and his men were
able to occupy at least one of Alonzo H. Cushing's Union guns. However, the
unsupported Virginians could not maintain their advantage.
A
Northern counterattack swept the men back across the stone wall. Colonel Joseph
Mayo of the 3rd Virginia and Capt. Bentley, the latter bleeding from a wounded
hip,
tried
to regroup the troops. Yet before they could rally the menus both flanks of the
small
force were dangling in the air. The troops were forced to retire.
In
backing across the field, the men from the Virginia highlands continued to
fall.
Walter
Harrison, inspector general for Pickett's division, described the scene by
stating: "kiln the attack it was heavy but the rear. unheeded; in the
retreat it became terrible."
However,
a few men of the 24th Virginia were able to find their way back to Seminary
Ridge where the charge began. There the men bathed their wounds in a little
creek.
Clear
water soon ran crimson with blood. Farther down the creek, troops quenched
their
ravinous thirst with the same rose-colored liquid.
A
heartbroken Gen. Pickett mingled among the survivors of his division. When he
approached the small group of men from the 24th Virginia, Charles Belcher waved
the
colors of the regiment and exclaimed; "General, let us go it again !
" The words quickly lost their meaning as Gen. Kemper passed by on a
stretcher.
General
Lee, who had ridden out to greet his men, spotted Kemper. Lee inquired
about
his wound and whether there was anything he could do for the wounded general.
In
great pain, Kemper replied, "Yes General Lee, do full justice to this
division for its
work
today." With bowed head, Lee said: "I will."
Soldiers
then took Kemper to the rear. Suffering over a fifty percent casualty rate,
Pickett's division was butchered at Gettysburg. Of the nearly 4,300 men in the
division, 232 were killed, 1,157 wounded and 1,499 captured or missing.
Kemper's brigade had 731 casualties. Of these, the 24th Virginia lost 18
killed, 71 wounded,40 wounded and taken prisoner and 50 missing. No other
regiment in Kemper's brigade suffered such frightful casualties. The regiment
would never fully recover from its heroism at Gettysburg.
On
the night after the battle, the survivors of the 24th Virginia were either in
the regimental hospital or scattered along Seminary Ridge. Some of the men
procured
rations
from wagon trains and prepared for the following day's battle. By early
afternoon
on July 4, it became apparent to Lee that Gen. George G. Meade was
not
going to counterattack. Lee then ordered his battered columns to prepare to
return
to Virginia.
On
the march back to Virginia, the 24th Virginia—along with the rest of Pickett's
division—were detailed as provost guards. The Confederates considered this duty
to
be
a disgrace; they did not relish the task of taking some 4,000 Union prisoners
back
to
Virginia. Torrential rains added more discomfort to an already disagreeable
assignment.
Early
on the morning of July 5, the brigade left Fairfield and resumed its southerly
march.
By evening Kemper's men had reached Monterey on top of South Mountain.
The
following day, the men proceeded down the mountain to Waterloo, where they
rested
for several hours. The troops renewed the march that evening and, by 2:00 P.M.
on July 7, were just north of Williamsport, Md.
After
resting for a day, the weary Virginians eagerly relinquished their prisoners to
troops
under Gen. John Imboden. Late on the evening of the 10th, the 1st, 3rd and
24th
Virginia crossed the Potomac and began picket duty about a mile south of the
ferry.
For the next two days, the Virginians guarded the roads while Lee's army
crossed
back into Virginia.
At
5:00 P. M. on July 13, the brigade headed for Martinsburg, W. Va. Two days
later,
it reached Bunker Hill. The brigade enjoyed three days of rest before moving to
Smithfield in Jefferson County. Five days later, the men went into camp near
Culpepper Court House. There they remained until August 3. That day the troops
marched to the Rapidan River and halted near Martain Run. The men then went
into regular camp and resumed drills and other camp duties.
On
September 9, Kemper's brigade started for Richmond. Passing through Louisa
Court
House, the men took the Mountain road to the capital. On the 13th, the
Virginians reached Chaffin's Farm, south of the city. The brigade remained
there ten days then proceeded back to Richmond and took the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad back to Taylorsville. There the troops
guarded the roads and bridges in the area.
During
autumn of 1863, Kemper's brigade began to recover in part from Pickett's
Charge.
The men were fully clothed and, with the exception of but one man, they
were
completely shod. Their arms and accouterments were in good condition, except
for
the loss of some bayonets. At Taylorsville the troops had built substantial
quarters.
However,
their rations were not as plentiful as the men would have liked. One pint of
unsifted meal and a quarter-pound of bacon per day was the general ration. The
bacon was usually eaten raw. To fry it would have caused it to shrink too much.
Coffee, of a sort, was made from parched wheat, rye or sometimes rice.
The
men from the Virginia highlands went into winter quarters less buoyant than
they
had
been the previous year. The ultimate victory which they had hoped for in 1863
had not materialized. Instead, defeat had befallen the Army of Northern
Virginia.
What
the coming year would hold for the survivors of Pickett's Charge was unknown;
however, the men of the 24th Virginia were by no means ready to quit after one
defeat. The men knew that 1864 would be a new year, with new opportunities for
success.
{THE
END}