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[556] these the flag-bearer was shot, and the captain brought out the flag himself.1 This loss of the 26th North Carolina, at Gettysburg, was the severest regimental loss during the war.

The next instance, in point of numerical loss, is that of the 6th Alabama--Colonel John B. Gordon--at Fair Oaks. This regiment was then in Rodes's Brigade of D. H. Hill's Division, which in this fight was pitted against Naglee's Brigade of Casey's Division. The regiment lost 91 killed, 277 wounded, and 5 missing; total, 373, out of about 632 engaged.

In the same battle, and in D. H. Hill's Division also, the Fourth North Carolina of G. B. Anderson's Brigade, sustained a loss of 77 killed, 286; wounded, and 6 missing; total, 369;, out of 678 engaged.

At Gaines's Mill the First South Carolina Rifles, Gregg's Brigade, A. P. Hill's Division, charged a battery which was supported by the Duryee Zouaves. The Rifles lost in this affair, 81 killed, 234 wounded, and 4 missing; total, 319, out of 537 engaged.

At Stone's River the Eighth Tennessee, of Donelson's Brigade, Cheatham's Division, lost 41 killed and 265 wounded; total, 306, out of 444 engaged. The 8th sustained the principal part of this loss while engaged with some troops of Sheridan's Division, and in a successful charge on Houghtaling's Battery, in which they captured several pieces of artillery from that and other batteries.

The severest losses are not always the largest numerically. To understand the extent of a regimental loss in any particular battle, one must know the number of men taken into action by the regiment. Many of the Confederate Colonels were intelligent and thoughtful enough in making their battle reports, to mention ill connection with the casualties, the number of men engaged, without which all such statements convey no definite idea. By doing so they have, in many instances, secured for their regiments an honored place, in history which otherwise would have been lost.

The following table of percentages was compiled from the official reports of Confederate regimental commandants:

Remarkable percentages of loss in Confederate regiments at particular engagements.

