Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 8.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

General order no. 6.

The General commanding the brigade having been authorized to have inscribed on the battle-flags of his regiments the [103] names of actions in which they have participated, avails himself of the opportunity to refer to some of these actions.

At Newberne, besides the fleet of gunboats, you fought 13,000 of the best troops in the Federal service, having reserves of 7,000. You numbered less than 4,000--not ten of whom, officers and men, had ever been in battle before. After an uninterrupted fire of four hours--which has not been exceeded by any you have since heard (except for one hour at Gaines' mill), and after you had inflicted on the enemy a loss of not less than half of your own numbers in killed and wounded — you made good your retreat out of a peninsula in which he had confidently boasted that he would capture you as he would “chickens in a coop.”

At Slash church, you encountered the division of General Porter and a part of the division of General Sedgwick, numbering at least 20,000, including 5,000 United States regulars.

You, with the two other regiments temporarily acting with you, numbered about 4,000, repulsed the enemy's attack, and boldly advancing, attacked him with such vigor that after six hours combat, you withdrew in perfect order to prevent being surrounded in the night — the enemy not daring to follow you beyond the field of battle.

Your commander might have justified himself in retiring before such superior forces both at Newberne and Slash church; but when on assuming a command, he resolved never to retreat before any hostile force without fighting it, he did not place too high an estimate on the valor and discipline of the brave men it is his pride to command.

In the late brilliant operations below Richmond, you were the first brigade to cross the Chickahominy; you were the first to meet the enemy, and the first to start him on that retreat in which the able combinations of our General-in-Chief allowed him to take no rest until he found shelter under the guns of his shipping. You captured from him a flag before any of the troops had crossed the Chickahominy.

At Mechanicsville, you were under a heavy fire on Thursday evening, the 26th, and Friday morning, which you had no opportunity to return.

At Gaines' mill you opened the fight and continued in it until the enemy had been driven from every part of the field.

On Monday, at Frazier's Farm, you were again in the heat of the engagement, from its opening to its close, driving the enemy before you for a great distance and capturing a battery. [104]

On Tuesday, at Malvern hill, you were again under a terrible fire, which you had no opportunity to return.

Though rarely able to turn out 3,000 men for duty, you have, in six pitched battles and several skirmishes, lost 1,250 in killed and wounded.

Of five Colonels, two have been killed in battle, two wounded, and one taken prisoner by an overwhelming force.

While making this bloody but brilliant record for your brigade, you have been, as soldiers of freedom should always be, modest, uncomplaining, and regardful of what is due to others.

Your ranks have been thinned by the casualties of war, but be not discouraged. In a few days they will be filled by recruits, and yours will be the proud task of teaching them to maintain the reputation you have achieved.

The regiments of the brigade are respectively entitled to have inscribed on their flags as follows:

The Seventh regiment--“Newberne, Slash Church, Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Frazier's Farm, Malvern Hill.” The same inscription is to be inscribed on the flags of the Twenty-eighth, Thirty-seventh and Thirty-third regiments.

The Eighteenth regiment--“Slash Church, Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Frazier's Farm, Malvern Hill.”

Branch's attillery (Captain Latham)--“Newberne” and “Slash church.”

The Quartermaster of the brigade will furnish flags inscribed as above.