A study of regimental actions shows clearly that the battalions which
faced musketry the steadiest, the longest and the oftenest, were the
ones whose aggregate loss during the war was greatest. Fighting
regiments leave a bloody wake behind them; retreating regiments lose
few men. At Chancellorsville the heaviest losses were in the corps that
stood--not in the one that broke.--Fox.
* * * * *
W. R. B., in Wilmington Messenger:
I write you a letter, as I wish to tell you about certain conversations
I lately had with an old Confederate--an officer of high rank, and
one who, after the war, was on intimate terms with Gen. Lee. It will
also contain a copy of a letter received by me some two months ago
from a member of Gen. Lee’s staff, and some other things which I think
will interest your old soldier readers. In one of the conversations
referred to mention was made of the letters of General Cobb (who was
killed at Fredericksburg) which have lately been published. In one
of these letters General Cobb says that Mr. Davis and General Lee
thought there was only one State in the Confederacy, and that was
Virginia. In referring to it I remarked that, allowing a little for
exaggeration, I did not think he was very far wrong; that I supposed
it was much the same in the other States, and that I knew of the
persistent injustice, and sometimes even cruelty, with which North
Carolina and her troops were treated. He at once came to the defence of
General Lee, and said he knew positively that he was not responsible
for much of the injustice of which I complained; that in the matter of
appointing and promoting officers General Lee often had very little
influence. For instance, after Jackson’s death, when the army was
reorganized and the two corps made into three, he was bitterly opposed
to having A. P. Hill and Ewell for corps commanders. He wished to have
Rodes--an Alabamian--to command one of them, and also wished to give
a division to Pettigrew and he always said if his divisions and corps
had been commanded at Gettysburg by officers of his choice he would
have gained that battle. But, said General ----, as the secretary of
war was a Virginian, and the influence of Virginia politicians was
so all-powerful, both in the executive mansion and the halls of our
congress, his wishes were not considered. Though a Virginian, he spoke
at length of this baneful influence which festered for four years in
Richmond. And just here it may be remarked that probably the most
humiliating thing connected with our struggle for independence--more
humiliating even than defeat--was the fact that North Carolinians and
other free born men should ever have allowed themselves to be at all
dominated by a public opinion, which was made by a sorry lot of ignoble
bomb-proof hunters. On one occasion I told General ---- about the
letter I had received from Col. Venable, and how lie happened to write
it. That I had heard reports as to General Pickett, while the assault
was being made, which reflected upon his courage, and was disposed to
doubt them, as I had heard that he had acted very bravely in his vain
attempt to rally his division when routed at Five Forks. I do not think
I succeeded in convincing him of this, for I think he believes yet that
General Pickett never went near his troops on this the day of their
last battle.
Wishing to know if there were any grounds for these reports, I wrote
to Colonel Venable, asking him how far into the field General Pickett
advanced with his division, and how near he was to it when it was
repulsed, and the following is his answer:
“Remington, Fauquier County, Va.
“Dear Sir:--It has been settled by officers of the United States
army, that both Pettigrew’s and Pickett’s men went to high water
mark--that is, equally far in the charge at Gettysburg. The Federal
government has caused marks to be placed at different points on the
field with great care.
“The charge should even be called the charge of Pettigrew’s and
Pickett’s men.
“Yours respectfully,
“CHAS. S. VENABLE.
“General Pettigrew was every inch a soldier and a very great loss
to the grand old army of northern Virginia.