[437] serving in Virginia through the battles around Richmond, the Maryland campaign and Fredericksburg, attained at the period of the battle of Chancellorsville the rank of colonel of his regiment. General Semmes, his brigade commander, in accordance with a request of General McLaws that each brigadier should report colors captured or lost by his command during the engagements around Chancellorsville, said: ‘I have the honor to state that no colors were lost by my brigade, but that the Fifty-third Georgia volunteers, Col. James P. Simms, captured the national colors of the Second Rhode Island volunteers.’ He was present at the head of his regiment on the second day at Gettysburg, when the gallant Semmes received his mortal wound. Colonel Simms was at Knoxville with Longstreet in November, 1863, Gen. Goode Bryan being then his brigade, and McLaws his division commander. During all the Overland campaign he was still at the post of duty and danger. At the battle of Cedar Creek he commanded the brigade. At Petersburg he was again in command of his regiment, and on December 8, 1864, after General Bryan had returned to Georgia, he was again put in command of the brigade and commissioned brigadier-general. Faithful to the last, he was on hand in the Appomattox campaign and surrendered with Ewell at Sailor's creek, only a few days before the sad occasion when the gallant army of Virginia laid down its arms and furled the banners that had floated in triumph over so many glorious fields. After the war General Simms returned to his home and resumed the practice of law. He served his county in the legislature and took an active interest in everything that concerned the honor and prosperity of Georgia until his death in 1888.
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[437] serving in Virginia through the battles around Richmond, the Maryland campaign and Fredericksburg, attained at the period of the battle of Chancellorsville the rank of colonel of his regiment. General Semmes, his brigade commander, in accordance with a request of General McLaws that each brigadier should report colors captured or lost by his command during the engagements around Chancellorsville, said: ‘I have the honor to state that no colors were lost by my brigade, but that the Fifty-third Georgia volunteers, Col. James P. Simms, captured the national colors of the Second Rhode Island volunteers.’ He was present at the head of his regiment on the second day at Gettysburg, when the gallant Semmes received his mortal wound. Colonel Simms was at Knoxville with Longstreet in November, 1863, Gen. Goode Bryan being then his brigade, and McLaws his division commander. During all the Overland campaign he was still at the post of duty and danger. At the battle of Cedar Creek he commanded the brigade. At Petersburg he was again in command of his regiment, and on December 8, 1864, after General Bryan had returned to Georgia, he was again put in command of the brigade and commissioned brigadier-general. Faithful to the last, he was on hand in the Appomattox campaign and surrendered with Ewell at Sailor's creek, only a few days before the sad occasion when the gallant army of Virginia laid down its arms and furled the banners that had floated in triumph over so many glorious fields. After the war General Simms returned to his home and resumed the practice of law. He served his county in the legislature and took an active interest in everything that concerned the honor and prosperity of Georgia until his death in 1888.
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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