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He is the author of a treatise on ‘Railway Practice,’ and historical papers, such as ‘The
Great Charge and Artillery Fighting at
Gettysburg,’ and ‘Longstreet at
Knoxville.’
Brigadier-General George T. Anderson is a native of
Georgia and before the war was a man of considerable property.
He did not have the advantage of a military training at
West Point, but did acquire practical knowledge of warlike affairs during the conflict with
Mexico, where he served as a captain.
When the Eleventh Georgia regiment was organized in 1861, he was elected its colonel and went with his regiment to
Virginia.
During the Seven Days battles around
Richmond, he led a brigade consisting of his own regiment, the First regulars, Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Georgia, and was engaged in all the operations of
Magruder's command during those eventful days.
Speaking of the
battle of Malvern Hill,
Gen. D. H. Hill says: ‘I never saw anything more grandly heroic than — the advance after sunset of the nine brigades under
Magruder's orders.’
Still holding the rank of colonel, he led this brigade through the fiery ordeals of
Second Manassas and
Sharpsburg, conducting himself with such gallantry and showing such skill in the handling of his troops that on the 1st of November, 1862, he received the commission of brigadier-general, the duties of which position he had performed so faithfully throughout the year.
The next battle in which he was engaged was at
Fredericksburg.
At the time of the
battle of Chancellorsville, he was with
Longstreet in
southeast Virginia.
In the desperate struggle for the possession of
Round Top on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, at
Gettysburg, more than 2,000 officers and men of
Hood's division were killed or wounded, and among the severely wounded were
Generals Hood and
G. T. Anderson.
In September following he had sufficiently recovered to go with
Longstreet to the assistance of
Bragg in north