Regiment. Battle. Division. Present. Killed. 2Wounded. Missing. Per cent.
1st Texas Antietam Hood's 226 45 141 -- 82.3
21st Georgia Manassas Ewell's 242 38 146 -- 76.0
26th North Carolina Gettysburg Heth's 820 86 502 3 71.7
6th Mississippi Shiloh Hardee's 425 61 239 -- 70.5
8th Tennessee Stone's River Cheatham's 444 41 265 -- 68.2
10th Tennessee Chickamauga Johnson's 328 44 180 -- 68.0
Palmetto Sharpshooters Glendale Longstreet's 375 39 215 -- 67.7
17th South Carolina Manassas Evans's 284 25 164 1 66.9
23d South Carolina Manassas Evans's 225 27 122 -- 66.2
44th Georgia Mechanicsville D. H. Hill's 514 71 264   65.1
1st Ala. Battalion Chickamauga Preston's 260 24 144 -- 64.6
2d N. C. Battalion Gettysburg Rodes's 240 429 124 -- 63.7
16th Mississippi Antietam Anderson's 228 27 117 -- 63.1
27th North Carolina Antietam Walker's 325 31 168 -- 61.2
5th Georgia Chickamauga Cheatham's 317 27 165 2 61.1
2d Tennessee Chickamauga Cleburne's 264 13 145 1 60.2
15th and 37th Tenn. Chickamauga Stewart's 202 15 102 4 59.9
6th Alabama Seven Pines D. H. Hill's 632 91 277 5 59.0
16th Alabama Chickamauga Cleburne's 414 25 218 -- 58.6
15th Virginia Antietam McLaws's 128 11 64 -- 58.5
6th and 9th Tennessee Chickamauga Cheatham's 335 26 168 -- 57.9
18th Georgia Antietam Hood's 176 13 72 16 57.3
1st S. C. Rifles Gaines's Mill A. P. Hill's 537 81 225 -- 56.9
10th Georgia Antietam McLaws's 148 15 69 -- 56.7
18th North Carolina Seven Days A. P. Hill's 396 45 179 -- 56.5
3d Alabama Malvern Hill D. H. Hill's 354 37 163 -- 56.4
18th Alabama Chickamauga Stewart's 527 41 256 -- 56.3
17th Virginia Antietam Pickett's 55 7 24 -- 56.3
7th North Carolina Seven Days A. P. Hill's 450 35 218 -- 56.2
12th Tennessee Stone's River Cheatham's 292 18 137 9 56.1
22d Alabama Chickamauga Hindman's 371 44 161 -- 55.2
9th Georgia Gettysburg Hood's 340 27 162 -- 55.0
16th Tennessee Stone's River Cheatham's 377 36 155 16 54.9
4th North Carolina Seven Pines D. H. Hill's 678 77 286 6 54.4
27th Tennessee Shiloh Hardee's 350 27 115 48 54.2
23d Tennessee Chickamauga Buckner's 181 8 77 13 54.1
12th South Carolina Manassas A. P. Hill's 270 23 121 2 54.0
4th Virginia Manassas Jackson's 180 18 79 -- 53.8
4th Texas Antietam Hood's 200 10 97 -- 53.5
27th Tennessee Chaplin Hills Cleburne's 210 16 84 12 53.3
1st South Carolina Manassas5 A. P. Hill's 283 25 126 -- 53.3
49th Virginia Fair Oaks D. H. Hill's 424 32 170 22 52.8
29th Mississippi Chickamauga Liddell's 368 38 156 -- 52.7
12th Alabama Fair Oaks D. H. Hill's 408 59 156 -- 52.6
7th South Carolina Antietam McLaws's 268 23 117 -- 52.2
58th Alabama Chickamauga Stewart's 288 25 124 -- 51.7
7th Texas Raymond John Gregg's 306 22 136 -- 51.6
6th South Carolina Fair Oaks D. H. Hill's 521 88 181 -- 51.6
15th Georgia Gettysburg Hood's 335 19 152 -- 51.0
11th Alabama Glendale Longstreet's 357 49 121 11 50.7
17th Georgia Manassas Hood's 200 10 91 -- 50.5
37th Georgia Chickamauga Stewart's 391 19 168 7 50.1
3d North Carolina Gettysburg Johnson's 312 29 127 6 50.0
63d Tennessee Chickamauga Preston's 402 16 184 -- 49.7
41st Alabama Chickamauga Breckenridge's 325 27 120 11 48.6
4th Virginia Chancellorsville Trimble's 355 14 155 3 48.4
32d Tennessee Chickamauga Stewart's 341 9 156 -- 48.3
20th Tennessee Chickamauga Stewart's 183 8 80 -- 48.0
1st Maryland Gettysburg Johnson's 400 752 8140 -- 48.0
8th Mississippi Stone's River Breckenridge's 282 20 113 -- 47.1
44th Georgia Malvern Hill D. H. Hill's 142 9 40 16 45.7
32d Virginia Antietam McLaws's 158 15 57 -- 45.5
1st Arkansas Chickamauga Cleburne's 430 13 180 1 45.1
18th Mississippi Antietam McLaws's 186 10 73 -- 44.6
9th Kentucky Chickamauga Breckenridge's 230 11 89 2 44.3
14th South Carolina Gaines's Mill A. P. Hill's 500 18 197 -- 43.0
33d North Carolina Chancellorsville A. P. Hill's 480 32 167 -- 41.4
5th Alabama Malvern Hill D. H. Hill's 225 26 66 -- 40.8
Hampton Legion Fair Oaks Hood's 350 21 120 -- 40.2
26th Alabama Malvern Hill D. H. Hill's 218 10 76 -- 40.0

1 Form the magazine, “Our Living and our dead.”

2 Including the mortally wounded.

3 In addition to the 588 killed and wounded, this regiment lost 120 missing, many of whom were killed.

4 Gen. Ewell, in his official report, states that the 2d N. C. Battalion lost 200 killed and wounded out of 240 present.

5 Including Ox Hill (Chantilly).

6 There were 51 missing, also, who are not included, most of whom were killed or wounded.

7 From inscription on monument at Gettysburg; but Surgeon-General Guild (C. S. A.) reported their loss officially, at the time, as 35 killed and 119 wounded.

8 From inscription on monument at Gettysburg; but Surgeon-General Guild (C. S. A.) reported their loss officially, at the time, as 35 killed and 119 wounded.

1888.

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