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Annual reunion of Pegram Battalion Association in the
Hall
of
House of Delegates
,
Richmond, Va.
,
May
21st
,
1886
.
Extracts from the diary of
Lieutenant-Colonel
John
G.
Pressley
, of the
Twenty-Fifth South Carolina Volunteers
.
Ceremonies connected with the unveiling of the statue of
General
Robert
E.
Lee
, at
Lee
circle,
New Orleans, Louisiana
,
February
22
,
1884
.
Address before the
Virginia
division of
Army of Northern Virginia
, at their reunion on the evening of
October
21
,
1886
.
Fortification and siege of
Port Hudson
—Compiled by the
Association
of defenders of
Port Hudson
;
M.
J.
Smith
,
President
;
James
Freret
,
Secretary
.
[525]
Hill's two divisions with Longstreet's, and throw them farther to the left, to fill up a part of the great unoccupied interval between the plank road and Ewell's right, near the old turnpike, or use them on his right, as the occasion might demand.
It was unfortunate that any of these troops should have become aware they were to be relieved by Longstreet.
It is certain that owing to this impression, Wilcox's division, on the right, was not in condition to receive Hancock's attack at early dawn on the morning of the 6th, by which they were driven back in considerable confusion.
In fact, some of the brigades of Wilcox's division came back in disorder, but sullenly and without panic, entirely across the plank road, where General Lee and the gallant Hill in person helped to rally them.
The assertion, made by several writers, that Hill's troops were driven back a mile and a half, is a most serious mistake.
The right of his line was thrown back several hundred yards, but a portion of the troops still maintained their position.
The danger, however, was great, and General Lee sent his trusted Adjutant, Colonel W. H. Taylor, back to Parker's store, to get the trains ready for a movement to the rear.
He sent an aid also to hasten the march of Longstreet's divisions.
These came the last mile and a half at a double-quick, in parallel columns, along the plank-road.
General Longstreet rode forward with that imperturbable coolness which always characterized him in times of perilous action, and began to put them in position on the right and left of the road.
His men came to the front of disordered battle with a steadiness unexampled, even among veterans, and with an élan which presaged restoration of our battle and certain victory.
When they arrived the bullets of the enemy on our right flank had begun to sweep the field in the rear of the artillery pits on the left of the road where General Lee was giving directions and assisting General Hill in rallying and reforming his troops.
It was here that the incident of Lee's charge with Gregg's Texas brigade occurred.
The Texans cheered lustily as their line of battle, coming up in splendid style, passed by Wilcox's disordered columns, and swept across our artillery pit and its adjacent breastwork.
Much moved by the greeting of these brave men and their magnificent behavior, General Lee spurred his horse through an opening in the trenches and followed close on their line as it moved rapidly forward.
The men did not perceive that he was going with them until they had advanced some distance in the charge; when they did, there came from the entire line, as it rushed on, the cry, ‘Go back, General Lee!
go back!’
Some historians like to put this in less homely words, but the brave
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